[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 27 (Thursday, February 13, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2500-S2502]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   WELCOMING SUPPORT OF EUROPEAN NATIONS FOR THE ENFORCEMENT OF U.N. 
                    SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1441

  Mr. FRIST. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Foreign 
Relations Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Con. 
Res. 4 and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will state the concurrent resolution 
by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 4) welcoming the 
     expression of support of 18 European nations for the 
     enforcement of United Nations Security Council Resolution 
     1441.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution.
  Mr. McCAIN. Madam President, after leading the U.S. congressional 
delegation to the Munich Conference on Security Policy last weekend, 
Senator Lieberman and I introduced this resolution to thank 18 
Europeans for standing with us in demanding that Security Council 
resolutions against Iraq be enforced. Contrary to what you may read in 
the press, and despite shrill objections from Paris and Berlin, most 
European governments believe Iraq must be held to account for its 
defiance of Security Council Resolution 1441. France and Germany are 
isolated within Europe in their approach to enforcing, or in their case 
failing to enforce, Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq.
  Recent actions by Paris and Berlin in the most important 
international fora--the Security Council, the North Atlantic Council, 
and the European Union--raise serious doubts among nations on both 
sides of the Atlantic about their commitment to multilateral diplomacy 
and cause real damage to those institutions.
  The French and German objection, for reasons of calculated self-
interest--a very flawed calculation, I fear--to a routine request to 
the North Atlantic Council to upgrade Turkey's defenses

[[Page S2501]]

against the military threat from Iraq was a terrible injury to an 
Alliance that has served their broader interests well. For over three 
weeks, the United States, with fourteen of our eighteen European allies 
in the North Atlantic Council, has supported this necessary action, but 
has confronted a new unilateralism conceived in Paris and Berlin, a 
unilateralism that exposed the sneering in those capitals about the 
impulsive cowboy in the White House for the vacuous posturing and 
obvious misdirection it is.
  Whatever NATO decides, Franco-German unilateralism will have a 
lasting impact on trans-Atlantic security calculations. If this 
minority French-German obstruction is not overcome, France and Germany 
will have to answer to those who argue that Iraq could be to NATO what 
Abyssinia was to the League of Nations.
  The United Nations Security Council risks that same fate should it 
fail to hold Iraq accountable for its defiance. Patient American and 
British diplomacy at the U.N. delivered a unanimous vote in favor of 
Council Resolution 1441. France played a key role in negotiating the 
resolution and knew what they were voting for, Germany was fully aware 
of the debate as it prepared to assume the Council presidency in 
January. Americans, and many Europeans, were therefore astonished when 
France and Germany announced in advance of further consideration of the 
problem of Iraq that under no circumstances would they support 
enforcing the resolution's terms against Iraq.
  The behavior of France and Germany has set back European unity and 
created a divided front that makes Iraq's peaceful disarmament less 
likely. Nations across Europe that have recently expressed a different 
view of multilateral obligations, including some of our oldest allies 
and our newest friends, expose the myth that France and Germany speak 
for Europe.
  The majority of Europe's democracies have spoken, and their message 
could not be clearer. Most European governments support the Security 
Council's clear mandate to require Iraq's full disarmament and do not 
shrink from the grave responsibilities such a commitment entails. Most 
European government understand clearly that if the Security Council 
fails to enforce its demands of Iraq, the Council risks impotence and 
irrelevance. In short, most European governments behave like allies 
that are willing to meet their responsibilities to uphold international 
peace and security in defense of our common values.

  As the foreign ministers of Romania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, 
Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Albania, and Macedonia have 
declared, ``the clear and present danger posed by Saddam Hussein's 
regime requires a united response from the community of democracies. We 
call upon the U.N. Security Council to take the necessary and 
appropriate action in response to Iraq's continuing threat to 
international peace and security.''
  As the leaders of Britain, Spain, Italy, Poland, Hungary, the Czech 
Republic, Denmark, and Portugal have written, ``Resolution 1441 is 
Saddam Hussein's last chance to disarm using peaceful means. The 
opportunity to avoid greater confrontation rests with him. . . . [T]he 
Security Council must maintain its credibility by ensuring full 
compliance with its resolutions. We cannot allow a dictator to 
systematically violate those resolutions. If they are not complied 
with, the Security Council will lose its credibility and world peace 
will suffer as a result.''
  We thank this European majority for standing with us.
  I ask unanimous consent that two pieces of supporting material be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                            United We Stand

