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Hot Topics:
IRAQ
& SMART Security Platform for the 21st Century Platform
Floor Statements
To Watch Video of Lynn's Iraq Floor Statements,
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Let's Give The People of The World Dignity & Opportunity (#298)
Watch Video | | March 4, 2009 | |
| Mr. Speaker, the Iraqi Government is reopening the infamous Abu Ghraib prison. It has been renovated to include computers, recreational areas, a library and a barber shop for the prisoners. The Iraqis promise to treat prisoners humanely and in accordance with international standards.
Some disagree with this decision to reopen Abu Ghraib. They say it should have been turned into a museum to document the crimes that took place there. Others say it should have been simply knocked down. But the Iraqi Government says it must keep the facility because it actually needs the space.
The renovations are designed to remove any reminders of the terrible violations of human rights that took place at Abu Ghraib when it was under U.S. control. Those violations did a great deal of damage, Mr. Speaker, to America's reputation. Even worse, they sent a terrible signal to the world. The UN has reported that nondemocratic countries have used U.S. actions in places like Abu Ghraib to justify their own abuses.
Mr. Speaker, the people of the world expect America to offer a better example than that. They expect us to work for peace and to treat people with dignity and compassion.
The Obama administration has already taken important steps in that direction. The President has renounced torture. He has ordered the closing of Guantanamo Bay. His administration has also released documents which show how the previous administration violated the constitutional rights of the American people right here at home.
President Obama has also pledged to use diplomacy instead of war as the first tool of American foreign policy. He has signaled his willingness to talk to Iran and Syria, two nations that we must engage to create stability in the Middle East. He is trying, Mr. Speaker, to diffuse tensions with Russia, and Secretary of State Clinton has pledged a vigorous effort to kick-start the stalled peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.
But there is still a lot more that we just have to do. We must remove all of our troops and military contractors out of Iraq by August 2010. Leaving 50,000 residual troops is unacceptable. The Iraqi people will view it as an enduring occupation force and it will delay the reconciliation and the unification the Iraqi people need. They need that to build stability and democracy in their country.
We must also redeploy our troops out of Afghanistan and use humanitarian assistance instead of military force to achieve our goals there.
Every expert on Afghanistan knows that foreign military intervention never succeeds in that part of the world. Helping the Afghan people to build schools and roads will work a lot better than sending in more troops.
I've also called for a worldwide ceasefire or ``time-out'' to give diplomacy, to give humanitarian assistance and conflict resolution a chance to work. By intensifying our efforts in these areas, Mr. Speaker, our efforts of ``soft power'' or ``smart power'' and reducing the size of our military, we can move towards a conflict-free world.
Mr. Speaker, President Obama has said, and I quote him, ``We have a significant stake in ensuring that those who live in fear and want today can live with dignity and opportunity tomorrow.''
The President is right. Instead of bombs, instead of bullets, let's give the people of the world dignity and opportunity. That's the way to defeat terrorism. That's the way to keep America safe, and that's the way to ensure peace around the globe. |
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