[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 21 (Monday, March 4, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1412-S1414]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                  IRAQ

  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I came to the floor last week to talk 
about Iraq. I indicated that U.S. forces enforcing the no-fly zone 
since 1992 were fired on for the second time this year. Of course, our 
forces responded by destroying an Iraqi air defense group north of 
Baghdad. This is a continuing commitment we have had to enforce a no-
fly zone under the U.N. proclamation over Iraq.
  The inconsistency is that, on one hand, we are enforcing this no-fly 
zone; on the other, we are importing oil from Iraq. Even on September 
11, when the attack on the Trade Centers occurred, we were importing a 
little over 1 million barrels of oil a day from Iraq. Today we import 
some 875,000 barrels. We are enforcing a no-fly zone, putting

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the lives of our men and women at risk, yet we are becoming even more 
dependent on that part of the world for our oil supply.
  As I indicated, this is the second time this year we have bombed 
Iraq, taking out targets. We are off to a troubling start. Last year, 
Iraq shot at U.S. forces enforcing the no-fly zone some 400 times. We 
responded with a like force some 25 times. On one hand, we make a fist 
at Iraq; on the other, we want to take their oil.
  As I indicated, in September there was more than a million 
barrels. This is a point that I think has been lost to some extent, but 
it has not been lost on the brave men and women who enforce this no-fly 
zone each day.

  I would like to read a passage I found in today's National Journal. 
It quoted BG Edward Ellis, Commander, Northern Watch, Combined Task 
Forces. He says very eloquently:

       I know the rules of engagement are sometimes frustrating 
     for my pilots, whose natural reaction when they get shot at 
     is to want to do some leveling, leveling of something. But 
     anyone who thinks that military action shouldn't be governed 
     by political constraints is naive. The political reality is 
     we're not at war with Iraq at this point, and if we reacted 
     harshly, we could force the hand or limit the options of U.S. 
     policymakers who are trying to figure out what to do about 
     Saddam Hussein.
       Having said that, I do think there is merit to the argument 
     that the policy makers might want to address this issue 
     sooner than later, because of the inherent jeopardy of this 
     mission.
       Saddam has put a bounty on our heads.
       The bottom line is, we continue to fly and the Iraqis 
     continue to shoot at us. Nobody should be especially 
     surprised if eventually they happen to hit something.

