| U.S. Prepares for War With Iraq As NATO and the U.N. Balk |
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Resolution on Iraq Passes House of Representatives
WASHINGTON -- Warning that the United States and its allies must "act now or pay later," South Carolina Third District Rep. Lindsey Graham (R-Seneca) today said he was pleased the House of Representative passed his resolution calling for the reintroduction of weapons inspectors in Iraq.
The vote was 392-12. All six members of the South Carolina delegation supported the Resolution which will now be sent to the Senate. If the Resolution passes the Senate, it will be sent to President Bush for approval.
"As a state sponsor of terrorism, Iraq is in a special category of nations who must be viewed with deep suspicion and concern," said Graham, a member of the House Armed Services Committee. "In light of September 11, Saddam Hussein's refusal to allow monitoring of his weapons program has taken on even greater importance.
The Resolution was prompted by the growing threat to international peace and security posed by Saddam Hussein's refusal to comply with the terms of the cease-fire agreement ending the Persian Gulf War. The terms of the cease-fire were incorporated into United Nation's Security Council Resolution 687.
Iraq remains in breech of its international obligations since banning virtually all weapons inspections in October 1998.
"Weapons inspectors need immediate, unconditional and unrestricted access to facilities, equipment, and records in Iraq," said Graham. "There is overwhelming evidence Saddam Hussein continues full speed ahead in his quest to obtain weapons of mass destruction."
"Without inspections and oversight from the United States and international community, Iraq will eventually acquire these capabilities," said Graham. "For the security of the United States and our allies, we must not allow that to happen."
"Iraq has been operating its weapons program in the shadows," concluded Graham. "If that continues, it should be viewed as an act of aggression towards the United States, our friends, allies, and world peace."
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. J. RES. 75
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 20 (legislative day, DECEMBER 18), 2001
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
JOINT RESOLUTION
Regarding inspection and monitoring to prevent the development of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
Whereas the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein engaged the Islamic Republic of Iran, a nation of more than 55,000,000 Muslims, in a 10-year war, during which Saddam Hussein used chemical weapons against Iran and his own people;
Whereas Saddam Hussein has pursued a policy of ethnic cleansing against the Kurdish people, killing 5,000 Kurdish civilians with a chemical attack on March 16, 1988, and an estimated 50,000 to 182,000 in the forced relocation of Kurdish civilians in 1988;
Whereas on August 2, 1990, Iraq without provocation invaded the State of Kuwait, a nation of more than 1,500,000 Muslims;
Whereas on November 29, 1990, the United Nations Security Council adopted United Nations Security Council Resolution 678, which authorized nations cooperating with the State of Kuwait to use all necessary means to force Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait and to restore international peace and security to the area;
Whereas on January 17, 1991, the regime of Saddam Hussein without provocation fired 7 Scud missiles into the State of Israel, a nation of approximately 1,000,000 Muslims and 5,000,000 Jews;
Whereas on January 17, 1991, Iraq fired Scud missiles into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a nation of more than 20,000,000 Muslims;
Whereas on January 29, 1991, Iraq attacked the city of Khafji in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia;
Whereas the regime of Saddam Hussein is a threat to its neighbors and has demonstrated its willingness to use weapons of mass destruction;
Whereas on February 24, 1991, a broad international coalition of 38 Muslim and non-Muslim nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the State of Kuwait, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Syrian Arab Republic, began a coalition ground operation to liberate Kuwait;
Whereas on April 6, 1991, Iraq accepted the provisions of United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 (April 3, 1991) bringing a formal cease-fire into effect;
Whereas, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 687, Iraq unconditionally accepted the destruction, removal, or rendering harmless of `all chemical and biological weapons and all stocks of agents and all related subsystems and components and all research, development, support and manufacturing facilities related thereto', and `all ballistic missiles with a range greater than one hundred and fifty kilometers, and related major parts and repair and production facilities';
