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 —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 —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 , 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. Many Americans and tack on —which included large-scale After its initial gains, Iraq was on the defen- many of our allies also have been intelligence sharing, supply of cluster bombs sive, and Iranian troops had advanced to unpersuaded by the evidence they have through a Chilean front company, and facili- within a few miles of Basra, Iraq’s second tating Iraq’s acquisition of chemical and bio- largest city. U.S. intelligence information seen. logical precursors—is a topical example of suggested the Iranians might achieve a The more willing we are to assert the the underside of U.S. foreign policy. It is a breakthrough on the Basra front, desta- right to start a war to change the gov- world in which deals can be struck with dic- bilizing Kuwait, the Gulf states, and even ernment of a sovereign state, the more tators, human rights violations sometimes Saudi Arabia, thereby threatening U.S. oil we risk encouraging preemptive action overlooked, and accommodations made with supplies. by other nations against governments arms proliferators, all on the principle that ‘‘You have to understand the geostrategic they wish to depose. And the less we the ‘‘enemy of my enemy is my friend.’’ context, which was very different from where we are now,’’ said Howard Teicher, a former need to identify an imminent threat Throughout the 1980s, Hussein’s Iraq was the sworn enemy of , then still in the throes National Security Council official, who before beginning a war, the more we of an Islamic revolution. U.S. officials saw worked on Iraqi policy during the Reagan ad- undermine efforts to avoid unprovoked as a bulwark against militant Shi- ministration. ‘‘Realpolitik dictated that we conflict in the future. ite extremism and the fall of pro-American act to prevent the situation from getting The President was right to go to the states such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and worse.’’ United Nations and to insist that U.N. even —a Middle East version of the To prevent an Iraqi collapse, the Reagan inspectors return to Iraq. His latest de- ‘‘domino theory’’ in Southeast Asia. That administration supplied battlefield intel- ligence on Iranian troop buildups to the cision to send Secretary Powell to the was enough to turn Hussein into a strategic partner and for U.S. diplomats in Baghdad to Iraqis, sometimes through third parties such Security Council to present evidence of routinely refer to Iraqi forces as ‘‘the good as Saudi Arabia. The U.S. tilt toward Iraq the threat posed by Iraq is also proper, guys,’’ in contrast to the Iranians, who were was enshrined in National Security Decision and I look forward to hearing what depicted as ‘‘the bad guys.’’ Directive 114 of Nov. 26, 1983, one of the few that evidence is. But unless that evi- A review of thousands of declassified gov- important Reagan era foreign policy deci- dence demonstrates a threat that re- ernment documents and interviews with sions that still remains classified. According quires military action now, the wise former policymakers shows that U.S. intel- to former U.S. officials, the directive stated that the United States would do ‘‘whatever course is for us to hold off on that mili- ligence and logistical and support a crucial role in shoring up Iraqi defenses against the was necessary and legal’’ to prevent Iraq tary action and allow the U.N. inspec- ‘‘human wave’’ attacks by suicidal Iranian from losing the war with Iran. tors to do their work. troops. The administrations of Ronald The presidential directive was issued amid Mr. President, I yield the floor. Reagan and George H.W. Bush authorized the a flurry of reports that Iraqi forces were The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- sale to Iraq of numerous items that had both using chemical weapons in their attempts to ator from South Dakota. military and civilian applications, including hold back the Iranians. In principle, Wash- Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I rise poisonous chemicals and deadly biological ington was strongly opposed to chemical warfare, a practice outlawed by the 1925 Ge- to share with my colleagues my very viruses, such as anthrax and bubonic plague. Opinions differ among Middle East experts neva Protocol. In practice, U.S. condemna- great concern over ties between Iraq’s and former government officials about the tion of Iraqi use of chemical weapons ranked probable possession of biological and pre-Iraqi tilt, and whether Washington could relatively low on the scale of administration chemical weapons and the potentially have done more to stop the flow to Baghdad priorities, particularly compared with the catastrophic actions taken by the of technology for building weapons of mass all-important goal of preventing