S10800 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 8, 2008 

enable us to know when the end comes. 

You do not have a strategy if you cannot articulate the end point. 

We have another very serious problem with respect to our presence in Afghanistan, and that is all of the 

logistical lines into Afghanistan are in 

areas that could cause the United 

States great concern. 

This—I am going to draw a circle 

around it on this busy map—is Afghanistan right here. Afghanistan is a landlocked country, as everyone in this 

Congress surely knows. The supply 

routes into Afghanistan are principally 

through Pakistan: from Karachi up 

into Peshawar, through the famed Khyber Pass, which caused the British such 

problems and difficulties more than 100 

years ago, in through the mountainous 

areas of the federally administered 

tribal regions and the Northwest Frontier Province very lawless areas where 

al-Qaida and the Taliban operate heavily. So 80 percent of the supplies that 

go into Afghanistan go via land 

through Pakistan. 

To the north, Uzbekistan has indicated it probably will not allow alternate supply routes if problems occur in 

Pakistan. Iran, obviously, is not going 

to allow supply routes to go in to supply our troops in Afghanistan, which 

leaves Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan is 

very close to Russia, which we have 

been in very difficult relationships 

with, particularly since the incidents 

in Georgia last summer. 

So what does this mean? There is an 

old saying—Frederick the Great, supposedly, was the first to say it—and 

that is: Without supplies, no army is 

brave. 

If you look at this route in Pakistan, 

over the past 6 months this is what has 

happened: 

In March, there were attacks in the 

Khyber region that set fire to 40 to 50 

oil tankers. These are convoys that are 

not protected by the American military because the American military 

does not operate in combat areas in 

Pakistan. So in March: 40 to 50 oil 

tankers. 

In April, Taliban raiders stole military helicopter engines valued at $13 

million. 

In November, 12 vehicles were hijacked near the Khyber Pass. Two 

humvees were included in the hijackings. 

Last week, 22 more vehicles were destroyed at a truck stop between Peshawar and the Khyber Pass. 

Yesterday, 145 vehicles, trailers, and 

containers were destroyed in a warehouse just outside of Peshawar. 

Today, there was a separate attack 

at a shipping terminal near Peshawar 

which destroyed 50 trucks carrying 

containers. 

This is millions and millions of dollars worth of equipment in an area 

where we in our present policy cannot 

provide military security. We have 

Pakistani security forces, we have 

Pakistani truck drivers, and we are in 

a very delicate relationship with Pakistan itself. 

I am hoping that in this type of situation, where 80 percent of our cargo is 

coming in through Pakistan, and where 

our ability to resupply our military 

from other areas depends on our relationship with Russia, that our new administration and the leadership in the 

State Department and the Department 

of Defense will take a very hard look at 

how many military people we want to 

have in Afghanistan, what it is we 

want them to do, how we are going to 

resupply them, how we are going to 

conduct our relationships inside Pakistan, what our alternatives might be if 

those convoys continue to be interrupted, and, finally, how we will know 

when we have concluded our strategic 

purpose in this part of the world. 

With that, I yield the floor. 

f 

TRIBUTE TO SENATORS 

TED STEVENS

Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I 

rise once again to honor a distinguished colleague and the longest serving Republican in the history of this 

body, Senator TED STEVENS. 

I said it this morning. I will say it 

again: In the history of this Nation, no 

one man has done more for one State 

than TED STEVENS—no one. His commitment to the people of Alaska has 

been as constant as the Northern Star. 

And the list of things he has done on 

their behalf in a remarkable 40-year career is as vast as the State itself. 

Today we remember that legendary 

service, and the man who achieved it. 

Born in Indianapolis 85 years ago this 

week, TED STEVENS made his mark 

early. At 19, he was flying C–46 transport planes over the Himalayas in support of the legendary Flying Tigers. 

His appetite for adventure took him to 

Oregon and Montana for college, and 

then to even more exotic places as a 

pilot in the Army Air Corps. For his 

bravery, TED would receive a Distinguished Flying Cross and an Air Medal. 

It was the first of many, many honors. 

A decorated war veteran by his earlytwenties, TED returned to California to 

resume his studies, and later enrolled 

at Harvard Law School. After law 

school, TED came to Washington, married a girl named Ann, and then set out 

on a new adventure in the vast expanse 

of the Alaska territory. 

He would go on to devote the rest of 

his life to helping the people of Alaska 

achieve the same rights and privileges 

that those in the lower 48 took for 

granted. And today, the name TED STEVENS is synonymous with the State he 

loves. It always will be. 

Who else can say that they helped 

draw the borders of the State in which 

they live? Well, TED can. As Senator 

MURKOWSKI put it: ‘‘for forty years, 

TED STEVENS has been Alaska.’’ He was 

there at the creation. And an entire 

generation of Alaskans have grown up 

not ever knowing the Senate without 

him. 

