FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Isakson Praises Iraqi Vote on Constitutional Referendum
Calls Historic Vote ‘A Chance for Peace’         

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) today spoke on the Senate floor in praise of the people of Iraq, who turned out by the millions to vote Saturday in a referendum on their constitution.

“It appears that the people of Iraq, 10 million of them, turned out on Saturday to ratify a constitution under which elections will take place on December the 15 th of this year.

“It laid the groundwork for this country to self-determine its future in peace. For its three groups within its country to join together to form a government together to iron out their differences peacefully and to grow in the Middle East what many thought was never possible, an Arab nation self-determining its future, its people electing its representatives, living and growing in peace and in harmony with its neighbors.

“Our sons and daughters have been there steadfastly to fight the insurgents, secure the Iraqi people, and give this chance of liberty and freedom flame a chance to grow and to glow.

“For us to stay is for liberty and peace and freedom to take root, to grow and to prosper and for an area in the world that for all time has been in turmoil to have a chance for future time to be in peace.

“For it was terrorism that drug us into the Middle East. It is terrorism through insurgents that we fight today in Iraq. And it’s terrorism that will lose not in the end to bullets but to votes of people free to self-determine their future as the people in Iraq did when they began that process on January 31, reaffirmed that process this past Saturday, and on December 15 will reaffirm that process again by holding free elections.”

The full text of Isakson’s speech is available by clicking here. Please click here to listen to excerpts from the statement or click here to watch the statement.