  That comes from BG Edward Ellis, Commander of the Northern Watch, 
Combined Task Forces.
  Our Nation was built on the premise that statesman and soldier are 
two different professions. But in this instance, I hope my colleagues 
will make a note of the warning of General Ellis from the front lines, 
that perhaps his wisdom will guide us to make the right choices for 
dealing with Iraq and certainly the right choices about our dependence 
on Iraq; that is, to substantially eliminate that dependence and reduce 
our dependence on imported oil through the Mideast.
  I was also struck by a Gallup Poll that came out the other day. It 
was in USA Today and a number of our national periodicals. I am told it 
was the most comprehensive poll on Muslim countries and their views 
with regard to America. They polled people in Pakistan, Indonesia, 
Lebanon, Jordan, Morocco, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. I don't know 
about you, Mr. President, but when I read those results they were 
frightening, and they should give us pause. Residents of these 
countries viewed America unfavorably by a 2-to-1 margin. Some of these 
countries are supposed to be good friends of ours, but their views and 
their people's attitude towards us certainly doesn't show it.
  Friends or not, we get a lot of energy from this area, and I think we 
have become dangerously reliant upon them. Let's look at the numbers: 
61 percent of the residents of those countries, in polling information 
from Gallup, suggest that the Arabs were not responsible for 9-11. In 
other words, those who carried citizenship from those countries, they 
bear no responsibility. Only 18 percent of the people in these 
countries believe that Arabs were even involved in the terrorism that 
took place on September 11.
  In Kuwait, 36 percent said the attacks were justifiable, the highest 
number of any country. That is rather troubling to me because we only 
have to go back to 1992 when we fought a war to keep Saddam Hussein 
from invading Kuwait and going on into Saudi Arabia. Here is Kuwait, 36 
percent of the people say the attacks were justifiable. If it were not 
for our action, Saddam Hussein would be in Saudi Arabia today; he would 
have taken over Kuwait.
  Only 9 percent say U.S. military action in Afghanistan is justified. 
Let me say that again. Only 9 percent, according to the Gallup Poll, 
say U.S. military action is justified even though the people of 
Afghanistan were happy, in our view at least, to throw off the yoke of 
the Taliban and al-Qaida that was strangling them to death, certainly, 
in our opinion, using that country as a clubhouse for gangsters and 
terrorists.
  I am appalled by these figures. I am worried and I think it should 
bother all Members of this body. Why? Because we are too dependent on 
these countries that clearly have a different view of the United 
States. The poll shows the United States has a 16-percent approval 
rating in Saudi Arabia. I hope that irony is not lost, that we also get 
16 percent of our oil from Saudi Arabia.
  What are we going to do about it? The governments of some of these 
countries are friends of ours, but what about the people? The Gallup 
Poll shows that, despite our money, our aid, our support, they either 
don't like us or they don't trust us, or both.
  What really concerns all of us is the manner in which this lack of 
trust, this hatred, is fostered within these countries. We know that 
fundamentalist schools in some of the Muslim countries do not 
necessarily preach democracy. We have heard about these schools, where 
they teach youngsters to hate western ideas, western democracy, and 
especially America. The real concern is they are teaching some of these 
young people who are going to be the leaders of tomorrow. These are 
youngsters who might grow up believing that dying while killing an 
American is a great thing. These are the young people who will not 
forever be satisfied with their government's sending them to schools. 
They will want to take the power themselves from what they learned. As 
we know, children are very impressionable.
  What I am concerned with today is what this leadership could become. 
I am also concerned at the lack, in this body, of a concentrated effort 
to reduce our dependence on oil from that part of the world. We are 
sending money to Saddam Hussein every day for oil--somewhere in the 
area of $15 million every day.
  Our President has taken a strong stance for energy independence, 
against terrorism, recognizing that we can't eliminate that dependence 
but we can reduce it.
  I think the Gallup Poll numbers are so true. I think it is also true 
that we should reflect, at this crucial time, on our relationship with 
Iraq, particularly our knowledge that Saddam Hussein has been able to 
evade the monitoring activities of the United Nations within Iraq, 
particularly recognizing that we have not had any inspectors there 
under the U.N. for nearly 4 years, particularly in view of the fact 
that we have evidence that shows he has a missile capability, a 
delivery capability, and that he may be working towards a biological 
and/or nuclear warhead.
  Where is he aiming? We know Israel is one of the countries within his 
sights. The question is, When do we address and resolve, if you will, 
what this threat might become? Do we initiate, through a mandate, 
inspections that occur immediately? And what kind of reaction can we 
expect from Saddam Hussein? Clearly, the U.N. is unable to do its job, 
but this threat is increasing. It is being fostered by dollars from the 
United States that we pay Saddam Hussein for his oil at the same time 
we are bombing him and taking out his targets. He is using the money to 
keep his Republican Guard alive. He is obviously using the money to 
develop his missile capability.
  The question is, How do we begin to unwind Iraq? What is it going to 
take? Do we wait for an action that costs American lives? This is a 
very sobering question, but I cannot stand in this body and condone our 
continued dependence on oil from a neighbor such as Saddam Hussein.
  I challenge the leader, who has previously given me his assurance 
that we would be able to address in this session an action that would 
be initiated against Iraq, Senate action expressing not only our 
displeasure but setting up the mechanics to ensure that we did not 
purchase any more oil from Saddam Hussein. We can do that, just as we 
initiated action against Iran, from which the United States has not had 
any oil for many years. Basically, what we are talking about is a 
sanction. We have sanctions against Libya. We have sanctions against 
Iran. But I find it very frustrating that we have not gone forth and 
sanctioned Saddam Hussein and oil imports coming to the United States 
from Iraq.

  As I mentioned some time ago, when we had the unanimous consent 
agreement--and the Record will show that the leader allowed me an 
opportunity to bring this matter up at the appropriate time--I will 
again bring this

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matter up with the leader for his consideration. I think the time is 
right to initiate such action of a sanction against oil from Iraq.
  We find ourselves in a situation where not only are we enforcing a 
no-fly zone but we are taking out targets when he attempts to take us 
down, suggesting that it is certainly not in the national interest of 
our Nation to maintain this kind of relationship. I will be calling on 
the majority leader to honor his commitment to me to allow us to take 
up a sanction against Iraq. I suggest we do it as soon as possible.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the order for the 
quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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