Whereas, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 687, Iraq unconditionally agreed not to acquire or develop any nuclear weapons, nuclear-weapons-usable material, nuclear-related subsystems or components, or nuclear-related research, development, support, or manufacturing facilities;
Whereas Security Council Resolution 687 calls for the creation of a United Nations special commission to `carry out immediate on-site inspection of Iraq's biological, chemical, and missile capabilities' and to assist and cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency in carrying out the `destruction, removal or rendering harmless' of all nuclear-related items and in developing a plan for the ongoing monitoring and verification of Iraq's compliance;
Whereas, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 687, the process of destruction, removal, or rendering harmless of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction was to have been completed within 45 days of approval by the United Nations Security Council of the weapons inspectors' plan for doing so;
Whereas Iraq has now been in breach of this requirement for more than a decade;
Whereas the regime of Saddam Hussein consistently impeded the work of United Nations weapons inspectors in Iraq between 1991 and 1998 by denying them access to crucial sites and documents and by obstructing their work in numerous other ways;
Whereas on October 31, 1998, Iraq banned the United Nations weapons inspectors despite its agreement and obligation to comply with Security Council Resolution 687;
Whereas on December 15, 1998, the chief United Nations weapons inspector reported that Iraq was withholding cooperation;
Whereas Congress declared in Public Law 105-235 (112 Stat. 1538) that `the Government of Iraq is in material and unacceptable breach of its international obligations, and therefore the President is urged to take appropriate action, in accordance with the Constitution and relevant laws of the United States, to bring Iraq into compliance with its international obligations';
Whereas Security Council Resolution 687 was adopted under chapter VII of the United Nations Charter and violations of such resolution that threaten international peace and security may be dealt with through military action pursuant to Security Council Resolution 678;
Whereas the United States has reported that a high risk exists that Iraq has continued to develop weapons of mass destruction since the expulsion of United Nations weapons inspectors, in violation of Security Council Resolution 687 and subsequent resolutions;
Whereas such development is a threat to the United States and its friends and allies in the Middle East;
Whereas Congress declared in Public Law 105-338 (112 Stat. 3178) that it should be `the policy of the United States to support efforts to remove the regime headed by Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq and to promote the emergence of a democratic government to replace that regime';
Whereas the attacks of September 11, 2001, illustrate the global reach of terrorists;
Whereas numerous terrorist groups are seeking to acquire weapons of mass destruction;
Whereas Iraq is a sponsor of terrorism and has trained members of several terrorist organizations;
Whereas the regime of Saddam Hussein plotted to assassinate former President George Bush during his visit to the State of Kuwait in 1993;
Whereas the President has stated that `any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime' and has committed to `pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism'; and
Whereas on November 26, 2001, President Bush warned that any nation that develops weapons of mass destruction in order to `terrorize' others `will be held accountable': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That--
(1) the United States and the United Nations Security Council should insist on a complete program of inspection and monitoring to prevent the development of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq;
(2) Iraq should allow United Nations weapons inspectors `immediate, unconditional and unrestricted access to any and all areas, facilities, equipment, records and means of transportation which they wish to inspect', as required by United Nations Security Council Resolutions 707 (August 15, 1991) and 1284 (December 17, 1999);
(3) the United States should ensure that the United Nations does not accept any inspection and monitoring regime that fails to guarantee weapons inspectors immediate, unconditional, and unrestricted access to any and all areas, facilities, equipment, records, and means of transportation which they wish to inspect;
(4) Iraq, as a result of its refusal to comply with the terms of United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 (April 3, 1991) and subsequent relevant resolutions, remains in material and unacceptable breach of its international obligations; and
(5) Iraq's refusal to allow United Nations weapons inspectors immediate, unconditional, and unrestricted access to facilities and documents covered by United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 and other relevant resolutions presents a mounting threat to the United States, its friends and allies, and international peace and security.
