Joe Wilson: “on Sunday, a homicide bomber in Gardez, Afghanistan, mass-murdered 14 civilians and injured 36 others, including five…”

“on Sunday, a homicide bomber in Gardez, Afghanistan, mass-murdered 14 civilians and injured 36 others, including five members of the 218th brigade of the South Carolina National Guard. This affects me personally, as I was a member of the 218th for over 20 years. In July 2000, we trained together in the Mojave Desert at Fort Irwin to face this very evil, and now our courageous troops are stopping terrorists overseas. Chuck Crumbo of The State newspaper reported the suicide bomber followed the Guard convoy and detonated himself in the midst of innocent women and children on a crowded street. This act of cowardice confirms why we must stop the terrorists overseas or they will return to America. In the past 96 hours, there was an attack in Baghdad, terrorists acted in Lebanon, and a shopping mall was blown up in Turkey. I know my comrades, ably led by General Bob Livingston, are ready to face al Qaeda's boast of Afghanistan and Iraq as the central front in the global war on terrorism. This is how we can best protect American families. I have never been prouder of the Guard's service. In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September 11.”