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[Congressional Record: October 15, 2007 (House)]
[Page H11535]
The Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:cr15oc07-109]
IN OPPOSITION TO RESOLUTION REGARDING ARMENIA
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I want to come to the floor of the House
tonight and add my voice to a lot of my colleagues in opposition to the
dangerous resolution condemning Turkey for reported atrocities against
the Armenian people. Everyone regrets what happened at the end of the
First World War; but, Mr. Speaker, we are in the midst of a very
complicated war, a complicated war in which every ally is valuable to
our war effort.
This resolution, Mr. Speaker, this resolution has the potential to
inflict damage on the United States-Turkish relationship such that it
would be very difficult to repair it, and this should be at the
forefront of our minds as we consider bringing to the floor for a vote.
I am concerned about this resolution, and I urge the Speaker not to
allow these actions.
I am asking us to consider the long-lasting negative effects that
this resolution could have on our foreign policy interests. The last
thing we need is for an American ally to stray from the path of victory
in Iraq, and with President Abdullah Gul threatening to withdraw
Turkey's support of the Iraq war should we vote on and pass this risky
resolution, this possibility unfortunately is moving ever closer to
reality.
Mr. Speaker, Turkey continues to be a consistent U.S. partner in
developing some of the crucial defense equipment we're going to need to
protect our country into the future. Currently, Turkey is aiding in the
development of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning fighter. I can testify
to the significant importance of sustaining positive relations with
Turkey, because the final assemblage of the aforementioned aircraft
will, in fact, take place at Lockheed Martin's Ft. Worth plant which is
very near my district in North Texas. These are important developments
in the war on terror and now is not the time to compromise these
efforts.
But more importantly, Mr. Speaker, this resolution, this resolution
is ill timed and ill suited for a country at war. What will happen to
the transport of goods, fuel, food, fiber through Turkey into northern
Iraq?
And if those shipments, if those shipments of food, fuel and fiber
are delayed or ended by the Turks, who wins and who loses?
Mr. Speaker, I will submit that the average American probably doesn't
know the answer to that question. It's not that they're indifferent,
but they just don't know if there's going to be a winner or a loser.
The average Turk, while he may care, is really just pretty mad about it
all.
But, Mr. Speaker, I would submit it is the Iraqi citizen who is on
our side who will lose. They will be denied sustenance. They will be
denied food for their family. They will be denied fuel to heat their
homes in the coming winter in the northern part of Iraq, in a country
that has been ravaged by war.
Well, if Iraqis who are friendly to us are likely to be hurt, what
about the enemy in Iraq? Well, Mr. Speaker, they may be the indirect
winner because after all, we know they love chaos; and anything that
increases disorder in Iraq's fragile social system benefits our enemy.
Mr. Speaker, I am not connecting dots that have not already been
connected. Right as we left before the August recess the majority whip
was quoted as saying if things go well in Iraq, it's bad for us; it's
bad for our majority party.
Mr. Speaker, sadly, then we've seen several times during the month of
September where it does seem like sometimes they're invested in defeat.
But who really bears the brunt is the United States soldier. And, Mr.
Speaker, this is not just a theoretical concern. October 2000, same
bill, conflicts are a little bit different. Northern watch, keeping the
Iraqis from attacking the Kurds. Those planes in northern Iraq to
enforce the no-fly zone and keep Saddam from attacking the Kurds, those
F-16s flew out of Turkey and they kept watch every day of every week
during what we now know as Northern Watch. They kept the Iraqi
Republican Guard in a box and kept them from attacking Kurds.
Mr. Speaker, I was not in Congress in October of 2000. But I will
tell you that a young man who is now a constituent, actually stationed
in Clovis, New Mexico, but was moved to Incurlik, Turkey, and was on
duty then, he talked to me back in October of 2000. He said, we were
away from home in a place that really was awfully strange for a 21-
year-old. And then we picked up our newspapers one morning and there's
a big hole in the side of a United States ship, the USS Cole which was
bombed in October of 2000. The tension was mounting daily. Other
attacks were a possibility. And then all hell broke loose outside the
base. There was protests, there was shouting, there were people yelling
at us at the gate. None of us were allowed off the base. And why?
Because the House of Representatives was going to take up the Armenian
genocide resolution.
Mr. Speaker, this constituent was my son. He asked me then, Dad, why
is Congress making things tougher for us over here? I didn't have an
answer for him now and I don't have an answer for him now. President
Clinton did not support this bill in 2000. Majority Leader Armey
refused to allow it to come to the floor. Don't make life tougher for
our soldiers. We're a country at war. Let's act like it for once.
