[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 118 (Tuesday, September 3, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S9683]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          THE CONFLICT IN IRAQ

  Mr. GRAMM. Mr. President, I have always tried to make it a matter of 
policy to be supportive of the President on international and military 
affairs whenever possible. I think each of us in the Senate owe it to 
the President to give him the benefit of the doubt on military matters. 
Certainly we owe it to those in uniform to be supportive of them when 
they are in harm's way.
  I believe that given the conflict among the warring Kurdish factions 
in the northern part of Iraq and the instability there that the 
President's actions can be justified both to send a warning to Saddam 
Hussein and to destroy the air defense capability in the southern part 
of the country so that we might extend the no-fly zone.
  But, having said that, Mr. President, let me make it very clear that 
while giving the President the benefit of the doubt I can support the 
actions he has taken in firing 27 cruise missiles and destroying air 
defense capacity in expanding the no-fly zone, and while I certainly 
support our military forces in the region, if we look at the 
fundamental conflict, it is a conflict between two warring Kurdish 
factions--one backed by Iraq and one backed by Iran, and we do not have 
a dog in that fight.
  If this conflict escalates, if this becomes a conflict between Iran 
and Iraq, I think the President would be poorly advised in becoming 
involved in that conflict and I would not and could not support such an 
involvement.

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