TED will tell you he works so hard 

because there is so much work to do. 

Alaskans don’t have the benefit of centuries of infrastructure and planning 

that much of the rest of the country 

does. Of the giant State’s more than 

200 villages, only a handful had running 

water when TED came to the Senate. 

Thanks largely to him, roughly half of 

them do now. 

No one has done more for the U.S. 

Armed Forces than TED STEVENS. He 

secured funds for the F–117, to replace 

Air Force One, for unmanned aerial vehicles like the Predator and Global 

Hawk, and for a replacement Coast 

Guard icebreaker and the F–16 program. TED was instrumental in ensuring funds for early military research on 

everything from breast cancer to AIDS. 

TED STEVENS once said: 

They sent me here to stand up for the state 

of Alaska. 

For 40 years, he fulfilled that charge 

with passion and purpose. And the Senate will never forget TED STEVENS. 

GORDON SMITH

Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, I 

would like to honor my friend and colleague from Oregon, Senator GORDON

SMITH. 

I have worked with GORDON since 

coming over to the Senate in 1998. It 

has been an honor and privilege to 

serve on both the Senate Finance Committee and Energy and Natural Resources Committee with him. GORDON

has a long list of accomplishments to 

show for the people of Oregon and the 

Nation. He has served the people of Oregon well, and I know they are proud 

to call him one of their own. His leadership in the Senate will be missed, and 

it has truly been an honor serving with 

him. 

I thank GORDON for all of his contributions to the U.S. Senate, and I 

wish him and his family the best of 

luck in their future endeavors. 

ELIZABETH DOLE

Mr. President, today I pay tribute to 

my distinguished colleague from North 

Carolina, Senator ELIZABETH DOLE, 

who will be retiring from the Senate at 

the conclusion of the 110th Congress. 

I have worked with Senator DOLE

since she was elected to serve the people of North Carolina in 2002. I have 

also had the privilege of serving on the 

Senate Banking Committee with Senator DOLE. She has dedicated her adult 

life to serve her country proudly. Senator DOLE has had the distinct honor to 

serve in several capacities such as Deputy Assistant to the Nixon administration for Consumer Affairs, as a member 

of the Federal Trade Commission, Secretary of Transportation under President Reagan, and Secretary of Labor 

under President George H.W. Bush. Her 

heart and character can also be 

summed up by her work as the President of the American Red Cross and 

the impact she has had, on not only the 

lives of Americans, but also those 

abroad. A person of that caliber will be 

missed in the Senate. 


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December 8, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S10801 

I am honored to know her and to 

have worked with her. I would like to 

thank Senator DOLE for her contributions to the Senate and to the country 

we both love. I wish her and her family 

the best in all of their future endeavors. 

JOHN E. SUNUNU

Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, I wish 

to join my fellow Senators to honor a 

colleague and a friend, Senator JOHN E. 

SUNUNU, who is departing the Senate at 

the close of this Congress. I have enjoyed working with Senator SUNUNU

over the years—first in the House of 

Representatives and later in the Senate. 

While in the Senate, I have had the 

great fortune of serving with JOHN on 

the Senate Finance Committee. He is a 

revered advocate of fiscal discipline, 

personal responsibility, and free markets. The two of us have stood together 

on numerous issues—most notably 

tax—and I have always believed that 

we could accomplish any goal because I 

had his voice of conviction and intellect by my side. 

Representing New Hampshire, Senator SUNUNU has proven to all Granite 

Staters that he will fight for the simple motto that reads on their State license plate: Live Free or Die. Whether 

the item of the day was social security, 

trade, or any other topical issue, including the original intent of the Constitution, Senator SUNUNU has proven 

that he is up for any debate. 

The U.S. Senate will not be the same 

without Senator JOHN SUNUNU. In a 

time when many politicians try to increase the role of government in American life, Senator JOHN SUNUNU has always bet on the American people rather than government. I will miss JOHN

SUNUNU. 

Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, 

four of our most valuable Senators will 

not return next year and we will miss 

them. 

ELIZABETH DOLE

ELIZABETH DOLE began her career in 

public service at about the same time I 

did. We were both in the Nixon White 

House in 1969, and since then I have enjoyed following and watching and occasionally bumping into her remarkable 

career. She began that career at a time 

when women, even if they graduated 

from Harvard Law School as she did, 

had very few options. ELIZABETH made 

her options—in the Cabinet, heading 

the American Red Cross and pioneering 

in a Presidential race in 1999. I have 

thoroughly enjoyed working with her, 

as well as knowing even better Bob 

Dole during these last 6 years. She 

truly is one of America’s most admired 

women. 

GORDON SMITH

GORDON SMITH is the most eloquent 

among us Senators. Every Republican 

Senator would say that, and any Democrat who had heard him would agree. 

He has a quiet way, an intelligence and 

a way of speaking that commands attention and respect. He has his feet 

firmly planted on the ground in Pendleton, OR. He understands the private 

sector. He has been courageous in his 

willingness to support and chide and 

criticize his party when needed. He will 

be sorely missed. 