Passed the House of Representatives December 20, 2001.
FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 511
(Republicans in roman; Democrats in italic; Independents underlined)
H J RES 75 2/3 YEA-AND-NAY 20-DEC-2001 11:31 AM
QUESTION: On Motions to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended
BILL TITLE: Regarding the Monitoring of Weapons Development in Iraq, as Required by United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 (April 3, 1991)
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YEAS | NAYS | PRES | NV |
| REPUBLICAN | 213 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| DEMOCRATIC | 177 | 11 | 5 | 18 |
| INDEPENDENT | 2 | | | |
| TOTALS | 392 | 12 | 7 | 23 |
--- YEAS 392 ---
| Ackerman | Granger | Osborne |
| Aderholt | Graves | Ose |
| Akin | Green (TX) | Otter |
| Allen | Green (WI) | Owens |
| Andrews | Greenwood | Oxley |
| Armey | Grucci | Pallone |
| Baca | Gutierrez | Pascrell |
| Bachus | Gutknecht | Pastor |
| Baird | Hall (TX) | Pelosi |
| Baldacci | Hansen | Pence |
| Ballenger | Hart | Peterson (MN) |
| Barr | Hastings (WA) | Petri |
| Barrett | Hayes | Phelps |
| Bartlett | Hayworth | Pickering |
| Barton | Hefley | Pitts |
| Bass | Herger | Platts |
| Becerra | Hill | Pombo |
| Bentsen | Hilleary | Pomeroy |
| Bereuter | Hinchey | Portman |
| Berkley | Hinojosa | Price (NC) |
| Berman | Hobson | Pryce (OH) |
| Berry | Hoeffel | Putnam |
| Biggert | Hoekstra | Quinn |
| Bilirakis | Holden | Radanovich |
| Bishop | Holt | Rahall |
| Blagojevich | Honda | Ramstad |
| Blumenauer | Hooley | Rangel |
| Blunt | Horn | Regula |
| Boehlert | Hostettler | Rehberg |
| Boehner | Houghton | Reyes |
| Bonilla | Hoyer | Reynolds |
| Bono | Hulshof | Riley |
| Boozman | Hunter | Rodriguez |
| Borski | Hyde | Roemer |
| Boswell | Inslee | Rogers (KY) |
| Boucher | Isakson | Rogers (MI) |
| Boyd | Israel | Rohrabacher |
| Brady (PA) | Issa | Ros-Lehtinen |
| Brady (TX) | Istook | Ross |
| Brown (FL) | Jackson (IL) | Rothman |
| Brown (OH) | Jackson-Lee (TX) | Roukema |
| Brown (SC) | Jefferson | Roybal-Allard |
| Bryant | Jenkins | Royce |
| Burr | Johnson (CT) | Rush |
| Burton | Johnson (IL) | Ryan (WI) |
| Buyer | Johnson, Sam | Ryun (KS) |
| Callahan | Jones (NC) | Sabo |
| Calvert | Jones (OH) | Sanchez |
| Camp | Kanjorski | Sanders |
| Cannon | Kaptur | Sandlin |
| Cantor | Keller | Sawyer |
| Capito | Kelly | Saxton |
| Capps | Kennedy (MN) | Schaffer |
| Cardin | Kennedy (RI) | Schakowsky |
| Carson (IN) | Kerns | Schiff |
| Carson (OK) | Kildee | Schrock |
| Castle | Kilpatrick | Scott |
| Chabot | Kind (WI) | Sensenbrenner |
| Chambliss | King (NY) | Serrano |
| Clayton | Kingston | Sessions |
| Clyburn | Kirk | Shadegg |
| Coble | Kleczka | Shaw |
| Collins | Knollenberg | Shays |
| Combest | Kolbe | Sherman |
| Condit | Kucinich | Sherwood |
| Cooksey | LaFalce | Shimkus |
| Costello | LaHood | Shows |
| Cox | Lampson | Shuster |
| Cramer | Langevin | Simmons |
| Crane | Lantos | Simpson |
| Crenshaw | Largent | Skeen |
| Crowley | Larsen (WA) | Skelton |
| Culberson | Larson (CT) | Smith (MI) |
| Cummings | Latham | Smith (NJ) |
| Cunningham | LaTourette | Smith (TX) |
| Davis (CA) | Leach | Smith (WA) |
| Davis (FL) | Levin | Snyder |
| Davis (IL) | Lewis (CA) | Solis |
| Davis, Jo Ann | Lewis (GA) | Souder |
| Davis, Tom | Lewis (KY) | Spratt |
| Deal | Linder | Stearns |
| DeGette | Lipinski | Stenholm |
| Delahunt | LoBiondo | Strickland |
| DeLauro | Lofgren | Stump |
| DeLay | Lowey | Stupak |
| DeMint | Lucas (KY) | Sununu |
| Deutsch | Lucas (OK) | Sweeney |
| Diaz-Balart | Lynch | Tancredo |
| Dicks | Maloney (CT) | Tanner |
| Doggett | Maloney (NY) | Tauscher |
| Dooley | Markey | Tauzin |
| Doolittle | Mascara | Taylor (MS) |
| Doyle | Matheson | Taylor (NC) |
| Dreier | Matsui | Terry |
| Duncan | McCarthy (MO) | Thomas |
| Dunn | McCarthy (NY) | Thompson (CA) |
| Edwards | McCollum | Thompson (MS) |
| Ehrlich | McCrery | Thornberry |
| Emerson | McGovern | Thune |
| Engel | McHugh | Thurman |
| English | McInnis | Tiahrt |
| Eshoo | McIntyre | Tiberi |
| Etheridge | McKeon | Tierney |
| Evans | McNulty | Toomey |
| Everett | Meehan | Towns |
| Farr | Menendez | Turner |
| Ferguson | Mica | Udall (CO) |
| Filner | Millender-McDonald | Udall (NM) |
| Flake | Miller, Dan | Upton |
| Fletcher | Miller, Gary | Velazquez |
| Foley | Miller, Jeff | Visclosky |
| Forbes | Mink | Vitter |
| Ford | Mollohan | Walden |
| Fossella | Moore | Walsh |
| Frank | Moran (KS) | Wamp |
| Frelinghuysen | Moran (VA) | Watkins (OK) |
| Frost | Morella | Watson (CA) |
| Gallegly | Murtha | Watt (NC) |
| Ganske | Myrick | Watts (OK) |
| Gekas | Nadler | Weiner |
| Gephardt | Napolitano | Weldon (FL) |
| Gibbons | Neal | Weldon (PA) |
| Gilchrest | Nethercutt | Weller |
| Gillmor | Ney | Whitfield |
| Gilman | Northup | Wicker |
| Gonzalez | Norwood | Wilson (SC) |
| Goode | Nussle | Wolf |
| Goodlatte | Oberstar | Wu |
