HON. MARCY KAPTUR
OF OHIO
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2006
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Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, President George Bush, in creating fear about terrorists in the American people rather than understanding, often says, ``If we don't fight terrorists over there, we will have to fight them right here.'' He never bothers to explain in detail who the terrorists are or what motivates them or how his policies are creating more of them. The President's explanations are too simplistic, and they are wrong.
The President tried to convince us if we got Saddam Hussein and brought him to justice the battle for peace in the Middle East would take a favorable turn. Indeed, the opposite has happened as Iraq descends into chaos. Indeed, despite the military firmness and bravery of our soldiers, the Iraq war has actually failed politically by failing to win the hearts and minds of the people.
Equally bad, the Iraq war has strengthened Iran and those loyal to it. By removing Saddam Hussein as a counterweight to Iran, President Bush has left a vacuum now being filled by increasingly radicalized Shia populations and disillusioned Sunnis. The Shia and Kurd factions inside Iraq and the outnumbered Sunnis are now at one another's throats. Great instability is being created in a region where rising religious fundamentalism, unleashed by Saddam's ouster, is the glue that is binding a rising revolution of expectations by formerly suppressed populations.
The President's own White House was forced this week to declassify an intelligence report that I am going to put in the record. This is a summary, called ``Trends in Global Terrorism, a National Intelligence Estimate,'' and this report says the Iraq war is shaping a new generation of terrorists.
Anyone who knows anything about what is causing rising levels of hatred against the United States in the Middle East would have anticipated this eventuality. The key question the President and we must address and face is, why do his policies yield more and more terrorists who want to harm us, and harm us in many places beyond the boundaries of Iraq and Afghanistan?
The complete story will show terrorists will continue to plot ways to harm America because more than wanting to come here, although some of them are capable of doing that, they want America and American influence out of their countries and regions. They want us out of there more than they want to come here.
Rather than striking fear in the American people, the President ought to do more to explain the forces creating this anti-American and anti-Western sentiment across those troubled regions. Which American interests have caused this antagonism to our Nation? An important question to answer. In what countries has this hatred been fomented? Another important question to answer. And what is the face there of America that is hated more and more?
Let me suggest part of that face involves U.S. oil alliances in cahoots with some of the most repressive and brutal regimes and leaders who hold down the potential of their own people. There is not a democracy over there, and we are totally reliant on all of those oil kingdoms.
Let me suggest that the presence of U.S. military bases that ensure the status quo of those repressive regimes doesn't help.
Let me suggest America is hated more because we are not viewed as being evenhanded at arriving at fair and just peace settlements between Israel and the Palestinians and their neighbors. We need to do a better job of cultivating evenhanded diplomacy in the region.
Let me suggest our U.S. popular culture and many of its excesses are regarded as abhorrent to the fundamentalist legions that have gained even greater ascendancy after the disgusting and outrageous behavior by Americans at Abu Ghraib.
