Date: 2007-07-12
Speaker: LINCOLN DAVIS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Tennessee

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this resolution. The responsible redeployment of our troops is a brave step toward a new direction for the war in Iraq. It will remove our troops from the most dangerous kill zones in- Iraq and refocus our efforts toward defeating terrorism across the globe. The decision to redeploy is one that I have not come to lightly. This bill gives the President the power to maintain a military presence in the region while" at the same time. imposing the accountability the American people demand that we enforce. Four years into a difficult and prolonged engagement. I had hoped we would have seen better proposals for progress in quelling the violence. Throughout thecourse of our debate. whether on the air waves. Internet or in the halls of Congress. weve heard much of the supposed failures of our military goals. We hear often of continued strife and instability in the nation we sought to set free. of an Iraqi economy crippled by the trials of war. of parliamentary disputes. civil unrest and sectarian violence. and of a peace we all believe in that has yet to take place in Iraq. But these stories. however true. are only a portion of our efforts. They are the darkest side of our endeavors meant to do good and sinfully omit the triumphs and victories of our sons and daughters whove done a great service. For all that remains undone. our troops have accomplished a great deal. We brought free and open elections to a nation once shackled by a tyrannical regime. Iraq has experienced freedoms unimagined before. and Saddam Hussein was put to death for his crimes. It is in this vein that we must continue our presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. the greater Middle East and around the world. for it is essential to our security. As.we prepare to redeploy our troops from Iraq. we must commit as well to remain ever vigilant in the face of terrorism. Whether they are threats to America and her allies. whether radicalism threatens the foundations of the natural freedoms weve sought so hard to prove. we must prepare ourselves to face those threats and bring their agents either to justice or a swift demise. We must continue our hunt for Osama Bin Laden and the instruments of al Qaeda. While I am behind the efforts to redeploy. our military must be equipped and prepared to protect American civilians. property and interests at home and abroad. As I prepared my case today on the merits of redeployment. I was reminded of a speech delivered by Congressman Abraham Lincoln on January 12. 1848. that railed against President James K. Polk of Tennessee for bringing our country to war with Mexico. Lincoln believed that Polk had stretched the facts to fit the case for war. just as many have expressed their belief here that our President stretched the truth about WMDs to make his case for war. President Polks war with Mexico yielded the borders that stand today. Our nations endured the battle of Vera Cruz. the battle of Mexico City. but the results of the MexicanAmerican war remain. and our two countries live as partners in peace. The results of the war yielded positive results. History has favorably judged James K. Polk. just as history will judge this President. So as the President considers signing the order to redeploy. I hope he will. I implore him to consider the advice of Mr. Lincoln.