Foreign Policy

The Republican Leadership has been affected by the same arrogant virus that has consumed the Administration in putting up a resolution that is not amendable.  It’s yet again the “my-way-or the highway,

I hope the President will deliver a clear message in Baghdad: now that a democratic government has been elected and the Al Qaeda leader in Iraq has been killed, it's time for American troops to begin to come home.

We need to view disengagement as part of the solution in Iraq. Our overwhelming military presence and our open-ended military commitment have fueled the insurgency and made America a crutch for the Iraqi government.

If America really wants the new Iraqi government to succeed, we must begin to disengage from Iraq, and they from us. The Iraqi government must begin to make its own decisions, make necessary compromises to avoid full-scale civil war, and take responsibility for its own future.

Israel is one of the United States strongest allies in the Middle East. The British National Association of Teachers in Furtherance of Higher Education's (NATFHE) resolution is highly objectionable in the face of the shared democratic history of the U.S., England, and Israel. Such boycotts undermine academic freedom and open exchange and completely disregard the courageous strides towards peace that Israel has made, including the difficult Gaza withdrawal and recognition of a two-state solution. Congressman Pence and I, in the strongest terms, want to prevent further attack of Israel via its academia institutions and we object to any comparison to that of an apartheid regime. This latest movement by NATFHE furthers existing tensions already present between Israelis and Palestinians. NATFHE's resolution will do nothing but intensify and continue discriminatory measures within the academic world in which the traditional open dialogue between colleagues has been compromised.

I think that the American people are quite relieved that the terrorists are interned in Guantanamo, not in the United States. I do not think the suicides will generate any sympathy for them and I think that this is one of the issues which works in Bush's favor. Iraq is costing him votes. But anything about homeland security, including Guantanamo, gains him support.

Today, so much has changed in the Middle East since the Syria Accountability Act passed. The Syrian occupation of Lebanon is over and the U.N. investigator has implicated the Assad regime in the Hariri murder.

The Syria Accountability Act had four conditions, only one of which was ending Syria's occupation of Lebanon. Congress also demanded that the Assad regime end support for terrorism, halt development of weapons of mass destruction, and stop guerillas from entering Iraq. Clearly, these conditions have not been met. Nor has Syria demonstrated any measurable willingness to clamp down on Hezbollah or pursue peace talks with Israel.

So, have we been successful? Absolutely yes! Syria is out of Lebanon and has nowhere to turn except, of course, to Iran. What should we do now?

First and foremost, I believe that our goals remain the same as when Congress adopted the Syria Accountability Act: ending terror and WMD programs and the flow of guerillas into Iraq. Yet, with Syria's continuing transgressions, not all of the penalties in the law have been implemented. When Secretary Rice testified before the Committee earlier this year, I asked her why the Administration has not carried out all sanctions authorized by the Syria Accountability Act. The time has come to impose the full range of penalties envisioned in the Act.

As we move forward, we should keep our eyes on several trends in Syria, Lebanon, and the region. I am concerned that the inter-religious violence in Iraq and the dangerous situation in Iran may spill over the border into Syria and Lebanon.

I think we need to watch Hezbollah very carefully in the coming months. It is high on our list of terrorist groups and occasionally lobs shells over the border into northern Israel. With Syria's withdrawal there actually is a debate in Lebanon about whether Hezbollah should disarm. But, a debate is not enough. We must demand nothing less than full disarmament.

We should also be very careful about taking sides in Lebanon. Lebanon's leaders should know that America wants to support them, but only if they are creating a real democracy without terrorist groups on its soil. Likewise, I would like to assist the Lebanese military and hope it deploys throughout the country as the one unified army of Lebanon. But, until it presents a plan to become truly professional, we should not provide more than advice and technical assistance.

Mr. al-Zarqawi only represented a small portion of the large and growing anti-American insurgency in Iraq, so his killing is unlikely to end the violence in Iraq.

According to a January 2005 estimate by Iraqi intelligence service director General Mohamed Abdullah Shahwani, Zarqawi's group is a mere sliver of the non-Baathist insurgency, while Baathists make up the majority of armed insurgents.

The only way to end the daily attacks on US troops and innocent Iraqis is to end the war in Iraq and bring all our troops home in a quick and orderly manner.

Al-Zarqawi’s death is a strike against the terrorist organizations that attack innocent Iraqis of all religions; and it is a victory for the newly seated, representational government in Baghdad. Many difficult challenges remain, but this a great day and an important step toward peace and stability in Iraq.

Today's successful air strike on Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is a testament to the professionalism and heroism of the American men and women serving in Iraq. The death of al-Zarqawi is a critical achievement toward improving Iraq's security situation and represents another important milestone for the Iraqi people. Al-Zarqawi was a ruthless murderer; he personally beheaded at least two Americans and oversaw the bombing and killing of countless innocent civilians and American troops. He was behind much of the terrorism and sectarian violence that has besieged Iraq in the past three years. His elimination is great news for all Iraqis and for our troops.

The cooperation between American and Iraqi forces in locating and eradicating al-Zarqawi is yet another example of the increased strength in Iraq's ability to provide for its own security. There are many political opportunists who have called for a unilateral withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. This cut and run strategy will only destroy the progress that has been made in Iraq and undermine the sacrifices of our troops for the freedom of the Iraqi people.

America's military commanders on the ground in Iraq should continue to make the important decisions with respect to when to strike, and when Iraqis are able to act alone. It is not the political winds that will improve the security situation, but rather the efforts like the one today by our military commanders and participated in by the Iraqis. The approval of both the ministers of defense and interior by the Iraqi parliament today signify further progress in the establishment of Iraqi self-determination, and will help in achieving the milestones needed for our troops to return home to their families and loved ones.

Today the International Relations Committee held a hearing into waste, fraud and abuse of U.S. resources in the reconstruction of Iraq. The death of the al-Queda leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, is dramatic news that will hopefully send a strong political signal to all Iraqis that the insurgents will not prevail. But while Zarqawi’s demise will likely have a positive impact on the security situation in Iraq, both symbolically and operationally we must not lull ourselves into a sense of complacency that the job of ensuring a safe and secure Iraq is now near completion. There are many debatable points about our policy toward Iraq, but the gross mismanagement of reconstruction efforts is not one of them. Due to the exceptional work of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, the facts are clear: Billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars have been used unwisely in Iraq. The Executive Branch must not allow such slipshod management. And the American people, I am convinced, will not tolerate it.

But this is not just about money. The international coalition’s ability to exit Iraq responsibly, leaving the Iraqi people in better shape than before the war, is directly related to the success of our reconstruction efforts there. But these efforts have been severely undermined by waste, by fraud and by abuse, and our troops have been needlessly exposed to greater risk because of such failures.

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One of the most brutal, heinous, and horrendous terrorists was killed last night when the U.S. Armed Forces delivered 500-pounds of justice to Iraq’s ‘Prince of Al-Qaeda’ on behalf of Nicholas Berg, Jack Armstrong, Ken Bigley, Jack Hensley and the thousands of others who were beheaded, tortured, and killed by Al-Zarqawi and his henchmen.

Congratulations to the United States Air Force and to the Special Forces teams on the ground for once again coordinating a precise and effective mission. And it is especially important to note that local Iraqis and Jordanians provided critical intelligence and support for this operation.

The road ahead is far from complete. However, the killing of one of the insurgencies key officials will deal a serious blow to the operational effort of those who are working to thwart the progress being made by Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Maliki, the Iraqi people, and our troops on the ground.