JOHN SUNUNU

I met JOHN SUNUNU when he was a 

college student and his father and I 

were Governors of our respective 

States. He arrives and leaves as the 

youngest member of the Senate. But, 

in our caucus, his voice is one of the 

voices most carefully listened to. His 

intelligence, his philosophical integrity and his persistence have made him 

a most valuable player in our Republican Conference. He has a bright career ahead of him. 

TED STEVENS

I have often thought that I should 

write a book called ‘‘some things you 

don’t know about the people I work 

with.’’ Someday I will. And I will start 

with TED STEVENS, who flew the first 

cargo plane into Peking, as it was then 

called, at the end of World War II. This 

was a dangerous, bold mission. It helps 

to explain the life of this remarkable 

man who helped Alaska become a State 

and then has defended and supported it 

in the Senate for 40 years. With the departures of TED STEVENS and two other 

Senators of whom I have already spoken—PETE DOMENICI and JOHN WARNER—the Senate loses more than 100 

years of service. More than that, this 

country loses three men whose view of 

America was rooted in the last years of 

World War II and the remarkable ascendancy of our country since then. 

Looking around the Senate, it will be 

difficult to find many among those of 

us who remain with the breadth of vision and old-fashioned patriotism that 

these men have contributed. 

f 

HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES 

CAPTAIN ROBERT YLLESCAS

Mr. HAGEL. Mr. Presdient, I wish to 

express my sympathy over the loss of 

U.S. Army captain Robert Yllescas. 

Captain Yllescas, a native Guatemalan 

and graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, died on December 1 

from injuries he sustained from an improvised explosive device in the mountains of Afghanistan on October 28. He 

was 31 years old. 

After spending the first 18 years of 

his life in Guatemala, Captain Yllescas 

moved to Nebraska, where he enrolled 

in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln 

and joined the ROTC. He married his 

wife Dena in her hometown of Osceola, 

NE. A graduate of Army Ranger school, 

Captain Yllescas’ service included two 

tours of duty in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, where he proved to be an exemplary leader. As the commander of B 

Troop, 6–4 Cavalry of the 3rd Brigade, 

1st Infantry Division, he led 90 U.S. and 

200 Afghan soldiers in Nuristan province. He was awarded the Purple Heart 

by President Bush on November 10. 

All of Nebraska is proud of Captain 

Yllescas’ service to our country, as 

well as the thousands of brave men and 

women serving in the U.S. Armed 

Forces. 

Captain Yllescas is remembered as a 

devoted husband, father, and son. In 

addition to his wife Dena, he is survived by his daughters, Julia, 7, and 

Eva, 10 months; and parents Otto and 

Barb. 

I ask my colleagues to join me and 

all Americans in honoring U.S. Army 

CPT Robert Yllescas. 

f 

67TH ANNIVERSARY OF PEARL 

HARBOR 

Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, yesterday, December 7, 2008, was the 67th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor in which more than 2,400 courageous sailors, soldiers, and marines 

died. To those in Hawaii who, like me, 

witnessed the attack, the events of 67 

years ago have a deep personal significance. I will never forget the courage 

and commitment of the soldiers, sailors, and ordinary men and women who 

did not hesitate to defend our Nation 

despite the enormous personal risk. 

For all Americans, young and old, it is 

important to remember that out of this 

dark hour arose the courage and 

strength of a unified Nation. I honor 

the memories of all the survivors of the 

attack as well as the fallen heroes who 

fought to defend our Nation’s principles of democracy and freedom that 

day. 

This year, with so many of our troops 

serving overseas, I would also like recognize our armed services families by 

honoring the sacrifices of those who 

lost loved ones during the attack on 

Pearl Harbor. Our Nation owes these 

family members a debt of gratitude for 

their strength and perseverance during 

such a grievous time. I want to thank 

all the members of our armed forces— 

those that served in World War II, all 

those that have served since, and those 

who still serve today. Your daily sacrifices protect and strengthen our 

country and allow us to enjoy the freedoms symbolic of the United States. 

Your courageous and dedicated efforts 

humble me, and may God bless you and 

your families as together we remember 

Pearl Harbor. 

f 

TRIBUTE TO LINDA LE 

Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise 

today to recognize the outstanding 

service Linda Le provided to the Senate Committee on Small Business and 

Entrepreneurship over the past 4 years. 

Linda is a dedicated individual whose 

penchant for critical insights and creative solutions will be sorely missed. 

Linda first joined the Senate Small 

Business Committee staff in 2004 as a 

staff assistant. She had previously 

gained invaluable experience on financial matters during her career at Fidelity Investments. Through hard work 

and determination here in the Senate, 

Linda rose through the ranks, first as a 

research analyst and finally as a professional staff member. Over the years, 


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