Hearing of the Middle East and South Asia Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee - U.S. Assistance to the Middle East: Old Tools for New Tasks

Statement

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REP. JOE WILSON (R-SC): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you for being here today.

And as we talk about U.S. assistance to the Middle East, I've been very fortunate to visit a number of countries with Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait. I visited Turkey. I visited Israel. Each of the countries that I visited give me a lot of hope because indeed these are dynamic countries, whatever their religious background. The people who live in those countries have successfully moved into the 21st century. It's just extraordinary. I wish more American citizens could see. The popular perception that the people of the Middle East want to live in the 14th century is not correct. People want to live in the 21st century.

In fact, I represent Hilton Head Island. And I've told people that when visiting Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait that I feel like I'm visiting Hilton Head Island on steroids. So again, I am very hopeful.

Indeed, as to assistance, I appreciate the briefings I've had in Jordan -- real-world projects, USAID making a difference, providing opportunities for persons to develop small businesses and micro loans. It just goes on and on, an untold story of success.

In Afghanistan, I've visited six times. I'm very grateful my last visit was with Congressman Pence. Both of us saw the efforts at road-building. We saw bridge-building opportunities where local citizens were doing the work, good employment. Just an extraordinary opportunity.

Additionally, I've visited Iraq nine times. I'm very pleased that General Petraeus and our troops indeed are reducing, by way of the surge, chaos in that country so that they will deny the ability of a safe haven for al Qaeda to attack the United States and our allies.

Additionally, I have another perspective. Two of my sons served in Iraq. One participated, he's an Army Guard member, in the distribution of backpacks. Two million backpacks were distributed to the young people of Iraq so that they could go to school. And for the first time, young girls had school supplies -- world-class, not junk -- that they could now further their education. And I wish more people knew about that.

And then additionally, I just want to thank you for what you are doing, and I look forward to working with the chairman on the issue of assistance. But I want to thank you for the successes we've had, and I hope that we can build on these in a region that is so vital to protecting American families. Thank you very much.

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