       The real bond between the U.S. and Europe is the values we 
     share: democracy, individual freedom, human rights and the 
     rule of law. These values crossed the Atlantic with those who 
     sailed from Europe to help create the United States of 
     America. Today they are under greater threat than ever.
  The attacks of Sept. 11 showed just how far terrorists--the enemies 
of our common values--are prepared to go to destroy them. Those 
outrages were an attack on all of us. In standing firm in defense off 
these principles, the governments and people of the U.S. and Europe 
have amply demonstrated the strength of their convictions. Today more 
than ever, the trans-Atlantic bond is a guarantee of our freedom.
       We in Europe have a relationship with the U.S. which has 
     stood the test of time. Thanks in large part to American 
     bravery, generosity and farsightedness, Europe was set free 
     from the two forms of tyranny that devastated our continent 
     in the 20th century: Nazism and communism. Thanks, too, to 
     the continued cooperation between Europe and the U.S. we have 
     managed to guarantee peace and freedom on our continent. The 
     trans-Atlantic relationship must not become a casualty of the 
     current Iraqi regime's persistent attempts to threaten world 
     security.
       In today's world, more than ever before, it is vital that 
     we preserve that unity and cohesion. We know that success in 
     the day-to-day battle against terrorism and the proliferation 
     of weapons of mass destruction demands unwavering 
     determination and firm international cohesion on the part of 
     all countries for whom freedom is precious.
       The Iraqi regime and its weapons of mass destruction 
     represent a clear threat to world security. This danger has 
     been explicitly recognized by the U.N. All of us are bound by 
     Security Council Resolution 1441, which was adopted 
     unanimously. We Europeans have since reiterated our backing 
     for Resolution 1441, our wish to pursue the U.N. route, and 
     our support for the Secretary Council at the Prague NATO 
     Summit and the Copenhagen European Council.
       In doing so, we sent a clear, firm and unequivocal message 
     that we would rid the world of the danger posed by Saddam 
     Hussein's weapons of mass destruction. We must remain united 
     in insisting that his regime be disarmed. The solidarity, 
     cohesion and determination of the international community are 
     our best hope of achieving this peacefully. Our strength lies 
     in unity.
       The combination of weapons of mass destruction and 
     terrorism is a threat of incalculable consequences. It is one 
     at which all of us should feel concerned. Resolution 1441 is 
     Saddam Hussein's last chance to disarm using peaceful means. 
     The opportunity to avoid greater confrontation rests with 
     him. Sadly this week the U.N. weapons inspectors have 
     confirmed that his long-established pattern of deception, 
     denial and noncompliance with U.N. Security Council 
     resolutions is continuing.
       Europe has no quarrel with the Iraqi people. Indeed, they 
     are the first victims of Iraq's current brutal regime. Our 
     goal is to safeguard world peace and security by ensuring 
     that this regime gives up its weapons of mass destruction. 
     Our governments have a common responsibility to face this 
     threat. Failure to do so would be nothing less than negligent 
     to our own citizens and to the wider world.
       The U.N. Charter charges the Security Council with the task 
     of preserving international peace and security. To do so, the 
     Security Council must maintain its credibility by ensuring 
     full compliance with its resolutions. We cannot allow a 
     dictator to systematically violate those resolutions. If they 
     are not complied with, the Security Council will lose its 
     credibility and world peace will suffer as a result. We are 
     confident that the Security Council will face up to its 
     responsibilities.
                                  ____


                Statement of the Vilnius Group Countries

       Earlier today, the United States presented compelling 
     evidence to the United Nations Security Council detailing 
     Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs, its active 
     efforts to deceive UN inspectors, and its links to 
     international terrorism.
       Our countries understand the dangers posed by tyranny and 
     the special responsibility of democracies to defend our 
     shared values. The trans-Atlantic community, of which we are 
     a part, must stand together to face the threat posed by the 
     nexus of terrorism and dictators with weapons of mass 
     destruction.
       We have actively supported the international efforts to 
     achieve a peaceful disarmament of Iraq. However, it has now 
     become clear that Iraq is in material breach of U.N. Security 
     Council Resolutions, including U.S. Resolution 1441, passed 
     unanimously on November 8, 2002. As our governments said on 
     the occasion of the NATO Summit in Prague: ``We support the 
     goal of the international community for full disarmament of 
     Iraq as stipulated in the U.N. Security Council Resolution 
     1441. In the event of non-compliance with the terms of this 
     resolution, we are prepared to contribute to an international 
     coalition to enforce its provisions and the disarmament of 
     Iraq.''
       The clear and present danger posed by the Saddam Hussein's 
     regime requires a united response from the community of 
     democracies. We call upon the U.N. Security Council to take 
     the necessary and appropriate action in response to Iraq's 
     continuing threat to international peace and security.

