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Congressional Record—House H4628 H4628 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE June 21, 2004 The ideology behind this is that Iraq in this last hour. And I appreciate the very important, very important. In the was the key to being able to move into discussion with my colleagues. And if 1990s Osama bin Laden in the Sudan Syria, being able to move into Iran, we have the time, I will be happy to had 13 terrorists training camps around that this is somehow a defense of the yield to them. It seems like we prob- Khartoum. Our intelligence agencies Likud version of what is in Israel’s in- ably will have the time. talked about that. The President and terest. The so-called neoconservatives There is no question, none at all, the NSC knew about that. And at that that are behind this ideological thrust that al-Qaeda and the Saddam Hussein time, we had an attack on the World have wanted this war for years. It is regime and people connected with that Trade Center because Osama bin not hidden. It is not a conspiracy. It is have met on numerous occasions. Laden’s minions tried to bring it down. not some kind of subterfuge. It is an There is no question that in May of That was in 1993. In 1996, we had the at- announced policy and possession philo- 2002, Zarqawi, one of the top lieuten- tack that killed a lot of Americans in sophically they have had for years. ants the senior al-Qaeda with bin Khobar Towers. In 1998, we had the at- The sad part is after Mr. Bush be- Laden was in Baghdad for medical tack on the embassies in Athens, came President, was appointed Presi- treatment. And Uday Hussein provided Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam and dent, they came into the forefront in that. There have been numerous occa- Tanzania, all of those in 1998 by al- terms of their appointments in the De- sions that they have been together. Qaeda connections. And then in 2000, fense Department where they were able Now, the question was Osama bin we had the attack that killed a lot of to bring their philosophy forward. That Laden went to Saudi Arabia and he our sailors on the USS Cole. We knew is what is driving this. That is what said we have got to get rid of this guy that Saddam Hussein was behind that. the President has to face up to. This is up there, Saddam Hussein, because he We knew he was in the Sudan. We knew where his difficulty is. does not follow the hard-core Muslim there were 13 terrorist training camps Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, I line. The fact is Winston Churchill, and and the previous administration did know we have very limited time left. I hate to go back in history, but he de- nothing. But I think before we go we should cided to work with Joe Stalin, a com- Now we go to September 11, 2001. And wish a happy birthday to our friend and munist tyrant who killed 50 million of the President had an attack on the colleague from Indiana (Mr. BURTON), his own countrymen. They asked World Trade Center, against a second because it is his 45th birthday today, is Churchill, ‘‘Why in the world are you one. We did not do anything about the that correct? working with Stalin?’’ He said, ‘‘I first one. We did not go after Osama Mr. BURTON of Indiana. 29. would go to bed with the devil in order Mr. DELAHUNT. 29th birthday bin Laden then but we waited. Then to beat Adolph Hitler.’’ today, I think this has been a very they brought down the World Trade Osama bin Laden calls us the big good discussion. We really do welcome Center, both towers. devil and I believe Osama bin Laden And the President said we are going this conversation with my colleague. was willing to work with Saddam Hus- after the terrorists worldwide, no mat- He knows we have respect. Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speak- sein, who is one of the powerhouses in ter where they are hiding. We are going er, I hope we have more of these. the Middle East, to do everything he after them if they are in the Sudan. We Mr. DELAHUNT. I hope we do, too. I could to destroy Western civilization are going after them if they are in Af- would issue a challenge to my friend and the United States. ghanistan. We are going after them because he and I have traveled together Now, we do not know what went on under every rock they are hiding. And and it is an experience, and it is a very in all these meetings. But we do know we are going to do it also in Iraq be- positive experience, but there are peo- that Osama bin Laden and his minions cause we believe Saddam Hussein is ple that are in the custody of the exec- did talk to and work with Saddam Hus- working with al-Qaeda. He had connec- utive branch, those so-called senior in- sein’s people. tions with al-Qaeda. His son worked telligence Iraqi agents, that contin- Now, do you err on the side of safety with al-Qaeda. ually deny any knowledge whatsoever or do you not? We knew that Saddam And they had weapons of mass de- of Iraq or meeting the gentleman that Hussein had weapons of mass destruc- struction because we knew they had allegedly met with Mohammed Atta in tion. He killed thousands, tens of thou- used them before and the President was Prague in the Czech Republic, is in our sands of Kurds with mustard gas. We told by intelligence agencies that they custody. found weapons just recently that had were there. Quite frankly, I still be- Let us challenge together the execu- sarin gas in them. Just recently our lieve there were weapons of mass de- tive branch and my colleague, myself, troops found those. He had a nuclear struction. It is the size of California. and anyone else who wishes to join us, facility that was bombed by the And I believe that we will find more. go together and exercise the oversight Israelis in 1981. So he was trying to de- And many of them may have been sent responsibility and function of this Con- velop a nuclear facility. to Syria. Everybody is concerned about gress and interview Mr. Al-Ani and Now, for anybody to believe that he that because Syria is a very close ally make that decision ourselves and come just threw that stuff out of the window and was of Saddam Hussein. back and report to the American peo- when he hates the West so much and he But the fact of the matter is do you ple. was negotiating and talking with err on the side of safety? Do you go Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda, I think after the terrorists before they attack f they are just blowing smoke. Now, the or do you wait until they attack and IRAQ President said we have got to go after say oh, we need probable cause. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. the terrorists. He did not go after Sad- When we passed the PATRIOT Act, GERLACH). Under the Speaker’s an- dam Hussein first, he went after the this is a side issue, we had a lot of col- nounced policy of January 7, 2003, the Taliban that we knew was working leagues from the other side of the aisle gentleman from Indiana (Mr. BURTON) with Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. say oh, my gosh, what about civil is recognized for 60 minutes as the des- And he did a pretty good job of it. rights? What about Constitutional ignee of the majority leader. And then he said there is the threat rights? The problem is when one is in a GENERAL LEAVE of weapons of mass destruction, they world war against terrorists, one can- Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speak- have been used in the past. He had in- not wait until they blow something up er, I ask unanimous consent that all telligence information that indicated and kill 10 or 15,000 people or more. One Members may have 5 legislative days there were weapons of mass destruc- tries to preempt them. within which to revise and extend their tion and he decided to go after Saddam The PATRIOT Act allowed us to hold remarks related to this special order. Hussein. And all of us in this chamber people while we investigated whether The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there when he did it said that is the right or not they were going to perpetrate a objection to the request of the gen- thing to do. terrorist attack. If we did that, we tleman from Indiana? Now, of course, everybody is second might head it off. That is why we cre- There was no objection. guessing. ated Homeland Security, which my Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speak- I think it is important to go back in committee wrote a great deal of it, and er, let me just pick up where we left off history a little bit because history is I think the gentleman, I do not know if VerDate May 21 2004 03:45 Jun 22, 2004 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00046 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K21JN7.073 H21PT1 June 21, 2004 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H4629 he worked on that or not, but we Mr.
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