an Iranian Reagan and Bush, Sr., administrations, destruction. victory. including the active assistance of then ‘‘It was a horrible mistake then, but we Thus, on Nov. 1, 1983, a senior State De- have got it right now,’’ says Kenneth M. Pol- partment official, Jonathan T. Howe, told ‘‘special envoy’’ and now Secretary of lack, a former CIA military analyst and au- Secretary of State George P. Shultz that in- Defense Donald Rumsfeld. This arming thor of ‘‘The Threatening Storm,’’ which telligence reports showed that Iraqi troops of Saddam Hussein with weapons of makes the case for war with Iraq. ‘‘My fellow were resorting to ‘‘almost daily use of CW’’ mass destruction by the Reagan and [CIA] analysts and I were warning at the against the Iranians. But the Reagan admin- Bush, Sr., administrations has now time that Hussein was a very nasty char- istration had already committed itself to a been disclosed from what were pre- acter. We were constantly fighting the State large-scale diplomatic and political overture viously classified documents, as re- Department.’’ to Baghdad, culminating in several visits by ‘‘Fundamentally, the policy was justified,’’ the president’s recently appointed special ported recently by the Washington argues David Newton, a former U.S. ambas- envoy to the Middle East, Donald H. Rums- Post. sador to Baghdad, who runs an anti-Hussein feld. I ask unanimous consent that the radio station in Prague. ‘‘We were concerned Secret talking points prepared for the first Washington Post article be printed in that Iraq should not lose the war with Iran, Rumsfeld visit to Baghdad enshrined some of the RECORD. because that would have threatened Saudi the language from NSDD 114, including the There being no objection, the mate- Arabia and the Gulf. Our long-term hope was statement that the United States would re- rial was ordered to be printed in the that Hussein’s government would become gard ‘‘any major reversal of Iraq’s fortunes less repressive and more responsible.’’ as a strategic defeat for the West.’’ When RECORD, as follows: What makes present-day Hussein different Rumsfeld finally met with Hussein on Dec. [From the Washington Post, Dec. 30, 2002] from the Hussein of the 1980s, say Middle 20, he told the Iraqi leader that Washington U.S. HAD KEY ROLE IN IRAQ BUILDUP; TRADE East experts, is the mellowing of the Iranian was ready for a resumption of full diplomatic IN CHEMICAL ARMS ALLOWED DESPITE THEIR revolution and the August 1990 invasion of relations, according to a State Department USE ON IRANIANS, KURDS Kuwait that transformed the Iraqi dictator, report of the conversation. Iraqi leaders (By Michael Dobbs) almost overnight, from awkward ally into later described themselves as ‘‘extremely mortal enemy. In addition, the United States pleased’’ with the Rumsfeld visit, which had High on the Bush administration’s list of itself has changed. As a result of the Sept. ‘‘elevated U.S.-Iraqi relations to a new justifications for war against Iraq are Presi- 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and level.’’ dent Saddam Hussein’s use of chemical weap- Washington, U.S. policymakers take a much In a September interview with CNN, Rums- ons, nuclear and biological programs, and his more alarmist view of the threat posed by feld said he ‘‘cautioned’’ Hussein about the contacts with international terrorists. What the proliferation of weapons of mass destruc- use of chemical weapons, a claim at odds U.S. officials rarely acknowledge is that tion. with declassified State Department notes of these offenses date back to a period when When the Iran-Iraq war began in Sep- his 90-minute meeting with the Iraqi leader. Hussein was seen in Washington as a valued tember 1980, with an Iraqi attack across the A Pentagon spokesman, Brian Whitman, now ally. Shatt al Arab waterway that leads to the says that Rumsfeld raised the issue not with Among the people instrumental in tilting Persian Gulf, the United States was a by- Hussein, but with Iraqi foreign minister U.S. policy toward Baghdad during the 1980– stander. The United States did not have dip- Tariq Aziz. The State Department notes 88 Iran-Iraq war was Donald H. Rumsfeld, lomatic relations with either Baghdad or Te- show that he mentioned it largely in passing now defense secretary, whose December 1983 heran. U.S. officials had almost as little as one of several matters that ‘‘inhibited’’ meeting with Hussein as a special presi- sympathy for Hussein’s dictatorial brand of U.S. efforts to assist Iraq. dential envoy paved the way for normaliza- Arab nationalism as for the Islamic fun- Rumsfeld has also said he had ‘‘nothing to tion of U.S.-Iraqi relations. Declassified doc- damentalism espoused by Iran’s Ayatollah do’’ with helping Iraq in its war against Iran. uments show that Rumsfeld traveled to Ruhollah Khomeini. As long as the two coun- Although former U.S. officials agree that Baghdad at a time when Iraq was using tries fought their way to a stalemate, no- Rumsfeld was not one of the architects of chemical weapons on an ‘‘almost daily’’ basis body in Washington was disposed to inter- the Reagan administration’s tilt toward in defiance of international conventions. vene. Iraq—he was a private citizen when he was The story of U.S. involvement with Sad- By the summer of 1982, however, the stra- appointed Middle East envoy—the docu- dam Hussein in the years before his 1990 at- tegic picture had changed dramatically. ments show that his visits to Baghdad led to

