Congressman Green Says IRAQ Reconstruction Moving Along GREEN BAY (Nov. 3, 2003) –  U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-Green Bay), who returned from Iraq just days ago, presented a summary report on his trip at a news conference today at Green Bay’s Army Reserve Center. Green said he took away from his travels a number of conclusions arrived at after meeting with U.S. troops, Iraqi citizens, Coalition Provisional Authority officials and Middle East leaders. “Over the course of the trip, a number of things became strikingly clear, but chief among them was that the state of our troops is excellent,” Green said. “Their morale is high, they are dedicated to the cause, and they by and large have all the tools they need to get done the difficult job we’re asking of them. They’re doing terrific work, and they told me they wish more good news about their successes was being reported by the media back home. We should all be proud of the service of these extraordinary Americans. They’ve always had my admiration and utmost respect, but seeing them working and talking to them right there on the ground was truly awe-inspiring. And the biggest highlight, of course, was seeing the troops from Wisconsin, who are representing us so well over there.” Green also said he found that the reconstruction of Iraq is moving along more quickly than he and his colleagues on the trip had expected. “I think all of us on the trip weren’t quite sure what to expect when it came to reconstruction,” Green said. “Watching the news lately, one might come away with the impression that the rebuilding effort is at a standstill, mired in bloodshed and a lack of cooperation. The reality is, however, that nothing could be further from the truth. Every one of us, Republican and Democrat, was astonished to see the level of success we’re having in putting Iraq back together again. The real story that’s not getting out to the folks here at home is that reconstruction is going very, very well – and that our people and the vast majority of Iraqis are working together as friends to make Iraq free and self-sufficient.” Green said not all the news from Iraq was good, however. He said ongoing violence – including the downing of a U.S. helicopter over the weekend and a number of attacks that occurred while he was on his trip – proves that Iraq is “still a very dangerous place” as the war on terrorism continues. Green cautioned against allowing such incidents to overshadow successes the U.S. is achieving, however, and called the incidents “a test of our resolve.” “As we continue fighting the war on terrorism, Iraq is obviously still a very dangerous place,” Green said. “We saw some of this violence first-hand with the Ramadan bombings and rocket attack on the Al-Rashid Hotel while we were on the trip. But I go away from Iraq with much the same attitude our troops seem to have about these incidents. They view them as a test of our resolve. They see these attacks in what I think is the proper context. Every day, they see progress all around them, achieved by Americans and Iraqis working together. And when they see this progress punctuated by terrible tragedies that kill their fellow Americans, it seems to make them all the more committed to getting the job done. They look at the situation and they see that the best way to defeat the enemy is by building a free and democratic Iraq. Our people are bound and determined to make that happen, and the Iraqi people are too.” Finally, Green said the trip cemented for him the value of replenishing funding for the operation in Iraq. “Last week, right after I got back, the House voted to pass the final version of the supplemental spending bill that has generated so much controversy over the past few weeks,” Green said. “But today there’s not a single doubt in my mind that the $87 billion in that legislation is money well-spent. Most of it goes to our troops to give them more supplies and resources to finish the job. And the chunk of it that goes into Iraq reconstruction will help speed things along, get the Iraqis into a position where they can do things on their own, and allow us to bring our people home.” Green traveled to the Middle East from October 21 to October 28 as part of a bipartisan congressional delegation of the House International Relations Committee. He brought with him two signed Green Bay Packers footballs and a signed Packers jersey – all of which went to Wisconsin troops, including Green Bay’s 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion and Appleton’s 395th Ordnance Company. Although Green did not have a chance to meet with the 432nd and 395th while in Iraq, he had the items brought to the local reserve units. At the news conference, Green also showed a video he and others took during the trip, and provided a narration of the “sights and sounds” he observed on the ground.