[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 14] [House] [Page 20006] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]WAR IS NOT THE WAY TO STOP TERRORISM 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, ever since 9/11, the current administration has relied on military force alone to fight terrorism. This policy has been a disaster. There have been over 34,000 Americans killed or hurt in Iraq, but we aren't any safer. And now our troops in Afghanistan are facing a growing insurgency. The lesson we must learn from all this is that we cannot bomb and torture our way to friendship and cooperation around the world. We must eliminate the root causes of terrorism, which are poverty and despair. And to do that, we must focus on helping Nations like Iraq and Afghanistan to make social, economic, and political progress. Former Congressman Charlie Wilson is an actual expert on this subject. Congressman Wilson represented the Second District of Texas from 1973 to 1997. He was the subject of the popular recent movie, ``Charlie Wilson's War.'' The movie shows how Wilson helped the Afghans to beat back the Soviet invasion in their country in the 1980s. Charlie Wilson understands that military force alone is not the answer to the world's problems. He believes that diplomacy and development assistance are actually the best answers. Charlie described his position in an op-ed he wrote for The Washington Post last month. The op-ed is entitled, ``Charlie Wilson's Peace,'' and I hope that every Member of the House will read it. Wilson writes that after the defeat of the Soviets, his request for funds to rebuild Afghanistan was turned down. The result was a disaster for America. Wilson writes, ``Instead of intensifying our diplomatic and humanitarian efforts, we simply walked away, leaving a destroyed country that lacked roads, schools, and any plan or hope for rebuilding. ``Into this void marched the Taliban and al Qaeda. Had we remained engaged in Afghanistan, investing in education, health, and economic development, the world would be a very different place today.'' I want to repeat, Mr. Speaker, Wilson's point because it is an important one. He says that al Qaeda became more powerful because the Afghan people did not receive the right kind of assistance from the United States. Yes, we gave them weapons, but we left them in rubble, and that's where terrorism grows. Wilson goes on to say that ``we cannot afford to aspire to anything less than defeating poverty, disease, and ignorance wherever they exist. It is a relatively small but incredibly effective investment that helps ensure our future national security and economic prosperity.'' Charlie Wilson's experience in Afghanistan, Mr. Speaker, was over 20 years ago, but it is a real lesson for us today. It tells us that we won't defeat al Qaeda just by increasing the number of our troops in Afghanistan. We must focus our efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq on reconstruction. That means redeploying our troops out of Iraq on a firm timetable, and then working with regional and international partners to rebuild that devastated land. Electricity and water must be restored to every home. Jobs must be created. The shattered educational and health care systems must be rebuilt. The Iraqi Government must stop dragging its feet and spend the money it has budgeted for essential services. And this House ought to take every chance to promote reconciliation in Iraq. Representative Shays and I have introduced legislation, H.R. 5925, to support the United States Institute for Peace, which has been carrying out important reconciliation projects in Iraq since 2004. The institute has worked to prevent violence and promote the rule of law, and it deserves our help. Mr. Speaker, the current administration has only 4 months to go. I hope that the next administration will learn from this administration's mistakes. Starting next January 20, America must begin to export compassion and hope instead of war and occupation. ____________________