IV 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 691 
Congratulating the Interim Government of Iraq on its forthcoming assumption 
of sovereign authority in Iraq. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 23, 2004 
Mr. HYDE (for himself, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. HUNTER, and Mr. SKELTON) sub-
mitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
International Relations, and in addition to the Committee on Armed 
Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Congratulating the Interim Government of Iraq on its 
forthcoming assumption of sovereign authority in Iraq. 
Whereas in April 2003, the United States Armed Forces and 
other Coalition forces liberated the people of Iraq from 
the dictatorial regime of Saddam Hussein; 
Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 1483 
(May 22, 2003) and the laws and usages of war author-
ized the Coalition Provisional Authority to govern Iraq on 
a temporary basis; 
Whereas the Coalition Provisional Authority established an 
Iraqi Governing Council, broadly representative of the 
major geographic, ethnic, and religious groupings of Iraq,
•HRES 691 IH 
as well as a Cabinet, to assist in the governing of Iraq, 
and the Council was recognized by many members of the 
international community as a legitimate voice of the Iraqi 
people; 
Whereas the United States and other Coalition members, in 
response to the desire of the Iraqi people for early self- 
government, worked with the Iraqi Governing Council to 
accelerate the transfer of power to the Iraqi people, with 
sovereignty to be transferred no later than the end of 
June 2004; 
Whereas the Coalition Provisional Authority and the Iraqi 
Governing Council on March 8, 2004, agreed upon a Law 
of Administration for the State of Iraq for the Transi-
tional Period that strongly protects the civil and political 
rights of Iraqis; 
Whereas that Law and its Annex provide for a transition of 
power to an Iraqi Interim Government, for elections by 
the end of January 2005, for a Transitional National As-
sembly, which shall form an Iraqi Transitional Govern-
ment and provide for the drafting and adoption of a per-
manent constitution, and, by the end of 2005, for a gov-
ernment chosen under the new constitution; 
Whereas the Iraqi people have begun electing local officials 
in parts of Iraq under Coalition auspices and will have 
the opportunity to express their will in free and meaning-
ful national elections for the first time in Iraq’s history; 
Whereas the United Nations Secretary General appointed a 
Special Adviser to conduct political consultations aimed 
at putting in place an Interim Government to assume 
sovereignty over Iraq;
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Whereas the Iraqi Governing Council made recommendations 
about the composition of the Interim Government, after 
which, when the recommendations were accepted by the 
Coalition Provisional Authority, the Council dissolved 
itself; 
Whereas on June 8, 2004, the United Nations Security 
Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1546, welcoming 
the formation and forthcoming ‘‘assumption of full re-
sponsibility and authority by a fully sovereign and inde-
pendent Interim Government of Iraq’’ and authorizing 
the multinational force under unified command to con-
tinue its activities; 
Whereas the Coalition Provisional Authority will dissolve at 
the end of June 2004 and will not be replaced; 
Whereas members of the United States Armed Forces, a total 
force consisting of active, reserve, and National Guard 
personnel, have performed their mission with great skill 
and courage, in the process being awarded at least 18 
Distinguished Service Crosses, 6 Distinguished Flying 
Crosses, 133 Silver Stars, 16,551 Bronze Stars, and 
4,161 Purple Hearts; 
Whereas, as of June 23, 2004, 833 members of the United 
States Armed Forces, approximately 100 members of the 
Coalition forces, and many members of the Iraqi security 
services, have given their lives to advance the cause of 
liberty in Iraq, and thousands of members of the United 
States Armed Forces and Coalition forces, and many 
members of the Iraqi security services, have suffered 
wounds for that cause;
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Whereas the families of American soldiers, sailors, airmen, 
Marines, and Coast Guardsmen have made and continue 
to make enormous sacrifices for their country; 
Whereas in addition, Coalition forces, civilians employed by 
or assisting the Coalition Provisional Authority, the Iraqi 
government and its employees, international organiza-