| Gordon | Obey | Wynn |
| Goss | Olver | Young (FL) |
| Graham | Ortiz | |
--- NAYS 12 ---
| Abercrombie | Hilliard | Paul |
| Baldwin | Lee | Payne |
| Bonior | McDermott | Rivers |
| Fattah | McKinney | Woolsey |
|
--- PRESENTS 7 ---
| Capuano | Ehlers | Wilson (NM) |
| DeFazio | Miller, George | | | Dingell | Slaughter | |
--- NOT VOTING 23 ---
| Baker | Harman | Peterson (PA) |
| Barcia | Hastings (FL) | Stark |
| Clay | John | Traficant |
| Clement | Johnson, E. B. | Waters |
| Conyers | Luther | Waxman |
| Coyne | Manzullo | Wexler |
| Cubin | Meek (FL) | Young (AK) |
| Hall (OH) | Meeks (NY) | |
UN Wire December 20, 2001
Annan said discussions of whether the U.S.-led campaign that has begun in Afghanistan will be extended to Iraq "are taking place outside the United Nations and the Security Council" -- "mainly in Washington." Although it would be "unwise to attack Iraq now," he said, "Iraq will also have to understand that it has to begin responding to the Security Council's resolutions, particularly with regard to the return of the [weapons] inspectors."
NATO: Proof needed about Iraq
John Innes
The Scotsman Dec. 27, 2001
NATO would examine carefully any evidence suggesting Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was linked to the 11 September terror attacks, the alliance's secretary general, Lord Robertson, said yesterday.
If such a link were proven, then various "courses of action" were possible.
However, Lord Robertson emphasized that at this point there was nothing to indicate the Iraqi president had any responsibility for the attacks on the United States.
In an interview for BBC Radio 4's Today programme, it was put to Lord Robertson that hawks in the US administration were eager to extend the war against terrorism to a new conflict against Baghdad. He was asked whether he would support a war against Iraq. Lord Robertson said: "Iraq is not in NATO's back yard in any event.
"But clearly, if there was evidence pointing towards Saddam Hussein being responsible in any way for the atrocities of September 11, or if it was found that he was harbouring people who were intimately connected with that, then I think the world would jump automatically to the conclusion that he represented a bigger threat. But so far, the Americans themselves have publicly said that they don't see evidence linking bin Laden to Saddam Hussein's regime."
He added: "If the evidence came forward, then I think the international community and NATO itself would want to look and examine that evidence and to work out what then should be done about it.
"If more evidence comes forward and people are convinced by it, then other courses of action may be embarked upon. But until that happens, I don't think people should jump to conclusions."
Lord Robertson also discussed the increasingly close relationship between NATO and Russia, but asked if Russia was ever likely to join the organisation, Lord Robertson said: "Probably not. President [Vladimir] Putin said to me that he wasn't going to queue up for NATO membership.
"I told him that there was only one way of becoming a member of NATO and that was by applying for membership and complying with the standards that are laid down for NATO membership.
"He said, 'I think we should develop our relationship between NATO as it is and Russia as it is, and we don't need to talk about the question of Russia becoming a member of NATO again'."
Meanwhile, US forces were going back into the caves of the Tora Bora area of Afghanistan to search for clues as to Osama bin Laden's whereabouts.
Up to 500 marines may be drafted in to scour the caves, which were al-Qaeda's last major stronghold in Afghanistan until a combination of US bombing and ground attacks by tribal fighters and US special forces drove the guerrillas out more than a week ago.
Since then, nothing has been heard of the Saudi-born militant. Coalition sources have said it is "quite possible" bin Laden was killed in the onslaught on Tora Bora.
However, they acknowledge they are not sure about his fate and there are suspicions he may have fled Afghanistan, possibly into Pakistan.
Acceptance of bin Laden's culpability for the events of 11 September appears to be growing in the Middle East.
In the first official Egyptian reaction, the police minister said the recently released videotape in which bin Laden was shown rejoicing over the attacks amounts to his "complete confession".
"This tape is a clear and complete implication of Osama bin Laden, contrary to what he had said earlier about having nothing to do with the attacks," interior minister Habib el-Adly was quoted as telling the al-Mussawar weekly.
Many in the Middle East doubted the authenticity of bin Laden's latest tape, released by the Pentagon on 13 December, but Egyptian security forces "consider it a clear confession of bin Laden's responsibility in all that happened. It is a complete confession that implicates him," Mr el-Adly said.
The minister predicted bin Laden "would be caught or killed sooner or later".
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