(00:00:00) Many tigers learned to be man-eaters only because someone failed to save the first man the tiger tried to eat. Let me say that again many tigers learn to be man-eaters only because someone failed to save the first man the tiger tried to eat. Yes lives are put at greater risk as soon as we pass. The resolution that the president favors but lives are already at risk in the hands of sodom's present and future we have a rare opportunity to save lives by changing the Tigers. Why does it need to be the United States which put its people on the line simply because that is the burden of world leadership the world looks to us and we should be proud that (00:00:56) they do. (00:00:59) My third point is that we need to choose the strategy that has the best chance of avoiding war and achieving our national purpose at an appropriate cost. I don't hear anyone saying that sad Hussein should be ignored. I don't hear any critics of the initial deployment of US troops, which halted his aggression at the Kuwaiti border the nub of this debate is how do we accomplish what we all desire and that is That Saddam Hussein withdraw from Kuwait as soon as possible the resolutions before this body present to Alternative strategies the Mitchell bird Boren resolution supports a strategy with the following elements a defensive posture with respect to Iraq continuation of economic sanctions and pursuit of settlement options in whatever diplomatic forums become available. I would say that that is much the same posture. The president of the United States was in prior to November 8 the alternative resolution reflects the strategy adopted by the president on November 8th, and subsequently by the United Nations on November 29th, along with defense sanctions and diplomacy the International Community strategy adds two critical elements. The first is the critical critical threat of the use of offensive military force II a deadline in any conflict whether it's a war or a labor negotiation knowing your adversary is always the key. Everything I know about Iraq tells me that a policy of sanctions alone without the threat of credible force and the political will to use it will never do the job. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit her act 16 months ago on a private trip through several developing nations in Africa and Asia in the Middle East. I spent a considerable amount of time at the foreign minister Aziz. And even more time with his Deputy, mr. Nazar, I'm doomed. And several other members of the Iraqi leadership as well and I came away Matt the mr. President from those meetings knowing that each of them believed as president Saddam Hussein believed and with some justification 16 months ago that American policies change with the direction of the wind they saw us as being uncapable of of concerted consistent action of any kind. the offer of friendship Was traditionally from an unreliable undependable friend. It is that calculation, mr. President which encouraged them to invade Kuwait and it is that calculation which keeps them there today? They began to unlearn their lessons about the United States of the 1990s when George Bush dispatch tens of thousands of troops to the Gulf. Each day that goes by helps convince them we do mean business. But we cannot allow the pressure to subside our colleague from Pennsylvania. Arlen Specter has spent more time with the Iraqi leadership than the rest of us in this body but together and his judgment is the same as mine. The araki's expect us to be distracted or to lose our resolve and to give him. We simply cannot allow them room for such a further miscalculation. That means they need to understand what we are prepared to do. And just as importantly when we plan to do. As long as that Hussain has any reason to believe that we will vacillate or we will delay or we will divide. He will not make a decision. If we want Saddam Hussein to decide to leave Kuwait, we need to put them in a room with only one exit. (00:05:16) Mr. President (00:05:18) as I speak the Sun is up in Baghdad. It's just about 10:00 in the morning. And it's also three days before the 15th of January. And I say to my friend Nazar ham Dune and Tariq Aziz. This is not the United States you spoke of this is a truly United State. Our strategy. Mr. President has not been without its failures. A policy which is designed explicitly to send a message. And to raise the anxiety level of Saddam Hussein to the breaking point cannot but help to unnerve the American people in the process. That's a reality and that's why we see some division on this floor. Many members of this body of this Senator among them have questioned the timing the size the purpose and the effect of the November 8th augmentation of US troops. But as legitimate as those questions are mr. President, and when they're raised by people of such stature as our colleague from Georgia for example and others. I must say we simply cannot undo that decision. Here on this floor without undoing the entire strategy of the International Community. That is too high a price to pay the issue of the proper strategy for dealing with the Iraqis boil down to this if there is a way for Sodom Hussein to avoid a decision on leaving Kuwait. He will take it. What the International Coalition has tried to do through direct diplomacy to International economic