[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 20206]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          SAME SONG AND DANCE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DOUG BEREUTER

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 9, 2002

  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, this Member wishes to commend to his 
colleagues an editorial from the October 3, 2002, edition of the 
Lincoln Journal-Star entitled, ``Don't Allow Saddam To Play Games.''
  Saddam has provided no one in the international community with any 
reason to grant him concessions on the terms of a new U.N. weapons 
inspections regime, and yet the United Nations continues to acquiesce 
to Saddam's efforts to block a new weapons inspection regime from 
having unfettered access to possible weapons sites in Iraq. Indeed, the 
United Nation's actions only further erode the institution's 
credibility. When will the U.N. quit allowing itself to be duped by 
Saddam?

                    Don't Allow Saddam To Play Games

       It's not surprising that Saddam Hussein tried to negotiate 
     his way out of surprise inspections at his palaces. But it is 
     surprising how quickly he got his way with United Nations 
     officials.
       And it's even more surprising that U.N. officials would pat 
     themselves on the back for an agreement that granted Saddam 
     such an important concession.
       The United States and the rest of the world cannot afford 
     to allow Saddam to play those sorts of games--again.
       U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell summed it up well. 
     ``We will not be satisfied with Iraqi half-truths or Iraqi 
     compromises, or Iraqi efforts to get us back into the same 
     swamp they took the United Nations into.''
       Access to Saddam eight palaces is crucial because they are 
     large sprawling complexes that cover a combined total of 12 
     square miles. The sites contain sumptuous living quarters 
     with vistas of man-made lakes and waterfalls. Authorities 
     also suspect they contain bunkers, quite possibly military 
     control centers and perhaps laboratories for experimenting or 
     manufacturing nuclear devices and other weapons of mass 
     destruction.
       Before weapons inspectors were pulled out of Iraq, they 
     were permitted to visit the palaces only with advance warning 
     and in the presence of a diplomat. These rules often were 
     stretched so that Iraqis had days to move, conceal or destroy 
     evidence.
       In the last two years during which inspectors were active 
     in Iraq, inspectors were barred entry to more than 60 sites. 
     More than 40 of those sites were Saddam's presidential 
     compounds.
       Despite the constant delays and harassment, inspectors were 
     successful in finding evidence of four nuclear weapons 
     projects and manufacture of high toxic nerve gas VX.
       Their success should have given the United Nations ample 
     reasons to take a strict line with Saddam.
       Ultimately his foot-dragging and posturing paid off. He was 
     able to peel away support on the U.N. Security Council for a 
     tough response on inspections. The temporary suspension of 
     weapons inspections stretched into years.
       It it had not been for the challenge President George W. 
     Bush presented the United Nations earlier this month to force 
     Saddam to live up to its own resolutions, resumption of 
     weapons inspections still would be a forgotten issue.
       It's discouraging that United Nations officials seem to 
     have so quickly forgotten their previous misstep with the 
     crafty dictator.
       The Bush administration is amply justified in taking a hard 
     line against concessions that would permit Saddam to renew 
     his old tactics. The United Nations has been there and done 
     that. This time is member nations need to insist on 
     inspections that truly are unfettered.

     

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