Charles Skelton: “Mr. Speaker, this week marked the 1-year anniversary of American efforts to drive al Qaeda from Afghanistan and liberate…”

“Mr. Speaker, this week marked the 1-year anniversary of American efforts to drive al Qaeda from Afghanistan and liberate the Afghan people from the Taliban. We have already learned important lessons from that conflict. First, we reaffirmed that the men and women of America's Armed Forces are strong and that they are courageous; second, we saw the benefits of acting with regional partners and other friends united behind us; third, we continued to see every day the long-term commitment required to help a society transition from a ruthless dictatorship to a more representative government. The way we fought in Afghanistan offers important lessons as we now confront the threat posed by Saddam and his weapons of mass destruction. He is a menace to his people and to the entire region; but his weapons of mass destruction pose the most significant risk, and it is because of these weapons that we must today authorize the President to act, including with military force. In saying that, I am not accepting the administration's line uncritically.”