VerDate Mar 15 2010 22:09 Jan 14, 2014 Jkt 081600 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\2003SENATE\S30JA3.REC S30JA3 mmaher on DSKCGSP4G1 with SOCIALSECURITY January 30, 2003 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1769 closer U.S.-Iraqi cooperation on a wide vari- that can have military and civilian applica- dence that the pesticides were ‘‘highly ety of fronts. Washington was willing to re- tions. According to several former officials, toxic’’ to humans and would cause death sume diplomatic relations immediately, but the State and Commerce departments pro- ‘‘from asphyxiation.’’ Hussein insisted on delaying such a step moted trade in such items as a way to boost The U.S. policy of cultivating Hussein as a until the following year. U.S. exports and acquire political leverage moderate and reasonable Arab leader contin- As part of its opening to Baghdad, the over Hussein. ued right up until he invaded Kuwait in Au- Reagan administration removed Iraq from When United Nations weapons inspectors gust 1990, documents show. When the then- the State Department terrorism list in Feb- were allowed into Iraq after the 1991 Gulf U.S. ambassador to Baghdad, April Glaspie, ruary 1982, despite heated objections from War, they compiled long lists of chemicals, met with Hussein on July 25, 1990, a week be- Congress. Without such a move, Teicher missile components, and computers from fore the Iraqi attack on Kuwait, she assured says, it would have been ‘‘impossible to take American suppliers, including such house- him that Bush ‘‘wanted better and deeper re- even the modest steps we were contem- hold names as Union Carbide and Honeywell, lations,’’ according to an Iraqi transcript of plating’’ to channel assistance to Baghdad. which were being used for military purposes. the conversation. ‘‘President Bush is an in- Iraq—along with Syria, Libya and South A 1994 investigation by the Senate Banking telligent man,’’ the ambassador told Hus- Yemen—was one of four original countries Committee turned up dozens of biological sein, referring to the father of the current on the list, which was first drawn up in 1979. agents shipped to Iraq during the mid-’80s president. ‘‘He is not going to declare an eco- Some former U.S. officials say that remov- under license from the Commerce Depart- nomic war against Iraq.’’ ing Iraq from the terrorism list provided an ment, including various strains of anthrax, ‘‘Everybody was wrong in their assessment incentive to Hussein to expel the Palestinian subsequently identified by the Pentagon as a of Saddam,’’ said Joe Wilson, Glaspie’s guerrilla leader Abu Nidal from Baghdad in key component of the Iraqi biological war- former deputy at the U.S. embassy in Bagh- 1983. On the other hand, Iraq continued to fare program. The Commerce Department dad, and the last U.S. official to meet with play host to alleged terrorists throughout also approved the export of insecticides to Hussein. ‘‘Everybody in the Arab world told the ’80s. The most notable was Abu Abbas, Iraq, despite widespread suspicions that they us that the best way to deal with Saddam leader of the Palestine Liberation Front, were being used for chemical warfare. was to develop a set of economic and com- who found refuge in Baghdad after being ex- The fact that Iraq was using chemical mercial relationships that would have the ef- pelled from Tunis for masterminding the 1985 weapons was hardly a secret. In February fect of moderating his behavior. History will hijacking of the cruise ship Achille Lauro, 1984, an Iraqi military spokesman effectively demonstrate that this was a miscalcula- which resulted in the killing of an elderly acknowledged their use by issuing a chilling tion.’’ American tourist. warning to Iran. ‘‘The invaders should know Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, my While Rumsfeld was talking to Hussein and that for ever harmful insect, there is an in- Aziz in Baghdad, Iraqi diplomats and weap- secticide capable of annihilating it . . . and concern today is not to lay blame for ons merchants were fanning out across West- Iraq possesses this annihilation insecticide.’’ past decisions which now place every ern capitals for a diplomatic charm offen- In late 1987, the began using American family, every American com- sive-cum-arms buying spree. In Washington, chemical agents against Kurdish resistance munity in very real jeopardy from the key figure was the Iraqi charg d’affaires, forces in northern Iraq that had formed a these weapons of mass destruction and Nizar Hamdoon, a fluent English speaker loose alliance with Iran, according to State which now give rise to the clear possi- who impressed Reagan administration offi- Department reports. The attacks, which bility, if not great likelihood, of war in were part of a ‘‘scorched earth’’ strategy to cials as one of the most skillful lobbyists in Iraq with its attendant costs in lives of town. eliminate rebel-controlled villages, provoked ‘‘He arrived with a blue shirt and a white outrage on Capitol Hill and renewed demands combatants and innocent civilians tie, straight out of the mafia,’’ recalled Geof- for sanctions against Iraq. The State Depart- alike. Rather, it is my concern that frey Kemp, a Middle East specialist in the ment and White House were also outraged— this Senate and this Nation clearly un- Reagan White House. ‘‘Within six months, he but not to the point of doing anything that derstand how we arrived at this point was hosting suave dinner parties at his resi- might seriously damage relations with Bagh- so that we might learn from our Na- dence, which he parlayed into a formidable dad. tion’s past tragic mistakes. lobbying effort. He was particularly effective ‘‘The U.S.-Iraqi relationship is . . . impor- As Mr. Michael Dobbs of the Wash- with the American Jewish community.’’ tant to our long-term political and economic One of Hamdoon’s favorite props, says objectives,’’ Assistant Secretary of State ington Post writes: Kemp, was a green Islamic scarf allegedly Richard W. Murphy wrote in a September The story of U.S. involvement with Sad- found on the body of an Iranian soldier. The 1988 memorandum that addressed the chem- dam Hussein in the years before his 1990 at- scarf was decorated with a map of the Middle ical weapons question. ‘‘We believe that eco- tack on Kuwait—which included large-scale East showing a series of arrows pointing to- nomic sanctions will be useless or counter- intelligence sharing, supply of cluster bombs ward Jerusalem. Hamdoon used to ‘‘parade productive to influence the Iraqis.’’ through a Chilean front company, and facili- the scarf’’ to conferences and congressional Bush administration spokesmen have cited tating Iraq’s acquisition of chemical and bio- hearings as proof that an Iranian victory Hussein’s use of chemical weapons ‘‘against logical precursors—is a topical example of over Iraq would result in ‘‘Israel becoming a his own people’’—and particularly the March the underside of U.S. foreign policy. It is a victim along with the Arabs.’’ 1988 attack on the Kurdish village of world in which deals can be struck with dic- According to a sworn court affidavit pre- Halabjah—to bolster their argument that his tators, human rights violations sometimes pared by Teicher in 1995, the United States regime presents a ‘‘grave and gathering dan- overlooked, and accommodations made with ‘‘actively supported the Iraqi war effort by ger’’ to the United States. arms proliferators. . . . supplying the Iraqis with billions of dollars The Iraqis continued to use chemical weap- The United States also provided bil- of credits, by providing military intelligence ons against the Iranians until the end of the lions of dollars in credits to help arm Iran-Iraq war. A U.S. air force intelligence and advice to the Iraqis, and by closely mon- Iraq, ostensibly to assist with its war itoring third country arms sales to Iraq to officer, Rick Francona, reported finding make sure Iraq had the military weaponry widespread use of Iraqi nerve gas when he at that time against Iran. required.’’ Teicher said in the affidavit that toured the Al Faw peninsula in southern Iraq The review of declassified documents former CIA director William Casey used a in the summer of 1988, after its recapture by and interviews with former policy- Chilean company, Cardoen, to supply Iraq the Iraqi army. The battlefield was littered makers: with cluster bombs that could be used to dis- with atropine injectors used by panicky Ira- reveals that the administrations of Ronald rupt the Iranian human wave attacks. nian troops as an antidote against Iraqi Reagan and George H. W. Bush authorized Teicher refuses to discuss the affidavit. nerve gas attacks. the sale to Iraq of numerous items that had At the same time the Reagan administra- Far from declining, the supply of U.S. mili- both military and civilian applications, in- tion was facilitating the supply of weapons tary intelligence to Iraq actually expanded cluding poisonous chemicals and deadly bio- and military components to Baghdad, it was in 1988, according to a 1999 book by Francna, logical viruses, such as anthrax and bubonic attempting to cut off supplies to Iran under ‘‘Ally to Adversary: an Eyewitness Account plague. ‘‘Operation Staunch.’’ Those efforts were of Iraq’s Fall from Grace,’’ Informed sources largely successful, despite the glaring anom- said much of the battlefield intelligence was Anthrax and bubonic plague from the aly of the 1986 Iran-contra scandal when the channeled to the Iraqis by the CIA office in United States to Iraq. White House publicly admitted trading arms Baghdad. The Reagan administration removed Iraq for hostages, in violation of the policy that Altough U.S. export controls to Iraq were from the State Department terrorism list in the United States was trying to impose on tightened up in the late 1980s, thee were still 1982 over the strong objections of Congress. the rest of the world. many loopholes. In December 1988, Dow Despite this delisting, Iraq continued Although U.S. arms manufacturers were Chemical sold $1.5 million of pesticides to throughout the 1980s to harbor terrorists, in- not as deeply involved as German or British Iraq, despite U.S. government concerns that cluding even Abu Abbas, leader of the Pales- companies in selling weaponry to Iraq, the they could be used as chemical warfare tinian Liberation Front. Reagan administration effectively turned a agents. An Export-Import Bank official re- The Reagan administration effectively blind eye to the export of ‘‘dual use’’ items ported in a memorandum that he could find turned a blind eye to the export of dual use such as chemical precursors and steel tubes ‘‘no reason’’ to stop the sale, despite evi- items such as chemical precursors and steel

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When United Nations weap- impossible for our Nation to avoid ters and to show that this drought, the ons inspectors were allowed into Iraq after reaping what is has sown in the past, same as a hurricane, required imme- the 1991 Gulf war, they compiled long lists of but this administration, this Congress diate emergency Federal assistance. chemicals, missile components, and com- Several of my colleagues wore puters from American suppliers. and the American people must be united now in committing never again Drought David ribbons that I distrib- Mr. President, sadly, there is no new to be even a unwitting instrument of uted to them to remind all Senators of precedent in our Government using our chemical, biological or nuclear terror the severe impact of the drought, and I citizens’ tax dollars to finance the pur- in the world. thank those who proudly wore them. chase of weaponry for antidemocratic, I yield the floor. Back home, the newspaper Journal antihuman rights, and unstable foreign The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- Star in Lincoln thought my proposal to nations only to see their short-term ator from Alaska. name the drought was worth asking friendship disappear and to have them readers to submit their suggestions, f become enemies to the United States and many creative suggestions were and the Western World. What is truly EXTENSION OF MORNING submitted but one stood out. shocking here, however, is that the BUSINESS For Shannon Sutherland of Lincoln, very possession of chemical and bio- Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask the drought summons up thoughts of logical weapons of mass destruction, unanimous consent that morning busi- the devil in hell. Among her sugges- which is the justification for a new war ness be extended until the hour of 2 tions was ‘‘The Devil’s Bull’s Eye’’ in in Iraq and which places in jeopardy p.m., with the time equally divided be- reference to the drought maps looking the safety of American families, Amer- tween the majority and minority lead- like a bull’s eye right over Nebraska. ican communities, and American mili- ers or their designees, and that Mem- The Journal Star reported that on Monday. tary personnel, is, in large measure, bers be permitted to speak for up to 10 Shannon Sutherland is absolutely the consequence of decisions made by minutes each. the Reagan and Bush administrations. right. The Drought Monitor maps do The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without resemble a target with Nebraska in the As we speak, tens of thousands of objection, it is so ordered. U.S. gulf war veterans continue to suf- crosshairs, but our neighboring States f fer from exposure to chemical agents share the target, unfortunately. If we go look at this chart, if that is over a decade ago. We in Congress de- NOMINATION OF JOHN SNOW TO not a bull’s eye, I do not know what a bate whether and how to inoculate BE TREASURY SECRETARY bull’s eye would look like. Unfortu- hundreds of thousands, if not millions, Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I come nately, that bull’s eye is right over my of Americans to protect them from bio- to this Chamber to state my support hometown of McCook, NE. As we can logical weapons that their own Govern- for John Snow’s nomination as the see, that area has suffered the worst ment helped create in Iraq. Treasury Secretary. In the 20 years I drought conditions in the State of Ne- It is one thing that our Nation would have known John, I have found him