tions, and American and other international volunteers, 
as well as large numbers of Iraqis, have made and con-
tinue to make enormous efforts to reconstruct the coun-
try and improve the lives of the Iraqi people; 
Whereas Ambassador L. Paul Bremer, III, Presidential 
Envoy to Iraq and Administrator of the Coalition Provi-
sional Authority, has ably advanced the international coa-
lition’s goals in Iraq of transforming Iraq into a safe, se-
cure, stable, sovereign, democratic state that serves the 
interests of the Iraqi people; 
Whereas the United States will be represented in Iraq by an 
Embassy led by Ambassador John D. Negroponte, and 
the United States will deal with the Government of Iraq 
on the basis of the sovereign equality of states under 
international law, including the Vienna Convention on 
Diplomatic Relations, to which both the United States 
and Iraq are parties; 
Whereas after June 30, 2004, the Interim Government of 
Iraq and its successors, and United States Armed Forces 
and Coalition forces, will cooperate to meet ongoing secu-
rity challenges and to extend security and stability to all 
regions of Iraq; and 
Whereas the United States has never desired to exercise per-
manent sovereignty over Iraq and welcomes the formation
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of the Iraqi Interim Government and its imminent as-
sumption of authority: Now, therefore, be it— 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) congratulates the Interim Government of 
Iraq on its forthcoming assumption of sovereign au-
thority in Iraq; 
(2) offers its continued support to the people 
and government of Iraq as they deal with the con-
sequences of decades of misrule by the former re-
gime of Saddam Hussein; 
(3) expresses its gratitude to the United States 
Armed Forces for their ongoing valiant service to 
their country and commitment to the highest ideals 
and traditions of the American people; 
(4) expresses its gratitude to the families of 
United States Armed Forces personnel, especially 
the families of those who have lost loved ones in Op-
eration Iraqi Freedom and of those wounded in the 
service of their country, for their sacrifices; 
(5) expresses its condolences to the families of 
the innocent Iraqis who have been killed or wounded 
during the conflict, including those who were victim-
ized by the illegal and terrorist tactics of the enemy, 
and despite the concerted efforts by the Coalition 
forces to minimize civilian casualties;
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(6) expresses its gratitude to the Coalition 
forces, the Coalition Provisional Authority, the Iraqi 
Governing Council, the current Iraqi cabinet and 
government officials, and the many international 
bodies and voluntary organizations which have come 
to the aid of the people of Iraq in an effort to help 
them address the consequences of decades of misrule 
by the former regime of Saddam Hussein, as well as 
to the families of those mentioned in this paragraph, 
who have been lost in Iraq; 
(7) offers its continued support to the United 
States Armed Forces, civilians associated with the 
United States Government, Coalition forces, and 
Iraqi security forces who continue to bear the bur-
den of attacks from former regime elements, foreign 
and Iraqi terrorists, and other criminals who are at-
tempting to undermine the interests of the Iraqi peo-
ple and thwart their evident desire to live in peace; 
(8) calls on the entire international community 
to promote the welfare of the Iraqi people by ren-
dering, in addition to the generous assistance pro-
vided by the American people and, in varying de-
grees, by some nations, immediate, tangible, and 
generous assistance to the Iraqi people in the recon-
struction of their nation, including, in response to
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requests from the Iraqi government coordinated with 
the command of the multinational forces, forces ca-
pable of assisting in the provision of security to the 
Iraqi people; 
(9) reaffirms— 
(A) that the United States Armed Forces 
operating in Iraq after June 30, 2004, will re-
main under the full authority, direction, and 
control of their American commanders; and 
(B) the need to ensure that such Armed 
Forces will possess all necessary authority to 
fulfill their mission effectively and to provide 
for their operational safety; and 
(10) urges the people of the United States and 
of other countries to celebrate the restoration of 
freedom to the people of Iraq through the efforts of 
the peoples of the United States, the Coalition, and 
Iraq. 
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