[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 161 (Monday, December 15, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2414-E2415]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     SENSE OF HOUSE REGARDING IRAQ

                                 ______
                                 



                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 13, 1997

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, the House of Representatives late today 
approved House Resolution 322, which places this body on record in 
favor of using force against Iraq if that is necessary in order to 
compel Iraq to comply with U.N. Security Council resolutions which call 
for the elimination of Iraq's capability to produce nuclear, chemical, 
or biological weapons and missiles capable of delivering

[[Page E2415]]

such weapons. While my resolution specifies that efforts should be made 
to resolve the problems peacefully through diplomatic means, it makes 
clear that if such efforts fail, the Congress supports the use of 
military force.
  The bottom line, Mr. Speaker, is that we must be certain that we 
eliminate Saddam Hussein's ability to produce weapons of mass 
destruction and the missiles which deliver them. Our resolution makes 
that objective clear. If we can do that peacefully through active 
diplomacy, that clearly is the course we should take. If diplomacy 
fails, however, we should use force--through multilateral cooperation 
with our allies, if that can be done, but unilaterally if that is our 
only remaining option.
  The purpose of this resolution is to make it completely clear and 
unequivocal to Saddam Hussein and his government that the Congress 
supports the use of military force if that is required. There must be 
no doubt about the importance of continuing inspections as called for 
under U.N. Security Council decisions, and there must be no doubt about 
the resolve of the U.S. Government and of the support of the American 
people to take military action if that should become necessary.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Speaker, the majority leader, and 
the minority leader for their support and assistance in the adoption of 
this resolution. I also want to thank my friend and colleague from New 
York, the distinguished chairman of the International Relations 
Committee, Mr. Gilman, for joining me as the principal cosponsor of 
this resolution and for his bringing this resolution before the 
International Relations Committee earlier this morning. I also want to 
thank my friend and colleague from Indiana, the distinguished ranking 
Democratic member of the International Relations Committee, Mr. 
Hamilton, for his strong support of the resolution and for joining as a 
cosponsor.
  Mr. Speaker, also joining as cosponsors of this resolution are a 
number of our colleagues: Mr. Goss of Florida, the chairman of the 
Select Committee on Intelligence, Mr. Yates, Mr.  Hunter, Mr. Skelton, 
Mr. Sisisky, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Spratt, Mr. 
Horn, Mr. King of New York, Mr. Wexler, Mr. Rothman, Mr. Sherman, Mr. 
Faleomavaega, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Foley, and Mr. Waxman.
  The text of our resolution as it was adopted here in the House is as 
follows:

                              H. Res. 322

       Expressing the sense of the House that the United States 
     should act to resolve this crisis with Iraq in a manner that 
     assures full Iraqi compliance with United Nations Security 
     Council resolutions regarding the destruction of Iraq's 
     capability to produce and deliver weapons of mass 
     destruction, and that peaceful and diplomatic efforts should 
     be pursued, but that is such efforts fail, multilateral 
     military action or unilateral United States military action 
     should be taken.
       Whereas at the conclusion of the Gulf War the United States 
     and the United Nations, acting through the Security Council, 
     determined to find and destroy all of Iraq's capability to 
     produce chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons and its 
     ability to produce missiles capable of delivering such 
     weapons of mass destruction;
       Whereas in pursuit of this goal, the United Nations set up 
     a special multinational commission of experts to oversee the 
     completion of this task (the United Nations Special 
     Commission--UNSCOM), and that task could and should have been 
     accomplished within a matter of months if Iraq had cooperated 
     with United Nations officials;
       Whereas sanctions were imposed upon Iraq to insure its 
     compliance with United Nations directives to eliminate its 
     capability to produce weapons of mass destruction;
       Whereas for 6\1/2\ years Iraq has pursued a policy of 
     deception, lies, concealment, harassment, and intimidation in 
     a deliberate effort to hamper the work of UNSCOM in 
     eliminating Iraq's ability to produce and deliver weapons of 
     mass destruction; and
       Whereas recently the Government of Iraq has escalated its 
     policy of noncompliance and continues to breach in a material 
     way United Nations Security Council resolutions by refusing 
     to permit United States citizens who are recognized 
     specialists to participate as members of UNSCOM teams in 
     carrying out in Iraq actions to implement Security Council 
     resolutions: Now therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of 
     Representatives that--
       (1) the current crisis regarding Iraq should be resolved 
     peacefully through diplomatic means but in a manner which 
     assures full Iraqi compliance with United Nations Security 
     Council resolutions regarding the destruction of Iraq's 
     capability to produce and deliver weapons of mass 
     destruction;
       (2) in the event that military means are necessary to 
     compel Iraqi compliance with United Nations Security Council 
     resolutions, such military action should be undertaken with 
     the broadest feasible multinational support, preferably 
     pursuant to a decision of the United Nations Security 
     Council; and
       (3) if it is necessary, however, the United States should 
     take military action unilaterally to compel Iraqi compliance 
     with United Nations Security Council resolutions.

     

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