to braska. have provided cluster bombs and con- be honest, capable, and up to the chal- We are not alone. The darkest brown ventional weaponry to Saddam Hus- lenge of heading our Nation’s Treasury is where the worst conditions are being sein—it no doubt seemed important Department. While John and I have not experienced, and even though this dis- and strategically helpful to the purpose always agreed on issues, I have never aster assistance was passed last week of stabilizing the Middle East during found him to be disagreeable. I am con- and is now over in the House, the the 1980’s. But how can members of this fident he will be a valuable member of drought continues. I think we have a Senate look members of our military the President’s Cabinet and will work tendency at times to think when we in the eye—and I include my own son, well with Members of Congress. have passed something, that takes care a sergeant in the 101st Airborne and a As a business leader, a public serv- of it. Well, first, it was inadequate to veteran of Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghani- ant, an academic, John has proven he take care of the past needs, and it cer- stan—and acknowledge that these past has the ability to lead our Nation’s tainly is not going to be adequate to administrations, albeit without con- economic recovery and spur economic take care of the additional needs. gressional knowledge or consent, al- growth. I look forward to working with Yet despite my efforts to raise aware- lowed Iraq to acquire the anthrax, and John on our Nation’s economic chal- ness—and others who have attempted bubonic plague viruses? lenges, and I urge a rapid report and to raise awareness—of this drought, The circumstance our Nation now consideration of his nomination. the Senate still could not manage to faces, from the threats of Iraqi weap- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- provide comprehensive drought assist- ons of mass destruction as well as the ator from Nebraska. ance. I have come today to give my fel- low Senators another opportunity to possibility that these weapons have or f will fall into the hands of Al-Qaida or hear a message I received from one of other non-state terrorist organizations, DROUGHT ‘‘DAVID’’ my constituents, Bill Lueck of Arca- are to a great degree, circumstances of Mr. NELSON of Nebraska. Mr. Presi- dia, NE, in the central part of the our own making. Obviously, no Amer- dent, today I will address a different State. His words came in over the ican administration has ever supported subject than has been addressed this weekend. I spoke to him yesterday. His terrorism against our own people, morning. The Senate recently passed a words are a powerful reminder of how though interfering with Iraq’s use of disaster assistance package consisting the recent drought relief bill fell short. these weapons against many of its own of $3.1 billion to aid those affected by He said: people was apparently not a matter of the worst drought since the Dust Bowl I have some concerns over the current dis- first concern to the U.S. years of the 1930s. Some have referred aster portion of the omnibus appropriations bill. According to the information I got from The lesson should be clear—to the ex- to this package as drought disaster re- the farm bureau, they’re considering 42 per- tent that the U.S. arms the world, it lief. I cannot quite call it drought re- cent of AMTA payments to farmers. In our undertakes a risk that those weapons lief because it does not really provide area here we have irrigated producers who could be used against our own citizens. drought relief. It may provide some haven’t suffered a loss, who are going to get While helping proven democratic allies arid condition relief and some oasis as- an additional payment and in the western to defend themselves will always be a sistance, but I cannot bring myself to part of the State our cattle producers out legitimate role for the U.S., it is hard call it real drought relief, for two rea- here are hanging on by their fingers. I as- sumed when they didn’t consider the $6 bil- to imagine a lesson driven home more sons: No. 1, because $3.1 billion is inad- lion anymore and went to the $3.1 billion for profoundly than we find today that equate. It is not enough. No. 2, it does agriculture disaster aid that would go more arming non-democracies is a much not do enough for farmers and ranchers to livestock producers. We’ve got breeding greater risk, and arming non-democ- who are actually suffering the losses stock on wholesale bull sale that are down racies with weapons of chemical and bi- due to the devastating drought. $1,000 average per bull around here. ological warfare capability is an out- I decided to give the drought a name, To Bill Lueck, I say thank you. I rageous and utterly unacceptable risk and I gave it the name ‘‘David’’ to give could not have said it better myself. I

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