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 hate the scum rats as much as the next guy...but they are not totally stupid.
They will leverage their postion.
Wouldn't you?
No, you post a date, and we'll see who gets closer. I said six months before the next presidential, so May 2004. You specify the month you predict we're going in.
Bollocks.
Of course Bush doesn't operate in a political vacuum, but if we win this war going away, where is his incentive to cave?
Be Seeing You,
Chris
I hope they have a fix on Saddam and his thug sons and are watching them minute-by-minute, ready to call in the full force of the American war machine on the few acres surrounding their sorry carcases. Take out the head, the Republican Guard, and Iraq will implode.
Feb '03.
Okay, do so. I have already.
BTW, better not pick one of the following dates -- the've already been used, over on the Attack on Iraq Betting Pool thread:
My bet is for January 2, 2003 at 2:17 P.M Eastern Standard Time.
November 21, 2002 at 6:02 P.M. CST
September 14, 2002, 1:33 p.m. CST
5:29 PM Central Standard Time December 20th 2002.
9/11/02 7pm EST
November 7, 2002 6:00pm Central.
Sunday night, September 8, 2002, 7:45P ET
November 22, 2002, 6pm et.
October 6, 2002, 23:30 local time.
With the new moon, on December 7, 2002, 3:00 AM Baghdad time, 0:00 UTC (ZULU).
Saturday, October 5, 2002
December 2nd, 2002, 7:00pm EST.
My bet is for November 2, 2002 at 5:21 PM EST
My bet is November 11, 2002 at 7:05 PM EST
October 6, 2002 10:32 AM Eastern Daylight Time.
Sept 15, 2002, 01:13am Bagdad time
October 6, 2002; 8:10 p.m. EST
October 8th, 2002 - 4:10pm EDT
September 10, 2002
14SEP02 1900hrs EST
Tuesday September 7th 2002 (New Moon)
October 1st 2002 @ 6:00PM GMT
What's the hold up? I already showed you my prediction. Now you show me yours. Why are you hedging?
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