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Three Cups of Tea March 5, 2009 
Mr. Speaker: I’ve just returned from an official congressional delegation trip to Iraq and Afghanistan. There is a lot to reflect on after a trip like this, especially the wisdom in a book entitled Three Cups of Tea. It relates to our military involvement – and misjudgments- first in Iraq and potentially now in Afghanistan. Before I go any further, let me say that we cannot do enough to recognize and honor our soldiers, and their bravery, dedication and love of country. For a few brief moments, we got a taste of what you endure every day. Every Member on the Codel was equipped with body armor and flack jackets, and you quickly realize the dangers and stress our soldiers endure every day. We owe them our gratitude, our support when they return and the confidence in knowing that our government will only place them in harm’s way as a last resort. We failed that responsibility in Iraq and many are asking whether we may fail again in Afghanistan. We are the most powerful nation on earth but our bullets and bombs cannot penetrate the corridors of history. And the book, Three Cups of Tea, provides a powerful reminder that we must silence the guns if we are to hear the voices of truth coming from history. The Elder said “These mountains have been here a long time, and so have we. You can’t tell the mountains what to do, you must listen to them. So now I am asking you to listen to me. By the mercy of Almighty Allah, you have done much for my people, and we appreciate it. But now you must do one more thing for me.” “Anything” Mortenson said. “Sit down. And shut your mouth, you’re making everyone crazy.” Then he brought us some tea When the porcelain bowls of hot butter tea steamed in their hands the Elder spoke. “If you want to thrive in Baltistan, you must respect our ways. The first time you share tea with a balit, you are a stranger. The second time you take tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share a cup of tea, you become family, and for our family, we are prepared to do anything, even die” he said, laying his hand warmly on Mortenson’s own. “Doctor Greg, you must make time to share three cups of tea. We may be uneducated. But we are not stupid. We have lived and survived here for a long time.” “That day, the Elder taught me the most important lesson I’ve ever learned in my life. We Americans think you have to accomplish everything quickly. We’re the country of thirty-minute power lunches and two-minute football drills. Our leaders thought their ‘shock and awe’ campaign would end the war in Iraq before it even started. The Elder taught me to share three cups of tea, to slow down and make building relationships as important as building projects. He taught me that I had more to learn from people I work with than I could ever hope to teach them” There are many nations, languages and religions in the world today, but there is one thing true in all this diversity. Those who do not learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat the mistakes of history. After Vietnam, many Americans said it would never happen again, but it has. We were misled into waging a false war in Iraq. And, we are beginning to transfer soldiers from Iraq to Afghanistan. When will we learn? Russia once and Britain twice believed the tread of their tanks and the velocity of their shells could flatten the mountains of history and Afghanistan, and pave the way for outside control. But the mountains are still standing and history has recorded new chapters that recount and reflect on the folly of nations that believe military power is all powerful. History tells us otherwise. Three Cups of Tea is now required reading for everyone in the CIA. It should be required reading for every Member of Congress. Thank you.
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