House Proceeding 09-10-09 on Sep 10th, 2009 :: 0:46:20 to 0:50:40
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0:46:16 to 0:46:36( Edit History Discussion )

Lynn C. Woolsey: and had another chance at life because america's first responders were there and answered the call to defend america. and that's just the way it is. the speaker pro tempore: thank you. is ms. kaptur of ohio here? the chair recognizes ms. woolsey.

0:46:20 to 0:50:40( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Lynn C. Woolsey

0:46:37 to 0:46:57( Edit History Discussion )

Lynn C. Woolsey: for what purpose does rise? ms. woolsey: i rise to address the house for five minutes and to expand my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: would you like to claim ms. kaptur's time? ms. woolsey: i'll claim my time i just missed. i if that's not appropriate, i will claim -- ask unanimous consent to claim ms. kaptur's time. the speaker pro tempore: without

0:46:58 to 0:47:20( Edit History Discussion )

Lynn C. Woolsey: objection, it is so ordered. the gentlelady from california is recognized for five minutes. mr. speaker, tomorrow is the eighth annirsary of one of the most history, september 11, 2001. on that day our nation was attacked by -- and nearly 3,000

0:47:21 to 0:47:41( Edit History Discussion )

Lynn C. Woolsey: americans re killed. we continue to grieve for them and for their families. and tomorrow we celebrate a national day of remembrance and service in their honor and memory. soon after 9/11, mr. speaker, american troops invaded afghanistan where the attacks had been planned.

0:47:42 to 0:48:02( Edit History Discussion )

Lynn C. Woolsey: many americans have considered the war in afghanistan a good war, our troops have shown incredible skill and bravery in a very difficult conflict over those eight years. but now eight years later our troops are still in afghanistan,

0:48:03 to 0:48:23( Edit History Discussion )

Lynn C. Woolsey: still facing a growing u.s. is. the taliban apar -- insurgency. the taliban appears to have gained control of half the country and many al qaeda operatives have fled to pakistan. have as a result, a grow number of americans now oppose a war that no longer serves our national security inte

0:48:24 to 0:48:44( Edit History Discussion )

Lynn C. Woolsey: in three recent polls, more americans called for a reduction in our troop levels rather than increases and in one poll, the majority of americans said that the war in afghanistan is simply not worth fighting. despite this, general stanley

0:48:45 to 0:49:06( Edit History Discussion )

Lynn C. Woolsey: mcchrystal in afghanistan, is expected to ask the president to commit more troops. there are reports that general mcchrystal may ask for as many as 30,000 more which would bring the american troop level to about enlarging the american footprint in afghanistan, mr. speaker,

0:49:07 to 0:49:27( Edit History Discussion )

Lynn C. Woolsey: will almost certainly lead the afghan people to see the united states as an occupying force and if history has taught us anything, it is that the afghan people will resist any foreign occupation. that's the bitter lesson that the soviet union and the british

0:49:28 to 0:49:49( Edit History Discussion )

Lynn C. Woolsey: empire learned. even secretary of defense robert gates is concerned about the problem. in a recent interview secretary gates said he asked general imp additional forces and whether the afghans will see this as the

0:49:50 to 0:50:10( Edit History Discussion )

Lynn C. Woolsey: united states becoming more of an occupier rather than a partner. week about thfailures of previous foreign forces in afghanistan. he said one reason for their failures is that the afghans concluded that they were there for their own imperial interests

0:50:11 to 0:50:32( Edit History Discussion )

Lynn C. Woolsey: and not there for the interests of the afghanistan people -- mr. speaker, the worst thing our nation can do right now is stumble into an occupation that the afghan people do not want, cost many lives, hundreds of

0:50:33 to 0:50:42( Edit History Discussion )

Lynn C. Woolsey: billions of dollars that we can't afford. we should not double down on a strategy t we need a brand new strategy,