Friday, Sept. 19, 2003 | 4:43 a.m.
By Jim Gibbons
Jim Gibbons, a Republican, represents Nevada's 2nd Congressional District. He also serves on the House Select Committee on Intelligence and the Armed Services Committee.
No one will ever forget Sept. 11, 2001. Over 3,000 innocent Americans lost their lives in senseless, heinous terrorist attacks. Shortly thereafter, the United States launched a war against terrorism to battle terrorists around the world so that our nation would never again suffer such a brutal attack on our shores. This was a war we did not ask for but one we must win.
Our war on terrorism began in Afghanistan, extended into Iraq and is being fought worldwide. While some may criticize our actions in Iraq, make no mistake -- our efforts there are making us more secure here at home. Joined by over 30 nations, we removed a tyrannical regime that supported and sponsored terrorism.
Saddam Hussein's regime possessed weapons of mass destruction, and even used them against his own people in northern Iraq. The possibility that those weapons could fall into the hands of the terrorists harbored and supported by Saddam was too grave a threat to ignore.
Saddam had over a decade to hide from the rest of the world his dangerous plans and deadly weapons. Over the past few months, our military has found over 7 1/2 miles of paperwork documenting Saddam's WMD program. According to the White House, 42 of the 55 most wanted former Iraqi leaders had been killed or captured as of Sept. 11. We have shut down the Salman Pak training camp where members of numerous terrorist groups trained.
We have conducted hundreds of raids, seizing caches of enemy weapons and massive amounts of ammunition. We have located mobile biological weapons labs and unearthed -- literally -- from the desert sands Saddam's air force planes. Our searches are beginning to uncover and unravel Saddam's years of deception.
American and allied military actions in Iraq have been highly successful. We have removed an oppressive regime from power, eliminating another place for terrorists to hide and plot new terror attacks. In the process, we have liberated the people of Iraq, bringing them freedom, education and health care. However, challenges remain before us even though the conventional war has come to an end, because the unconventional war continues.
The reconstruction of Iraq is a critical process that we cannot abandon. Currently, terrorist cells are working to undermine our efforts to assist the Iraqi people and rid the region of terrorism. They have attacked not only American forces but also other representatives of the civilized world, including foreign embassies and the United Nations.
By instilling fear, they hope to shake our will and break our commitment. However, if they succeed, terrorism will not only run rampant in Iraq but around the world and perhaps on our shores as well. Fighting terrorism abroad -- in Iraq, Afghanistan or elsewhere -- protects Americans here at home.
Our war on terrorism has entered a new phase. To reduce the burden on American forces and free them up to conduct terrorist raids worldwide, we are working to bring more international forces to Iraq. For example, the British and the Poles already lead two multinational divisions. Furthering the reconstruction and peacekeeping efforts on an international level will stabilize Iraq and rid the nation of the threat of terrorism. These reconstruction efforts are already succeeding.
Iraq now has its own governing council, comprised of 25 leaders representing Iraq's diverse people. More than 90 percent of towns and cities have functioning local governments. Some 55,000 Iraqi citizens are now defending the security of their country and more are being trained. Basic health care, water and food are now available to a majority of Iraq's citizens.
During my trip to Iraq in July, I saw firsthand these accomplishments. The media reports of our military efforts "unraveling" or "failing" are simply false. Iraq is still a very dangerous region, but any military action is not without risk.
I spoke personally with some of the young men and women serving in Iraq, and they know the great responsibility resting on their shoulders. They are fighting this fight as a tribute to the Americans lost on 9-11.
Additionally, they realize the importance of staying until the job is finished in Iraq, Afghanistan or elsewhere. Our war against terrorism is not a sprint, but a marathon.
Finally, as a veteran, a parent and an American, I regret the loss of a young serviceman or woman. However, they are serving their country and working to protect us all from another 9-11.
