Bush Iraq Plan Hits Snag In Senate

Associated Press ^ | 8 October 2002 | Jim Abrams

[Asmodeus]

WASHINGTON –– Saddam Hussein's apparent policy of not resorting to terrorist attacks against the United States could change if he concludes a U.S.-led attack against him was inevitable, CIA Director George Tenet said as President's Bush bid for congressional support to use force hit a snag in the Senate.

Tenet, in a letter read before a joint hearing of the House and Senate intelligence committees Tuesday, said that "Baghdad for now appears to be drawing a line short of conducting terrorist attacks with conventional or chemical or biological weapons."

But Tenet went on to say that should Saddam conclude that a U.S.-led attack against his country could not be deterred, "he probably would become much less constrained in adopting terrorist action."

Both the House and the Senate were debating the Iraq war resolution.

But while it appeared to be clear sailing for the measure in the GOP-led House, Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., served notice on other Democrats at a party luncheon that he intended to use parliamentary tactics to delay a final vote, according to those who attended the session.

That could delay the vote well into next week, suggested Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-W.Va.

Byrd, widely respected for his deep knowledge of the Senate rules, has emerged as the primary Senate opponent to the president's war resolution.

The House began a fateful three-day debate on the measure on Tuesday. The Senate, which has been debating the measure since last Thursday, resumed its debate.

If forced into war, "We will prevail," President Bush told a Tennessee audience.

"At this moment, the people's house begins debate on one of the most difficult questions we will ever face," said Rep. David Dreier, R-Calif.

The House hoped to conclude by Thursday night. The measure before both chambers provides the president wide latitude to take military action to disarm Saddam of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons and, if possible, depose the Iraqi leader.

Anticipating an overwhelming vote of support in Congress, Bush told a Knoxville, Tenn., rally on Tuesday, "Military option is my last choice, the last choice. But should we commit our military, we'll be ready. We'll be prepared. We'll have a great plan and make no mistake about it, we will prevail."

Secretary of State Colin Powell, meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, said the congressional resolution "will definitely strengthen my hand as I try to do the diplomatic work up in New York to get a United Nations Security Council resolution" requiring unimpeded weapons inspections in Iraq.

Powell said there was increasing support at the U.N. for a new inspections mandate. "All of my colleagues at the United Nations and others I've spoken to around the world clearly see the threat," he said.

At the Pentagon, a Defense Intelligence Agency official told reporters that Saddam is actively making biological and chemical weapons – and trying to hide that fact from the world.

Iraq is "taking steps to conceal sensitive equipment and documentation in anticipation of new inspections," John Yurechko said.

In a somber address to the nation Monday evening, Bush said the threat from Iraq was unique and imminent and there was no time to wait for final proof that Saddam had developed a nuclear capability – "the smoking gun – that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud."

"While there are many dangers in the world, the threat from Iraq stands alone because it gathers the most serious dangers of our age in one place," the president said.

Bush told a Cincinnati audience in his televised speech that Saddam was "a homicidal dictator who is addicted to weapons of mass destruction," and that if he succeeds in obtaining nuclear weapons to add to his biological and chemical stockpiles, he "would be in a position to blackmail anyone who opposes his aggression."

In Baghdad, the government of Iraq on Tuesday described Bush's speech as an attempt to justify an attack.

"The speech contained misleading information through which Bush is trying to justify an illogical and illegitimate attack on Iraq," said Foreign Minister Naji Sabri Sabri.

On Tuesday, a Pentagon official reiterated U.S. warnings that Iraqi military officers should refuse orders to use chemical or biological weapons. Any Iraqis involved in such attacks would be treated as war criminals after the conflict ended, said Douglas Feith, undersecretary for policy at the Defense Department.

The House has allotted 21 hours to debate what House International Relations Committee Chairman Henry Hyde, R-Ill., a chief sponsor of the White House-backed resolution, called "one of the most consequential questions we will deal with for years to come."

[Always Right]

Hmm, really? Maybe it is because you did not listen, Mr Always Right? Please, I mean no offence, but I cannot resist a good pun :)

Thanks for continuing the streak. Blood for oil, blah, blah, blah.

[MHGinTN]

I'm not proposing we postpone, that was the fool Bonior's argument, that we are responsible for the dying children because of embargo. I say those children have a better chance if we take out the despot. I say it's time for him to go ... straight to Hell and not pass GO. I have major issues with the postponeNIKS who have no hesitation in exposing US to greater threat down the road in order to thwart the pubby president ... as if al goreghoul could have been more decisive, what with his history of appeasement and ignoring the threats over eight years while sidekicking with the sinkEmperor. Nice try to obfuscate though ...

