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“HOLDING THE ADMINISTRATION RESPONSIBLE FOR THE U.S. LEGACY IN IRAQ” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H11823 on Oct. 22, 2007.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
HOLDING THE ADMINISTRATION RESPONSIBLE FOR THE U.S. LEGACY IN IRAQ
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, it is past time to hold this administration accountable for its actions in Iraq and for its actions throughout the region.
Our standing in the world and throughout the Middle East is at an all-time low. And our standing in popularity has just about disappeared. The administration's policies have only brought instability and conflict. The strategy of preemptive war has, and we have seen it, been met with disbelief. It has been met with criticism from all corners of the world.
The administration keeps beating the drum of war with Iran, and its inaction in northern Iraq may lead to armed conflict with Turkey. A real leader, an effective Commander in Chief, knows that the use of force should be the very last possible option, not the first. The blame for this sits squarely in the Oval Office.
And what about the people the administration was supposed to be liberating? Many live now without the basic services they had for generations: electricity, clean water, basic health care, education. And at least 4 million Iraqis have fled their homes. Many are displaced within their own country, and millions more have escaped to neighboring Iran and Syria. Despite what the administration has claimed, the fault does not lie on the Iraqi people or the international community. Once again the blame belongs one place and one place only: that's with our administration.
Let's look at our international human rights record, Mr. Speaker. From Guantanamo to Abu Ghraib, a scandal, to the mercenary Blackwater security forces, the face of American policy emerges as goons, thugs, and cowboys.
Or what about torture? The administration says it doesn't promote torture. Yet day in and day out we read news media reports of an administration promoting rendition and ``enhanced interrogation methods.'' These methods allow for everything short of death. The responsibility lies at the feet of one man. Not a general. Not the Justice Department. Not the men and women of the intelligence community. And certainly not the brave men and women who are serving us in Iraq. One man.
And it does not get much better here, right here at home, where the administration is pushing for more ways to spy on American citizens. They are attacking their political adversaries by questioning their patriotism. They even outed a covert CIA operative. The President at that time said that anyone caught for such an action would be removed from his staff. Now it turns out that Karl Rove, Richard Armitage, Scooter Libby, and Ari Fleischer didn't count and the administration chose to put them above the law.
Once again, Mr. Speaker, we have to ask ourselves who's really to blame. I can only think of one person.
And, finally, most shameful of all, the legacy of this occupation of Iraq has left a generation of men and women with physical and mental wounds that may never heal. And how did the administration thank them for their bravery on behalf of our Nation? Walter Reed. Long waits for necessary medical treatment at local VA hospitals. And in some cases, extended deployments. What kind of Commander in Chief would do that?
Remember the good old days when past Presidents said, and meant it, that ``the buck stops here,'' the buck stops with them? This administration seems to think the buck stops everywhere but 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Mr. Speaker, it is time for the President to take the responsibility for his actions and turn the tide around, and he can do that by providing our men and women in uniform the equipment they need to come home safely; by funding the safe, responsible, and timely withdrawal of our troops; and by regaining, in turn, our place as a world leader promoting peace and stability.
Mr. Speaker, hold this administration accountable. Bring our troops home. End this senseless occupation.
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