THE PUBLIC VIEW

THE US CONGRESS HAS A HISTORY OF
TOUGH TALK ON IRAQ, BUT . . .

In 1991, the United States Senate voted (53-47) to allow the president to use military force to eject Iraqi forces from Kuwait. Upon completion of that goal, the United Nations voted (UN Resolution 687) that as a condition of cessation of hostilities, Iraq must unconditionally:

• declare fully its weapons of mass destruction programs.
• accept the destruction, removal or rendering harmless "under international supervision" of all "chemical and biological weapons and all stocks of agents".
• agree not to acquire or develop nuclear weapons or nuclear-weapons-usable material" or any research, development or manufacturing facilities.
• accept the destruction, removal or rendering harmless "under international supervision" of all "ballistic missiles with a range greater than 150 KM and related major parts and repair and production facilities."
• agree to not "use, develop, construct or acquire" any weapons of mass destruction.
• not commit or support terrorism, or allow terrorist organizations to operate in Iraq.

The history of Iraqi cooperation has been frustrating to the United Nations ever since. After Iraq ejected the UN inspectors, claiming they were spying, the Untied States Congress became concerned and passed two important pieces of legislation. The first, Public Law 105-238, (Finding the Government of Iraq in unacceptable and material breach of its international obligations) was passed and then signed by President Clinton on August 14, 1998. It declares:

that the Government of Iraq is in material and unacceptable breach of its international obligations. Urges the President to take appropriate action under U.S. law to bring Iraq into compliance with such obligations.

Further, seeing Saddam Hussein as an ongoing threat, the Senate passed the "Iraq Liberation Act of 1998," encouraging President Clinton to adopt a policy of "regime change" in Iraq.

Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 - Declares that it should be the policy of the United States to seek to remove the Saddam Hussein regime from power in Iraq and to replace it with a democratic government.

After the attacks of Sept 11, Congress went further. Just one week after the event, Congress authorized President Bush to use, "all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001". This became public law 107-40.

One year later, President Bush, sensing the possibility of the need for use of force, asked Congress to use the US military if needed. As a result Congress passed and the President signed public law 107-243. This became law on October 16, 2002 and says in part:

Authorizes the President to use the U.S. armed forces to: (1) defend U.S. national security against the continuing threat posed by Iraq; and (2) enforce all relevant Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq.

And finally, The United Nations Security Council followed suit soon thereafter by unanimously approving "UN Resolution 1441", by a vote of 15-0. Although resolution 1441 did not specifically sanction the use of military force, it did find that Iraq was and remains in material breach of its obligations under relevant resolutions, including resolution 687 (1991).
GO TO PAGE 1 2 -->