[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 11 (Thursday, February 12, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H492]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       ACHIEVING OUR GOAL IN IRAQ

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, we are being warned of possible 
military action against the Government of Iraq, and I remember well the 
last time, or should I say the first time, because there have probably 
been some other military actions against Iraq in the meantime, but back 
in 1990 when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, and so began our special 
relationship with the people of Kuwait, let us note that after hundreds 
of thousands of Americans have spent time in the Persian Gulf and after 
our Nation has put its entire prestige on the line that we cannot 
permit Saddam Hussein now to reverse what we won back in 1990 and 1991.
  If we do that, if we permit Saddam Hussein to, for example, conduct a 
successful lightening strike against Kuwait, against the people of 
Kuwait, or if we permit Saddam Hussein to blatantly stockpile weapons 
of mass destruction, the United States will lose any ability to 
influence events anywhere in the world. No petty tyrant or no people 
seeking freedom or no opponent or adversary or friend will trust our 
word again, because even Saddam Hussein has made a laughing stock of 
the United States of America.
  So, first and foremost, let us recognize there is a special 
relationship with the people of Kuwait that for the rest of our lives 
we will have, because if that war is reversed, America will lose its 
ability to determine events around the world, and Americans, when we 
lose this power as the leading power of the world, we will pay a dear 
price.
  But I hope, if military action does take place, that we do not make 
the mistake that we made last time. Hundreds of thousands of people, or 
upwards to 200,000 Kuwaitis were killed during the last war. Saddam 
Hussein managed to escape. And I remember during the planning phases of 
the last war I said to Dick Cheney and Colin Powell personally that 
they would have my support because American troops were in harm's way, 
and I would support them in that effort to protect the lives of 
Americans and to make sure it was a successful mission. But as I told 
them at that time, when this is over, make sure Saddam Hussein is dead.
  And I hope that if have to take further military actions against the 
people of Iraq that we do not waste our weaponry on ordinary citizens, 
on people who probably like the United States of America; and I hope 
that our goal is not simply containing Saddam Hussein or punishing him. 
Our goal should be the overthrow and elimination, one way or the other, 
of Saddam Hussein.
  First and foremost, if we are willing to commit our military to that 
part of the world, we should at least be able to declare this man a war 
criminal. After all, he was an environmental criminal, an eco-criminal, 
for what he did to the environment, the destruction of the oil wells 
and the seas and the other pollution that he caused back then, not to 
mention the hundreds of thousands of lives that he caused to die, the 
people he caused to die because of his aggression. And if he commits 
other acts of aggression and does not go along with the agreement, we 
should make sure that we declare him a war criminal and that the goal 
of our action is not punishing the Iraqi people, but working with the 
Iraqi people in order to help them establish a government that is 
responsive to their will.
  Who knows if it would be an absolute democracy or not, but if the 
people of Iraq who live under the oppression of Saddam Hussein had the 
ability to direct their own government, there would be no problem 
because they would not risk the lives of hundreds of thousands of their 
family in order to make a point of the way a dictator, the way a brutal 
egotistical dictator like Saddam Hussein does.

  As I say, we are tied to the people of Kuwait because the people of 
Kuwait now, having saved them once, if we permit them again to be taken 
over by this tyrant, not only will be lose those people, but we will 
lose our ability to maintain peace throughout the world, a dreadful 
price that we cannot afford to pay.
  So I wish the President of the United States guidance from God and 
support from the United States Congress, as much as this Congressman 
can do to make sure that we are doing the right thing, only this time I 
would hope the President of the United States, unlike George Bush, does 
the job right and completes the job before bringing our troops home. 
And I would hope that hundreds of thousands of troops do not need to be 
sent there, but instead, this could be handled in a better way than 
that perhaps.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pitts). The time of the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Rohrabacher) has expired.
  Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, I would ask unanimous consent for 2 
more minutes.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair cannot entertain an extension of 
time during a 5-minute special order period.
  Mr. ROHRABACHER. Appealing the ruling of the Chair, Mr. Speaker, the 
Chair on many occasions has extended unanimous consent for an extension 
of 2 minutes.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. It is a question of recognition. A 5-minute 
special order may not be extended.
  Mr. ROHRABACHER. Yes, that is correct. But last night I was given a 
5-minute unanimous-consent request.

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