Nevadans must remember that the terrorists brought this war to us, and now we must defend our country and our freedom. We must remain committed to fighting terrorism -- wherever it may lurk.
By Shelley Berkley
Shelley Berkley, a Democrat, represents Nevada's 1st Congressional District. She serves on the House Committee on International Relations.
I hear daily from Southern Nevadans who strongly support our troops but are worried by the direction of the war. I share this view. With skill and bravery, our military won on the battlefield, but our goal to stabilize Iraq has not been achieved.
I am committed to meeting the needs of our armed forces who risk their lives for our nation. Soon I will be asked to vote on $87 billion to continue our efforts in Iraq. As a member of Congress, it is my responsibility to support our troops, but it is also my responsibility to insist that the president provide answers to frank questions about our goals in Iraq, the true costs and the reasons we went to war.
There must be a clear plan, and there must be accountability from the administration. Without a clear plan and accountability, our troops will be hindered and our goal of a secure and democratic Iraq will never be achieved.
Prior to the war, Americans were told by the White House that our military would be greeted as liberators, and securing and rebuilding Iraq could be quickly achieved. This overly optimistic forecast overlooked intelligence reports that warned our troops would continue to face danger and that the security challenges in Iraq would be enormous. Today, our troops are being targeted daily and resentment among the Iraqi people grows. This troubling situation was noted by the commander of U.S.-led coalition forces who recently said that troops are now facing revenge attacks not just from insurgents, but also from ordinary Iraqi citizens. The administration miscalculated the resistance that our troops are facing in the field, and we are paying the price in American lives.
The United States is also paying the price in dollars. In March, Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz testified to Congress that Iraq oil would generate between $50 billion and $100 billion over the next two to three years and provide the money to pay for the cost of reconstruction. But Congress has now been asked for an extra $2.1 billion to restore oil production, $5.8 billion to rebuild Iraq's electrical system and $3.7 billion for water and sewer systems.
From day one, the administration has refused to put a price tag on the war and it appears President Bush is still not leveling with the nation about the true long-term cost. At a time when we face needs at home for education, health care, homeland security and infrastructure, every dollar we spend in Iraq is one dollar more we will have to find or borrow to help Las Vegas and other U.S. cities.
In the months leading to the invasion of Iraq, Congress heard repeatedly from top administration officials about the imminent danger posed by Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction, including his nuclear capability. This alleged threat underscored the president's demand that we take military action and was a key reason why I voted to authorize the use of force by the commander in chief.
I question the extent to which we will ever find weapons of mass destruction that could have been used in an immediate attack against the United States. Even top White House officials have gone from talking about finding "weapons" to finding "weapons programs." In the end, we may find little more than papers pointing to the former existence of these programs.
President Bush has also put to rest any verifiable link between Saddam and the 9-11 hijackers. This week, Bush said, "We've had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved with September 11th."
The president's refusal, until very recently, to negotiate for an international response to Iraq has left the United States to shoulder nearly all economic and military responsibility on the ground, including the tragic loss of nearly 300 lives. My heart goes out to the military families whose loved ones made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
Peacekeeping efforts in Iraq demand we seek the help of allies. Without international support, rebuilding Iraq will drain U.S. resources and threaten our readiness to respond to threats in other areas of the world such as North Korea.
It is time for the president to set a new course in Iraq. We won the war. We cannot afford to lose the peace. The American public and lawmakers can no longer be kept in the dark about our strategy for peace and democracy in Iraq or the sacrifices required.
We must stay the course in Iraq and President Bush must restore the faith of the nation in our ability to complete our mission, while ending the secrecy and deception that have been the hallmarks of this campaign since the outset. Failure is not an option, however anything less than full and honest disclosure risks losing the confidence of the public, further alienating our allies abroad and ultimately endangering the future of peace in Iraq and the Middle East.
I call on the Bush administration to tell it like it is and provide Congress and the American people with the plan and the accountability to enable us to win the peace.
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