sanctions and through authorizing the use of force and through setting a deadline. His to reduce his options down to a single one withdraw from Kuwait or face impossible consequences. The Mitchell bird Boren resolution facts the United States off that Firm Stance in favor of something defensive and indefinite. With this adversary that is something we cannot afford to do. The final issue which is always critically important in a democracy is who's in charge and who will decide in my view the resolution supported by the administration in the house and here answered that question in a manner that accommodates both the Constitutional requirements and the Practical needs of this situation. The Warner Dole resolution is a congressional authorization of the use of force to achieve the objectives contained in Security Council resolution. 678. It does not require the use of force. It simply allows the president to make that determination after a number of conditions are met and let me repeat that. It is an authorization of the use of force not a requirement. The Congress retains us rights to cut off funds if necessary in the future and it gains substantive Powers by virtue of the invocation of the War Powers Resolution the measure before us and it is the Supreme irony, but true, I believe nonetheless that by making more in the Gulf legally more likely this resolution will make it less necessary without it. Mr. President. We become the paper tiger. That's Adam Hussein has so often told us we are because we were and he becomes the man-eating tiger. With it. We become an adversary. He'd are no longer ignore. We are not permitted the luxury of academic speculation in this debate steps have been taken which cannot be taken back decisions have been made by the president and the International Community that cannot be reversed and whether we like it or not time is running. The choice of this time boils down to this should we get in line with the community of Nations behind a strategy designed to force Saddam Hussein to decide to get out himself or do we abandon that course in favor of a defensive indefinite alternative would we rather see secretary-general Javier Perez de Cuellar in Baghdad today? with solid International backing or with the UN resolution for the gaping hole in it. Would we rather credibly threaten the use of force now or allows that and Hussain to dictate a timetable which benefits only him? Mr. President, I believe we are on the verge of a new world order. I believe our national purposes in the Gulf promote a safer world for today and especially for tomorrow and I believe we need to approach that mm as a genuinely United States and a genuinely United Nations. The only way we can do that is to defeat the resolution before us and then ask every member of this body to endorse an alternative like Warner doll. I received a petition this morning from 50 to young people in st. Paul Minnesota and begins with a very articulate statement about their concern for misplaced priorities and the need to stop as they say it stop spending billions on war and redirect money towards Health Care education and the environment it continues and I quote we the youth who would be sent to war believe that human life is more important than a full tank of gas. We refuse to take orders to kill the Youth of other nations from powerful Elders who are safe behind the lines the United States government can set a positive example by withdrawing troops from Saudi Arabia and stop the current War for oil and Power in the Middle East and quote. These young people aboard war and they support meeting basic human needs. As I said earlier defeating this resolution and supporting the president does put American lives at greater risk. They have been at risk since we made the decision to defend principal and the people of the gulf from Saddam Hussein, but in my judgment the alternative to none Bird born has the potential to free many more lives in the future from the inevitable risks of a world that rewards aggression. and finally about a thousand miles south and west from the Iraq Kuwait border. And totally outside the spotlight of international attention. Are close to 2 million Sudanese who will probably not be alive a year from now? Why because while we're busy in the Gulf? Their government chooses not to feed them. And we're too busy to help. Mr. President but the young people that wrote that letter I must say what we are trying to do is build a world where we will all have the resources and the caring to Value human life everywhere above everything else. For the sake of thousands of lives and Futures that are at stake. I hope to God I am not wrong in my judgement here today, but I conclude that a vote of I to the International Community and to the president of the United States. Is the absolute best way to end this crisis soon and without Bloodshed and to Build a Better World for the Youth of America and of all of the nations of this world? General Omar Bradley said that the best way to win a war is to avoid war and President Eisenhower believe that the United States should never start a war. We're not here to debate how we should go to war the war started 162 days and 3888 hours ago. We are here to find out how best to get the peace. and let's hope that in the next 72 hours Iraq and Saddam Hussein will show us how