  Mr. FRIST. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
concurrent resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the 
motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements 
relating to this matter be printed in the Record as if read.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

[[Page S2502]]

  The concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 4) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The concurrent resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                             S. Con. Res. 4

       Whereas on November 8, 2002, the United Nations Security 
     Council approved Security Council Resolution 1441 under 
     Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter by a vote of 15-0, 
     giving Iraq ``a final opportunity to comply with its 
     disarmament obligations'';
       Whereas on November 21, 2002, the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization's North Atlantic Council unanimously approved a 
     declaration stating, ``We deplore Iraq's failure to comply 
     fully with its obligations which were imposed as a necessary 
     step to restore international peace and security and we 
     recall that the Security Council has decided in its 
     resolution to afford Iraq a final opportunity to comply with 
     its disarmament obligations under relevant resolutions of the 
     Council.'';
       Whereas the North Atlantic Council stated, ``NATO Allies 
     stand united in their commitment to take effective action to 
     assist and support the efforts of the United Nations to 
     ensure full and immediate compliance by Iraq, without 
     conditions or restrictions, with United Nations Security 
     Council Resolution 1441. We recall that the Security Council 
     in this resolution has warned Iraq that it will face serious 
     consequences as a result of its continued violation of its 
     obligations.'';
       Whereas, on January 30, 2003, the Prime Ministers of 
     Denmark, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and the 
     United Kingdom, and the President of the Czech Republic 
     (``The Eight''), issued a declaration regarding Security 
     Council Resolution 1441;
       Whereas in their declaration, The Eight stated, ``The 
     transatlantic relationship must not become a casualty of the 
     current Iraqi regime's persistent attempts to threaten world 
     security. . . . The Iraqi regime and its weapons of mass 
     destruction represent a clear threat to world security. This 
     danger has been explicitly recognized by the United Nations. 
     All of us are bound by Security Council Resolution 1441, 
     which was adopted unanimously.'';
       Whereas The Eight stated, ``Resolution 1441 is Saddam 
     Hussein's last chance to disarm using peaceful means. The 
     opportunity to avoid greater confrontation rests with him. . 
     . . Our governments have a common responsibility to face this 
     threat. . . . [T]he Security Council must maintain its 
     credibility by ensuring full compliance with its resolutions. 
     We cannot allow a dictator to systematically violate those 
     resolutions. If they are not complied with, the Security 
     Council will lose its credibility and world peace will suffer 
     as a result.'';
       Whereas on February 5, 2003, the Foreign Ministers of 
     Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, 
     Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia (``The Ten'') 
     issued a declaration regarding Security Council Resolution 
     1441;
       Whereas in their declaration, The Ten stated, ``[T]he 
     United States [has] presented compelling evidence to the 
     United Nations Security Council detailing Iraq's weapons of 
     mass destruction programs, its active efforts to deceive 
     United Nations inspectors, and its links to international 
     terrorism. . . . The transatlantic community, of which we are 
     a part, must stand together to face the threat posed by the 
     nexus of terrorism and dictators with weapons of mass 
     destruction.''; and
       Whereas The Ten stated, ``[I]t has now become clear that 
     Iraq is in material breach of United Nations Security Council 
     resolutions, including United Nations Resolution 1441. . . . 
     The clear and present danger posed by Saddam Hussein's regime 
     requires a united response from the community of democracies. 
     We call upon the United Nations Security Council to take the 
     necessary and appropriate action in response to Iraq's 
     continuing threat to international peace and security.'': 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress welcomes--
       (1) the expression of support from Albania, Bulgaria, 
     Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, 
     Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, 
     Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and the United Kingdom 
     for Iraq's full compliance with Security Council Resolution 
     1441; and
       (2) their expression of solidarity with the United States 
     in calling for the demands of the Security Council to be met 
     with regard to Iraq's full disarmament.

                          ____________________