____________________
[Page H11535]
The Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:cr15oc07-109]
IN OPPOSITION TO RESOLUTION REGARDING ARMENIA
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I want to come to the floor of the House
tonight and add my voice to a lot of my colleagues in opposition to the
dangerous resolution condemning Turkey for reported atrocities against
the Armenian people. Everyone regrets what happened at the end of the
First World War; but, Mr. Speaker, we are in the midst of a very
complicated war, a complicated war in which every ally is valuable to
our war effort.
This resolution, Mr. Speaker, this resolution has the potential to
inflict damage on the United States-Turkish relationship such that it
would be very difficult to repair it, and this should be at the
forefront of our minds as we consider bringing to the floor for a vote.
I am concerned about this resolution, and I urge the Speaker not to
allow these actions.
I am asking us to consider the long-lasting negative effects that
this resolution could have on our foreign policy interests. The last
thing we need is for an American ally to stray from the path of victory
in Iraq, and with President Abdullah Gul threatening to withdraw
Turkey's support of the Iraq war should we vote on and pass this risky
resolution, this possibility unfortunately is moving ever closer to
reality.
Mr. Speaker, Turkey continues to be a consistent U.S. partner in
developing some of the crucial defense equipment we're going to need to
protect our country into the future. Currently, Turkey is aiding in the
development of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning fighter. I can testify
to the significant importance of sustaining positive relations with
Turkey, because the final assemblage of the aforementioned aircraft
will, in fact, take place at Lockheed Martin's Ft. Worth plant which is
very near my district in North Texas. These are important developments
in the war on terror and now is not the time to compromise these
efforts.
But more importantly, Mr. Speaker, this resolution, this resolution
is ill timed and ill suited for a country at war. What will happen to
the transport of goods, fuel, food, fiber through Turkey into northern
Iraq?
And if those shipments, if those shipments of food, fuel and fiber
are delayed or ended by the Turks, who wins and who loses?
Mr. Speaker, I will submit that the average American probably doesn't
know the answer to that question. It's not that they're indifferent,
but they just don't know if there's going to be a winner or a loser.
The average Turk, while he may care, is really just pretty mad about it
all.
But, Mr. Speaker, I would submit it is the Iraqi citizen who is on
our side who will lose. They will be denied sustenance. They will be
denied food for their family. They will be denied fuel to heat their
homes in the coming winter in the northern part of Iraq, in a country
that has been ravaged by war.
Well, if Iraqis who are friendly to us are likely to be hurt, what
about the enemy in Iraq? Well, Mr. Speaker, they may be the indirect
winner because after all, we know they love chaos; and anything that
increases disorder in Iraq's fragile social system benefits our enemy.
Mr. Speaker, I am not connecting dots that have not already been
connected. Right as we left before the August recess the majority whip
was quoted as saying if things go well in Iraq, it's bad for us; it's
bad for our majority party.
Mr. Speaker, sadly, then we've seen several times during the month of
September where it does seem like sometimes they're invested in defeat.
But who really bears the brunt is the United States soldier. And, Mr.
Speaker, this is not just a theoretical concern. October 2000, same
bill, conflicts are a little bit different. Northern watch, keeping the
Iraqis from attacking the Kurds. Those planes in northern Iraq to
enforce the no-fly zone and keep Saddam from attacking the Kurds, those
F-16s flew out of Turkey and they kept watch every day of every week
during what we now know as Northern Watch. They kept the Iraqi
Republican Guard in a box and kept them from attacking Kurds.
Mr. Speaker, I was not in Congress in October of 2000. But I will
tell you that a young man who is now a constituent, actually stationed
in Clovis, New Mexico, but was moved to Incurlik, Turkey, and was on
duty then, he talked to me back in October of 2000. He said, we were
away from home in a place that really was awfully strange for a 21-
year-old. And then we picked up our newspapers one morning and there's
a big hole in the side of a United States ship, the USS Cole which was
bombed in October of 2000. The tension was mounting daily. Other
attacks were a possibility. And then all hell broke loose outside the
base. There was protests, there was shouting, there were people yelling
at us at the gate. None of us were allowed off the base. And why?
Because the House of Representatives was going to take up the Armenian
genocide resolution.
Mr. Speaker, this constituent was my son. He asked me then, Dad, why
is Congress making things tougher for us over here? I didn't have an
answer for him now and I don't have an answer for him now. President
Clinton did not support this bill in 2000. Majority Leader Armey
refused to allow it to come to the floor. Don't make life tougher for
our soldiers. We're a country at war. Let's act like it for once.
____________________