Congressional Record—Senate S1767
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January 30, 2003 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1767 know what I am saying, and you know to continue to be patient and share our occurred, there has also been a parallel what these pictures say, and I will wait intelligence with the inspectors and effort going on through the U.N. to as- until hell freezes over.’’ give them the best information for certain what weapons of mass destruc- That is a long time, until hell freezes them to do their job on the ground. tion Saddam Hussein holds, where over. I am not going to suggest we I thank the Chair for the time. I look those weapons are located, and what should wait that long for the Iraqis to forward to yielding back whatever time threat those weapons pose to his neigh- fess up and turn over and enable to be I have and hearing from my friend and bors and to other free nations. destroyed that which I think they colleague from New Mexico. We have come to a difficult decision clearly harbor. But I hope, just as the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- point. The Pentagon is advising the President of 40 years ago chose to con- ator from New Mexico is recognized. President that military preparations tinue to work through the U.N., this Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I ask are nearly complete. The President President will do so as well. unanimous consent that I be permitted must decide whether this country Going back to the economy, the best to speak for up to 15 minutes. should proceed militarily in the next thing we can do to get the economy The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without few weeks or whether we should con- moving is to eliminate all this uncer- objection, it is so ordered. tinue to support the efforts of U.N. in- tainty that flows out of Iraq—hope- f spectors to carry out the instructions fully, peacefully, but in the end, if need that were given them by the U.N. Secu- THE SITUATION IN IRAQ be, through war. Hopefully, we can do rity Council, on which we sit. it without going to war. If it is nec- Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, as I In my view, the President should essary, we should be prepared to do understood the President in his State allow the U.N. inspectors to continue that. I have said all along, one of the of the Union speech earlier this week, their work. If they are denied access to reasons we were so effective in the Per- it is his intention to begin military ac- sites they wish to inspect, then the use sian Gulf war—which I supported as a tion against Iraq sometime in the near of military force will be justified. If House Member and voted for as a House future. That stated intention of the they find substantial evidence of a Member—I think one of the reasons we President causes me some grave con- weapons program that threatens Iraq’s were successful there, and in Afghani- cern, and I wanted to come to the Sen- neighbors, then we should join with stan, is we didn’t do it by ourselves. It ate floor today and express that con- those neighbors in eliminating that was not just unilaterally, us by our- cern. threat. But up until this date, up until selves. We led an armada of nations. If Let me begin by stating the propo- today, neither of these circumstances there is to be a military altercation, sitions with which we all agree. First, prevails. The inspectors themselves our chances for success are better en- I think we all agree Saddam Hussein is have so stated, and they have asked for hanced if we do not do it alone and if a brutal despot who has terrorized his additional time to complete their we have the blessing of the U.N. and if own people and has threatened his work. we have broad-based military support neighboring States for many years. The decision the President makes on from around the globe. I worry about Second, whether or not Saddam Hus- going to war with Iraq will be the first the human cost to our soldiers, sailors, sein has weapons of mass destruction test of the new National Security and airmen in a war. We are going to in a readily usable form at this time, Strategy that was issued by the White win and, I think, without a great deal we must assume that given the oppor- House in September of last year. In of difficulty. Taking the cities might tunity he will obtain those weapons. that document, the President acknowl- be a lot more dangerous, and we face a Third, it is very much in our interest edges that the legitimacy of preemp- threat from the biological and chem- as a Nation, and in the interest of our tive military action depends ‘‘on the ical weapons he has. Hopefully, we will allies, that Saddam Hussein be pre- existence of an imminent threat.’’ win without a huge cost in lives. vented from acquiring or maintaining Right after that statement appears The financial cost will be lowered if those weapons. in this document, however, the docu- we have others by our side. What I am But the question before the country ment speaks of ‘‘adapting the concept concerned about maybe more than any- today is narrower than these propo- of imminent threat.’’ How much adap- thing is the cost of the postwar, the sitions. The question before the coun- tation of that concept is wise? How morning after, when we help try to put try is whether we should cut short the much adaptation of that concept Humpty-Dumpty back together in a inspection process that is currently un- makes sense for ourselves and our al- country that has no democratic mem- derway. The U.N. inspection process is lies as a precedent for the future? ory or institutions, a lot of dissenting a process that we rightly insisted upon This National Security Strategy doc- voices and ethnic groups—pulling them in our earlier deliberations with the ument that the administration issued together and trying to help them be- Security Council. So the question is in September of last year goes on to come a democracy. It is going to take whether we should cut short that in- talk about our willingness as a nation time, money, and a lot of patience. I spection process and begin a military to take military action to preempt don’t want the U.S. to be doing that by action to remove Saddam Hussein and emerging threats. Here the President is itself. his regime from power. contemplating, in the circumstance be- How does all this fit into the econ- The President has moved aggres- fore us today, military action not to omy? We can offer businesses all kinds sively to prepare this Nation for war. meet a specific identified military of tax incentives to make investments The total number of personnel who threat but to depose a hostile govern- and other decisions. When they are have been either ordered to deploy, or ment, even though no imminent mili- faced with uncertainty, they are not who have been put on alert to do so, is tary threat has been identified. going to make the kind of investments roughly 148,000. There are roughly In his State of the Union Address, the we want them to make and they ought 23,000 marines en route to the Persian President framed the issue as being to be making. The sooner we can re- Gulf aboard three major task forces. whether ‘‘war is forced upon us.’’ He solve—hopefully peacefully and, if not, There are roughly 25,000 sailors and stated that, ‘‘If war is forced upon us, through the use of force—the situation aviators attached to the various car- we will fight with the full force and in the Middle East, I think that prob- rier battle groups and amphibious task might of the U.S. military—and we will ably augurs better for the economy. forces that are either en route to the prevail.’’ I, and I am sure most Ameri- Having said that, let’s be careful in region, on standby, or are on surge sta- cans, agree with that statement. But in our rush to judgment and keep in mind tus. These forces include some 175 air- my view, as of this date, war has not that our chances for early success, and craft of all types and over 1,000 VLS been forced upon us. It is not credible for reducing the loss of life to Ameri- launch tubes carrying nearly 500 cruise for us to assert as a nation that war cans, and our chances for reducing out- missiles. has been forced upon us. of-pocket costs for the war and the So steps have been taken to prepare The U.N. inspection process proceeds. postwar occupation are diminished if us militarily for war. Today, we are, If there is evidence of an imminent we have a lot of others with us. Espe- simply put, on the brink of war. But threat that requires us to take preemp- cially in the next few weeks, we need while these military preparations have tive military action, I have not seen VerDate Mar 15 2010 22:09 Jan 14, 2014 Jkt 081600 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\2003SENATE\S30JA3.REC S30JA3 mmaher on DSKCGSP4G1 with SOCIALSECURITY S1768 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE January 30, 2003 that evidence.