Posted on 01/23/2003 6:19:34 PM PST by knak
Senators said Thursday the Bush administration needs to convince the American people and U.S. allies that war may be needed against Iraq.
More than 50 senators received a closed-door briefing on Iraq from Secretary of State Colin Powell and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said the secretaries weren't notifying Congress of a decision to use military force in Iraq. The administration said that has not been determined.
Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., said Rumsfeld and Powell laid out a stronger case than the administration had before about why force might be needed to stop Saddam. But he said the information would not be strong enough to persuade reluctant allies, like France and did not convince him that the United States should act against Iraq without more support.
"It would seem to me to be by far the better part of wisdom to have an aggressive inspections regime buttressed by our intelligence, so that we are providing them cues on where to go," he said.
The top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Carl Levin of Michigan, said the United States has just begun to share information with the U.N. inspectors. "And my view is that there is a significant way to go before we share the information," he said.
Rumsfeld told reporters as he left the Capitol "the inspectors are being provided with an enormous amount of information already."
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he agrees with President Bush's handling of Iraq, but believes the president needs to explain to the American people "why we as Americans should shoulder the burden the money burden, the human sacrifice."
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said she was concerned about opposition from U.S. allies. "I think it would be very difficult for us to pursue this without military and monetary support," she said.
The chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., said Powell will continue working with France and other countries on the U.N. Security Council after Monday's report by chief weapons inspector Hans Blix.
I wonder if Mdm. Murray also took Secretary Rumsfeld to task for targetting the builder of hospitals and daycare centers Osama bin laden.
If so we can consider the info to be on a straight line course to Saddam.
Probably via his personal courier Ritter.
FREE SNUGGLES
It is shameless that the Dems are using this reality to set the bar at a height that cannot be reached at this time.
The only thing that fits that description with regard to Iraq is an invasion.
IMHO, President Bush will do more than convince the American people the war MAY be needed against Iraq.
The President will explain why this war with Iraq IS necessary ...Stay tuned for the State of the Union Address.
As for convincing our "allies" ~ ~ well, if a (European) nation is not on-board now; I doubt they're our "ally"--so if they choke on our dust -- who cares?
This story gives him a non-committal coment and groups him with the whiners, which is very misleading.
I think it is more sinister than that. These folks have an agenda that puts the security of this nation at best second.
The woman who wants us to build day care centers for the world is worried about spending now.
Getting that Ground Hog Day feeling yet? We went through all this six months ago, with the preamble to Bush's UN address. This cycle will recur at least one more time -- but more likely several more times -- before we finally do go to war with Iraq, which will probably be about six months before the next presidential election.
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