Date: 2006-09-12
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. the two most important issues facing our country right now are the seemingly endless and tragic war in Iraq and the need to ensure Americas safety here- at home. President Bushs speech to the Nation last night regrettably demonstrates that either he doesnt understand the security challenges we face. or that he is intentionally misleading the American people for partisan political purposes. This is a tough election year. and I can understand why the President and the Republican Party are desperately clinging to a campaign of misinformation. mudslinging and fear. given their failures on the economy. the war and homeland security? But their campaign is not responsible. and it ill serves our troops. our people and our future. The President continues to try to convince Americans that the war in Iraq is part of the war on terror. Last week. the President said. and I quote. one of the hardest parts of my job is to try and connect the war in Iraq to the war on terror. I can understand why it is so difficult for the President. considering that Saddam Husseins regime and Iraq were not responsible for the attacks of 9/11 or the war on tetror. The only prewar connection between Iraq and Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda was that they were enemies. The bipartisan Senate intelligence committee report just released last week states that Saddam Hussein distrusted Osama bin Laden so much that he. quote. issued a general order that Iraq should not deal with al Qaeda. And. more importantly. while there was not an Iraq/al Qaeda connection before the invasion. certainly there appears to be one now. And that is what the President would say makes Iraq the central front in the war on terror. But. once again. the President is wrong. First. the only role the U.S. occupation in Iraq currently plays in the war on terror is making it worse. Our presence in Iraq has created more terrorists than we have captured or killed. In fact. the U.S. occupation of Iraq is one of al Qaedas chief recruitment tools. and the American people have caught on to this. According to a recently released poll. by a 45 to 32 percent margin. people believe that reducing Americas overseas military presence. rather than expanding it. will have a greater effect on reducing the threat of terrorism. The most effective weapon against terrorists is cooperation among nations in sharing critical intelligence to round up and disrupt terrorist organizations and activities. That effort is hampered by the recruitment and growth of terrorists because of the Iraq war. It is time for the President to be honest- with the American people and to admit that the biggest threat to Iraqs future is the presence of U.S. troops fanning the flames of SunniShiite civil war. And one of the biggest threats to the United States security is the powerful motivation our presence in Iraq gives terrorists who seek to do us harm. The President and this Congress have wasted resources. time and precious lives in a diversion from making Americans safer. and it has been an enormous and costly diversion by this administration. But *the facts are clear that we have not done enough to make America safer. In fact.. we have done just the opposite by getting bogged down in the war in Iraq and fanning the flames of hatred and violence.