By Stephen F. Lynch

The following statement was issued last week by the Office of Congressman Stephen F. Lynch regarding his support of the Bush administration's request for an additional $87 billion to support the ongoing US involvement in Iraq.

We have 150,000 service men and women in Iraq and Kuwait. During my time in Iraq and in my meetings with the troops on the front lines, they asked for our support. They asked for the continued support of the American people and their representatives in Congress. Frankly, I met a lot of young people who believe in democracy and freedom, who see what Saddam Hussein did to his people, and who believe in what they're fighting for. They also asked to be properly equipped and protected. I believe I have an obligation to them to do that.

Over the last several months, I've been contacted by the families of men and women serving in Iraq, regarding letters they have received from their sons and daughters. Some of these families who have come to me have also gone to the press. Our soldiers report that they don't have basic safety equipment and that they have to use their personal savings to buy body armor. They report that they don't have tents that can keep out the desert heat, and

that they're driving unarmored vehicles through dangerous areas. In response, I told those families that I would fight for specific provisions in the military appropriations bill for Iraq that would better protect our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines. I worked with other Members of Congress, Republicans and Democrats, to include funding for these added protections. Sixty-five billion dollars from this funding package will go directly to our troops, to ensure that they have the supplies they need to protect themselves and return home safely, hopefully as soon as possible.

As for the money for humanitarian aid and for restoring basic services, I do believe that it is important to stabilize Iraq before we withdraw. Ultimately, it will be decided by the Iraqi people what kind of free and constitutional government they want to have.

Without question, the Bush administration has badly mishandled the job of bringing in international allies to help establish a constitutional democracy in Iraq. Moreover, the Administration grossly underestimated the cost of reconstruction and the complexity of such an effort.

We have seen in recent weeks not only attacks against our troops, but also against UN officials and humanitarian aid workers. We have witnessed attacks against Red Cross aid workers and against Iraqis who are committed

to rebuilding their country.

These terrorists, suicide bombers and Ba'ath Party loyalists are threatened by the very idea that Iraqis might embrace the right to govern themselves under a Western-style democracy which respects basic individual freedoms for both men and women.

For the U.S. and its coalition allies, at this point, there appear to be two basic choices. The first is to cut and run from Iraq and deliver that country into the hands of terrorists and suicide bombers. In other words, condone the enslavement and slaughter of innocents and commit a greater wrong.

On the other hand, the U.S. has the opportunity, by ridding that region of the scourge of Saddam Hussein and his regime and by restoring basic services, to give the Iraqi people a glimpse of normalcy, a taste of freedom, and a chance to bring stability in a very unstable region of the world, before we withdraw our troops and our support.

These are difficult times, no doubt. I know there are some who say that we should bring the troops home now at all costs. However, I honestly believe that a policy of appeasement of terrorists and extremists is wrong and will eventually catch up with us.