Coalition Still Faces Much Work, NH Delegation says
WASHINGTON, D.C.—After the Pentagon announced Wednesday that U.S.-led forces had taken control of Baghdad, New Hampshire’s Congress members praised coalition troops and said they were buoyed by Iraqi citizens’ celebrations.
“We all have to be very impressed with the incredible success of our military effort in Iraq, especially the professionalism and expertise of our soldiers,” Sen. Judd Gregg said in a statement Wednesday. “In about 20 days, they moved about 500 miles and have taken over Baghdad.”
Gregg, Sen. John Sununu and Reps. Charlie Bass and Jeb Bradley-all Republicans-said they were happy for the people of Iraq, whose dancing and cheering emanated from Capitol Hill television sets.
“Today marks a great deal of sense of hope and opportunity in Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq,” Sununu said in a statement. “The scenes we have seen of the celebration are an indication that the impression of Saddam Hussein’s regime is recognized not just by people in the United States but by the Iraqi people themselves.”
Bass said the celebrations in Baghdad should remove any doubts that Iraqis did not want to be liberated from Saddam’s rule. Bass also said he hoped ousting Saddam would bring “a whole new era of fortune” for Iraq.
“I just think it’s a huge day for Iraq, obviously, and a great day for freedom around the world,” Bass said, “and a bad day for not only the old regime, which is now gone, but also those other countries that think that America will ignore or look the other way when states sponsor international terrorist efforts.”
Gregg, Sununu. Bass and Bradley agreed the coalition forces still face many hurdles.
“There are many pockets of resistance,” Gregg said. “But as we move forward, towards (Saddam’s home of) Tikrit and other parts of Iraq, I would expect they will start to collapse.”
Bass and Bradley said the coalition still must pay to rebuild Iraq, and Bass predicted President Bush would be forced to submit another emergency spending request to Congress.
Congress still is debating Bush’s earlier request for $75 billion – increased by the Senate to about $80 billion — to fund the war and homeland security. The House and the Senate have passed different versions of the bill and are arguing over several provisions, including a $3.5 billion aid package for airlines that the White House strongly opposes.
“We can’t underestimate the fact that this is not cheap,” Bradley said. “But there’s not a price to be paid for security for Americans, and I think that we have to accept that price and we also have the responsibility of helping to rebuild Iraq with the support of coalition partners.”
Bradley said that while he expects the U.S.- and British-led coalition to play the major role in post-war Iraq, he hopes that other countries will participate in the rebuilding effort and that the United Nations will provide humanitarian aid. Bradley said he also expects Iraqi oil money to help pay for reconstruction.
“Now, we begin the process of establishing a stable and representational government structure in Iraq, returning the resources of that country back to the people, and getting supplies to the people in Iraq that need them,” Sununu said.
Published in The Manchester Union Leader, in New Hampshire.
