Virginia Foxx: “I rise today to address the growing threat of Iran and Syria and their involvement in the current war in Iraq. As…”

“I rise today to address the growing threat of Iran and Syria and their involvement in the current war in Iraq. As President Bush pointed out in his speech Wednesday night, we live in difficult times and are facing types of enemies never seen before. These terrorists are bent on the destruction of Western Civilization. I am pleased the President acknowledged the threat of Iran and Syria and included monitoring the borders of Iraq as an essential part of the solution to the Iraq conflict. Seventy percent of American casualties in Iraq come from IEDs provided by Iran. This must be dealt with divisively or we will continue to lose the brave men and women who are fighting a noble cause in the global war on terror. In addition, intelligence estimates show that at least 32,000 people are being paid by Iran to interfere with American efforts in Iraq. It is clear we cannot win in Iraq without dealing with Iran. They are determined to dominate the Arabian peninsula with their radical and twisted version of Islam, and to defeat and humiliate the United States in our efforts to help Iraq build a strong and stable democracy to serve as a model in the Middle East.”