[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 2209-2210]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                  IRAQ

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, I recognize there has been a good deal of 
discussion in the last day or two with respect to Iraq; much of it, of 
course, as a result of the President's State of the Union Message the 
other evening, and, of course, it is a legitimate discussion about 
where we are with respect to Iraq and terrorism.
  I believe the President's message was very complete. I thought he 
spelled out exactly what his plans are and the reasons for them. I 
think he has pursued the proper course over a period of time.
  Certainly, there is no one here who wants to have to go to war. No 
one here wants active military intervention if that can be avoided. On 
the other hand, this is a progressive situation that has to be 
resolved, which started back in 1991, and has not yet been resolved. So 
I think the only legitimate, reasonable course for us is to go through 
all we can to avoid military action, but if we do not get the results 
that need to be had, then that is our alternative.
  I think we have been on the right course. And we are not finished. 
Certainly we are not finished. There is all kinds of evidence that 
things that were promised or ordered to be done have not been done.
  I think one of the things we need to consider is times have changed. 
Times have changed since September 11. Years ago, when there were 
threats of war, what it involved, of course, was tanks and divisions 
landing and all kinds of very obvious military activities. Now the real 
threat is not that, it is terrorism; it is for things that could happen 
in this country similar to what happened on September 11--without all 
that preparation, without all that warning. It just happened in very 
terrible kinds of incidents. So I think in protecting our country, we 
need to understand the situation is quite different than it was.
  There has been a great deal of talk about smoking guns. Frankly, I do 
not believe you need to see a smoking gun if you go back to the 
beginning of this whole enterprise. Go back to 1991, when there was a 
cease-fire arrangement after the gulf war, after Saddam had been driven 
out of the country he had invaded. And there was a legal basis for it. 
There was a cease-fire, an agreement, and a succeeding U.N. resolution 
which was the sound basis for our action in Iraq.
  The Council Resolution 687 was adopted in 1991. At the heart of it 
was a disarmament obligation from Iraq. Then you remember we had 
inspectors there up until 1998. There was very little cooperation 
during all that time, and the evidence they had accumulated then is 
still available. This was all done under international supervision. But 
nothing was completed. There was not success in forcing Saddam to 
disarm. So that is where we are at this time.
  I think the policy we have to take takes into account what should 
have been done, what has not been done--this irresponsible activity on 
the part of Iraq's leadership--and, therefore, we are in the position 
to have to be prepared to do whatever is necessary to make that happen.
  I certainly hope that can happen. And I presume there is going to be 
some more time for inspectors. Hopefully, based now on another U.N. 
resolution, which, of course, was done in November of last year, we can 
put on more pressure to have him comply with that resolution.
  The key to this situation, I hope everyone remembers, is to disarm--
not necessarily to attack, not to go into Iraq if we can get 
disarmament. That, obviously, is the thing we are set up to do.
  I believe we ought to continue to follow the vote we took in the 
Senate. I think it was 77 votes supporting the President to do what he 
has to do.
  Now there are suggestions of having to go back and do that again. I 
do not understand that, frankly. The basis for that vote is still the 
basis for where we are today. The authority there is the authority to 
finish the job that is very

[[Page 2210]]

threatening to everyone and, indeed, must be completed.
  I certainly support the President and his team in terms of trying to 
come to a resolution on this situation, being prepared to do what we 
have to do--hopefully, not having to do it--but to be sure we do 
everything we can to protect Americans, to protect the world, to 
establish the responsibility that countries have with respect to the 
U.N. If we are going to have a U.N., if we are going to have U.N. 
resolutions, then they should be enforced, and they should be expected 
to comply.
  I believe that is where we are. All of us hope for the best and 
continue, I hope, to support the President to do what is necessary to 
protect us from another September 11.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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