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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: stockman_scott who wrote (284285)	8/6/2002 4:27:02 PM
From: Karen Lawrence	Respond to of 769667

Scowcroft Urges Restraint Against Iraq By Steven Mufson Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, August 5, 2002; Page A04 excerpt this article: Lott (R-Miss.) said the resolution of support that Congress passed on Sept. 14, which authorized Bush to fight terrorism, was sufficient for the president to act without further measures by Congress. "I suspect that al Qaeda elements are in Iraq and there probably is more than enough justification to go into Iraq," Lott said. "al Qaeda elements in Iraq..(justifies) going into Iraq"...(hmm, by the same measure we should invade Canada.) The article: Leading members of Congress and a key adviser to President Bush took the debate over whether to invade Iraq to television talk shows yesterday, with retired Gen. Brent Scowcroft, chairman of the president's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, strongly urging restraint. While acknowledging that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was trying to become a threat to the region, Scowcroft, on CBS's "Face the Nation," warned that a U.S. invasion of Iraq "could turn the whole region into a cauldron and, thus, destroy the war on terrorism." Scowcroft, who advised Bush's father during the Persian Gulf War and who has been a voice of skepticism about invading Iraq to oust Hussein, said the United States should focus first on fighting the war against terrorism and on calming the battle between Israel and the Palestinians. He also said the United Nations should press Iraq to accept weapons inspectors who could inspect facilities without notifying the Iraqi government in advance. Though he said Hussein might reject such a plan, that would give the United States a "casus belli that we don't really have right now." On "Fox News Sunday," however, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.) said he supported action against the Iraqi leader "because every day Saddam remains in power with chemical weapons, biological weapons and the development of nuclear weapons is a day of danger for the United States of America." On "Face the Nation," Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) also expressed concern about Iraq. "We know Saddam Hussein is a threat," he said. "The real question here is: What is the urgency of that threat?" Like Scowcroft, Hagel said the United States could not approach Iraq or "any of these hot spots in a vacuum." But he said the Bush administration had to plan for a possible large-scale invasion of Iraq. "If you think you're going to drop the 82nd Airborne in Baghdad and finish the job, I think you've been watching too many John Wayne movies," he said. On the same program, Sen. Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.) said the threat from Iraq could probably be contained because Hussein wants to survive in power. "Does he love himself more than he hates us?" Levin asked. "I think the answer is probably yes. And if that's true, then it would be unlikely that he would initiate an attack with a weapon of mass destruction because it would be certain that he would be destroyed in response." Levin said, "I think that he is not suicidal." Scowcroft agreed. "This is not a man who will risk everything on the roll of a dice," he said. Several lawmakers said the administration should seek agreement from Congress before launching any action against Baghdad. Hagel noted that yesterday was the 38th anniversary of the Tonkin Gulf incident, which provided the pretext for a congressional resolution two days later that President Lyndon B. Johnson used to wage war in Vietnam. Lieberman said he would support a resolution that would give Bush the authority to take action to remove Hussein. On NBC's "Meet the Press," Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.) said Bush "needs that support under the Constitution." Biden said a debate in Congress could also help Bush mobilize support from the American public and allied nations. On ABC's "This Week," Senate Majority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) also said Congress has a role to play. "We all support strongly a regime change [in Iraq], but I think we've got to get our ducks in order," Daschle said. He cited the need for support from allies, a postwar plan and military logistical arrangements. But Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) said the resolution of support that Congress passed on Sept. 14, which authorized Bush to fight terrorism, was sufficient for the president to act without further measures by Congress. "I suspect that al Qaeda elements are in Iraq and there probably is more than enough justification to go into Iraq," Lott said. © 2002 The Washington Post Company