[Nix 2]

Thanks for putting this up for me, Cache. I was about to die.
Indeed, the Fatemis are quite well established in the energy field, Ms. Byrd's husband, Mohammad, is now just resigned from Amoco, but previously, he represented the industry at the Argonne Institute annual meetings.
His sons, Fredrik and Darius, (Byrd's grandsons,) are both physicists and very ensconced in our military establishment, including satellite imaging and nuclear research.
There is a whole lot more here than meets the eye, including a program that Byrd attributes to humself of an Appalachian/Turkish business partnership.
Money, oil, and nuclear physics sound like interesting reasons to oppose any grappling with Iraq, but if y'all will recall, Byrd wanted Clinton to lower the EPA standards for West Virginia coal. Clinton promised he would if Byrd would vote against conviction at Clinton's impeachment trial. Byrd did, then Clinton told him to kiss the sky.
It wouldn't surprise me even a little, if he hasn't made that same demand of Bush and got turned down flat.

[Nix 2]

BIOTERRORISM, 2001

---

HEARINGS

before a

SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS UNITED STATES SENATE

ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS

FIRST SESSION
__________

SPECIAL HEARINGS

OCTOBER 3, 2001--WASHINGTON, DC
OCTOBER 28, 2001--WASHINGTON, DC
NOVEMBER 2, 2001--WASHINGTON, DC
NOVEMBER 29, 2001--WASHINGTON, DC

__________

Printed for the use of the Committee on Appropriations

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/
senate
______


U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 2002
____________________________________________________________________________

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

ROBERT C. BYRD, West Virginia, Chairman
DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii TED STEVENS, Alaska
ERNEST F. HOLLINGS, South Carolina THAD COCHRAN, Mississippi
PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont ARLEN SPECTER, Pennsylvania
TOM HARKIN, Iowa PETE V. DOMENICI, New Mexico
BARBARA A. MIKULSKI, Maryland CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, Missouri
HARRY REID, Nevada MITCH McCONNELL, Kentucky
HERB KOHL, Wisconsin CONRAD BURNS, Montana
PATTY MURRAY, Washington RICHARD C. SHELBY, Alabama
BYRON L. DORGAN, North Dakota JUDD GREGG, New Hampshire
DIANNE FEINSTEIN, California ROBERT F. BENNETT, Utah
RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL, Colorado
TIM JOHNSON, South Dakota LARRY CRAIG, Idaho
MARY L. LANDRIEU, Louisiana KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas
JACK REED, Rhode Island MIKE DeWINE, Ohio
Terrence E. Sauvain, Staff Director
Charles Kieffer, Deputy Staff Director
Steven J. Cortese, Minority Staff Director
Lisa Sutherland, Deputy Minority Staff Director
------
Subcommittee on Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies

TOM HARKIN, Iowa, Chairman
ERNEST F. HOLLINGS, South Carolina ARLEN SPECTER, Pennsylvania
DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii THAD COCHRAN, Mississippi
HARRY REID, Nevada JUDD GREGG, New Hampshire
HERB KOHL, Wisconsin LARRY CRAIG, Idaho
PATTY MURRAY, Washington KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas
MARY L. LANDRIEU, Louisiana TED STEVENS, Alaska
ROBERT C. BYRD, West Virginia MIKE DeWINE, Ohio
Professional Staff
Ellen Murray
Jim Sourwine
Mark Laisch
Adrienne Hallett
!!! ERIK FATEMI !!!
Adam Gluck
Bettilou Taylor (Minority)
Mary Dietrich (Minority)
Sudip Shrikant Parikh (Minority)


On Byrd's Bioterrorism Committee......

[Nix 2]

Association of Public Television Stations

Attendees
Charlotte Brantley, Senior Director, Ready To Learn Program, PBS
Phillip Brown, Representative Ernest Fletcher, R-KY
Ann Copland, Senator Thad Cochran, R-MS
Mary Dietrich, Senate LaborHHS, & Education Appropriations Subcommittee
Charles Dujon, Representative Jesse Jackson, D-IL
Aura Kenny Dunn, Legislative Affairs, APTS
ERIK FATEMI, Senate LaborHHS, & Education Appropriations Subcommittee
Susan Firth, House LaborHHS, & Education Appropriations Subcommittee
Adrienne Hallett, Senate Labor, HHS, & Education Appropriations Subcommittee
Marcia Knutson, Government Relations, APTS
Stephanie Monroe, Counsel, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Brendan O'Neil, House Education & the Workforce Committee
Sudip Parikh, Senate Labor, HHS, & Education Appropriations Subcommittee
Meg Snyder, House Labor, HHS, & Education Appropriations Subcommittee
Bettilou Taylor, Senate Labor, HHS, & Education Appropriations Subcommittee
Freya Thoreson, Representative Earl Blumenauer, D-OR