[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 18867]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                  IRAQ

  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, it has been interesting, today, to listen 
to some of the discussion on the floor of the Senate about the economy. 
The reason it has been interesting is there is not a great deal of 
discussion these days about the economy. Most of the discussion here in 
Congress especially, and on the front pages of America's newspapers, 
has been about the subject of Iraq and national security.
  That is important. There is no question about that. The issues of 
service, duty, honor, patriotism, national security--all of those 
issues are deadly serious business for our country. When we talk about 
sending America's sons and daughters to war, that is deadly serious 
business, and the Constitution has something to say about it. The 
Constitution provides that the Congress shall make that decision.
  Let me just say, on these issues--I am going to speak about the 
economy, but I have been troubled lately by some of the things I have 
read about national security, especially about a new doctrine that is 
being developed, or has been developed, and announced by some, talking 
about preemptive strikes--that our country has a right to preemptively 
strike a potential adversary. That has never been this country's 
approach to dealing with international affairs.
  I think about this notion of preemptive strikes, and I think about 
how we might feel, as a country, if some other countries in the world 
said to us: Oh, by the way, we have a new policy. Our policy is: 
preemptive strikes on neighboring countries that we worry might very 
well threaten our national security interests.
  We need to have a long, thoughtful, and sober discussion about that 
kind of policy change. And I expect we will do that.
  First, however, we will debate a resolution on Iraq here in the 
Senate beginning this week. Again, as I indicated, that is a very 
serious business. My hope is that our country will speak with one voice 
on these issues, we will work through it, and then speak with one 
voice. And my hope is that voice will be a voice that says: It is best 
always, to the extent we can, especially dealing with a problem like 
this, to confront the country of Iraq with, if necessary, coercive and 
by-force inspections in Iraq, to rid that country of any weapons of 
mass destruction they have, and do so with coalition partners, other 
countries around the world, that are willing to, and that should, 
assume that burden with us. But that is for another time, and I will 
speak another day on that subject.

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