Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support of H. Con. Res. 137, which condemns the government of Iraq for its continued reign of terror against the Kurds, and that is what is has basically been for the last several years, a reign of terror that unfortunately the West has not focused on.  But with this resolution and with the effort that the Kurds are now making, I think more and more people are focusing on it.
 What this would do is encourage the establishment of a war crimes tribunal to try Saddam Hussein and the other Iraqi officials for their crimes against humanity.  I want to commend the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Porter], the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman], and the other Members for sponsoring this resolution.  Hopefully this resolution will send a message not only through the United States, but to the Kurdish population around the world and particularly in that area, that the United States Congress, the people's House, cares for very, very deeply.
 Iraq is a bad actor government.  Saddam Hussein is a brutal dictator who cares about nothing more than hanging onto his power.  He has persecuted the people of Iraq.  He is engaging in a dangerous showdown with the West.  He is not afraid to murder members of his own family who threaten to tell the truth about his brutality or threaten his reign.
 He is seeking to wipe out the Kurds of northern Iraq who are trapped because of their geography.  The Kurds of northern Iraq have nowhere to go to escape their plight.  They have been and are being murdered, imprisoned, tortured and repressed.  Hopefully with this resolution, sponsored by the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Porter] and supported by the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman] and so many other Members, it will send a message to Saddam Hussein that the West cares, and send a message to the Kurds that are going through this problem that we deeply care and that we stand with them.