Maine Delegation Takes the Floor on Iraq Resolutions
WASHINGTON, Oct. 9, 2002–Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe went to the Senate floor Wednesday morning to voice her support for the proposed Senate resolution to authorize U.S. military action against Iraq. Snowe said disarming Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is imperative because, “we simply can’t afford the risk to humanity.”
She added: “As many of my colleagues as well as my constituents in Maine expressed-the use of force should be the last resort. Diplomacy must constitute our first line of defense.”
Snowe brought up evidence of Saddam Hussein’s violations-from rebuilding biological weapons facilities to producing chemical warfare agents-and illustrated how history has a way of repeating itself with terrorist attacks. In presenting a series of dangerous scenarios in which Saddam Hussein could strike, Snowe expressed her belief that the United States needs to act now.
Quoting former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger’s September 26 warning to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Snowe said, ” ‘We are only at the beginning of global proliferation,’ and thus we need to ‘consider not only the risk of action but the consequences of inaction.’ ”
“Therefore, I believe the world must disarm Saddam Hussein now, when the development of his capability is imminent, not waiting until it is imminent he is about to strike,” she said.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins was scheduled to speak on the floor Thursday morning and did not have a statement ready for press time.
Democratic Rep. Tom Allen joined Democratic Rep. John Spratt of South Carolina on Tuesday in offering an alternative resolution that would authorize President Bush to work with U.S. allies and the United Nations in efforts to disarm Iraq, keeping war as a last resort.
Allen said his substitute has four principles: disarming Iraq of all weapons of mass destruction, imposing rigorous U.N. inspections supported by Congress, using force if sanctioned by the U.N. Security Council and adopting a separate fast-track congressional authorization for the use of force if U.N. action is insufficient.
“Our resolution authorizes the use of force today through the United Nations, but it provides no blank check now for unilateral military action,” Allen said.
Democratic Rep. John Baldacci also said he supports the Spratt-Allen substitute, stating that its principles echo the president’s Monday address on Iraq. Baldacci was scheduled to speak on the floor Thursday, and he plans to reiterate that Congress must continue to stay closely involved with the decision-making process. Baldacci said he finds the Spratt approach to be the best workable resolution.
“I believe that a multilateral approach offers the best chance to effectively disarm Saddam Hussein and put an end to his chemical and biological weapons programs,” he said. “It’s important for our government to work with other nations and ensure that all non-military avenues have been exhausted before taking action on our own.”
Published in The Bangor Daily News, in Maine.
