[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 24282]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                  CONSULTING ON U.S.S. ``COLE'' ACTION

  Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, many on the Senate Armed Services 
Committee have been quite distressed over some of the uncertainties, 
some of the things that happened in conjunction with the tragedy of the 
U.S.S. Cole. Even though it is a delicate thing to talk about, there 
are people still around who believe that the President took some 
actions, such as sending the cruise missiles into Afghanistan and the 
cruise missiles into Sudan, without consultation with the Joint Chiefs 
of Staff, without consultation with the Intelligence Committee, the 
Senate Armed Services Committee, the House Armed Services Committee, 
something that was done and nobody knew it was going to happen. There 
are a lot of people who believe that might have been politically 
motivated.
  I think it is very appropriate tonight to urge the President that if 
something should happen that we would have to take some kind of action 
in the next few days, in that there are only 13 days until a national 
election, make sure there are no suspicions out there. I want to get on 
record urging the President to work closely on any proposed action that 
could take place as a result of the U.S.S. Cole tragedy, to work 
closely on the matter, in full consultation with all members of the 
Joint Chiefs of Staff, with the top service commanders in chief, as 
well as the members of both the Senate Armed Services Committee, the 
House Armed Services Committee, and the Intelligence Committees. By 
doing this, we could preclude any types of suspicions, allowing us to 
participate in what would have to be a major decision.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio.

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