Kerry Flashback: REMARKS BY SENATOR JOHN KERRY (on Iraq, 12/16/98)

REMARKS BY SENATOR JOHN KERRY (D-MA)
TOPIC: IRAQ
THE CAPITOL, SENATE RADIO/TV GALLERY
WASHINGTON, D.C.

SEN. KERRY: I believe that everybody who has been involved with the issue of Iraq understands that a day of reckoning has been a long time coming for Saddam Hussein. Saddam Hussein's objective is to maintain his weapons program, the program for building weapons of mass destruction. He has never been willing to open fully for inspection. For eight years he has avoided his responsibilities to the international community. He has toyed with the United Nations, with the United States, with UNSCOM, and with our allies. And I believe he has been given more opportunity to comply than he deserves.

I believe also that it is important for the United States and our allies to hold him accountable by using military force. I'm confident that every reasonable person who has followed this issue and who cares about the American interests in that region will understand the legitimacy of this moment.

This is not contrived, and it has nothing to do with impeachment. No one should question that once again -- once too many times -- it is Saddam Hussein who has brought this on himself. He has lied. He fails to comply with his own promises and his own obligations that he has accepted. He is a threat to the region and to its stability, and he is a threat to our international efforts for proliferation.
While I respect that many people have differing opinions about whether or not military action may accomplish all of our goals, it is clear to me that absent military action, with additional strategies, we will not hold Saddam Hussein accountable.
I support action at this time, but I also remain deeply concerned that there are larger issues of our long-term strategy that need to be answered still. And the American people need to understand precisely what will be entailed in order to achieve our longer-term objectives in the region. I believe the administration needs to share that strategy with us in the Senate, with our House colleagues, as well as with the American people. We must understand precisely what it will entail to achieve our goals and precisely what will be expected of the American people over that period of time.

Q Sir, if I could just ask a quick question. The chairman of the Rules Committee in the House is essentially saying, "Here we go again; the president is trying anything to get the issue off his hands." I know you've addressed that in your statement. But when you have a respected member of the House saying that on a day like today, what do you make of that?

SEN. KERRY: I think that the reason I wanted to make this statement today is that I think Americans need to really understand the gravity and legitimacy of what is happening with Saddam Hussein. He has been given every opportunity in the world to comply.
The president does not control the schedule of UNSCOM. The president did not withdraw the UNSCOM inspectors. And the president did not, obviously, cut a deal with Saddam Hussein to do this at this moment.
Saddam Hussein has not complied. Saddam Hussein is pursuing a program to build weapons of mass destruction.

That is his overriding goal, because that's part of his long-term strategy in the region. I believe anybody who has responsibly followed this issue and cares about the larger interests of the United States should not, in keeping with that responsibility, cloud this issue with anything to do with impeachment.
It seems to me that it is even more perilous for a president who is facing impeachment to consider at this time trumping up some kind of use of the armed forces. If ever there might be something to invite impeachment, that would be it. So I believe that Americans ought to come together, understanding the larger interests that are at stake in the Gulf.
Now, again, I repeat, there is a bigger job yet to do of explaining to the American people what it will take for us to achieve our long-term goals in the region, and that strategy has not yet been thoroughly spelled out either to the Congress or to the American people.

Q Just one more question. Do you mean to tell me that you have -- have you ever seen a situation that's gotten as weird as this -- (off mike) -- (laughter) -- don't even have the words to describe it --

SEN. KERRY: Well, I was not a member of the United States Congress, but I was here a lot in the early 1970s when we were trying to end a war and I saw a lot of weirdness then, so -- we're seeing a repeat of a very strange time and certainly, I think, most Americans are feeling incensed and somewhat confused and perhaps even a little let down by the president and by the process. And there are a lot questions, no question about it.
I think that all of us here, however, have a wonderful opportunity to help people understand how the Constitution can really work effectively and how we could cross party lines to work together in a responsible way that would make sense to everybody and I think they're just waiting for people here to prove that they're capable of doing that rather than these terrible divisions along party lines that are really potentially going to have a long-term negative impact on our politics and on our country.
Thank you. I appreciate it.

"One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to
develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them.
That is our bottom line."
President Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998

"If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear.
We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass
destruction program."
President Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998

"Iraq is a long way from USA but, what happens there matters a great
deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use
nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the
greatest security threat we face."
Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998

"He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten
times since 1983."
Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998

"We urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the
U.S.Constitution and Laws, to take necessary actions, (including, if
appropriate,
air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively
to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass
destruction programs."
Letter to President Clinton, signed by Sens. Carl Levin, Tom Daschle,
John Kerry, and others Oct. 9, 1998

"Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass
destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and
he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process."
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998

"Hussein has ... chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass
destruction and palaces for his cronies."
Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999

"There is no doubt that ... Saddam Hussein has invigorated his weapons
programs. Reports indicate that biological, chemical and nuclear
programs
continue a pace and may be back to pre-Gulf War status. In addition,
Saddam continues to redefine delivery systems and is doubtless using the
cover of a licit missile program to develop longer-range missiles that
will threaten the United States and our allies."
Letter to President Bush, Signed by Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL,) and others,
December 5, 2001

"We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a
threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the
mandated of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass
destruction and the means of delivering them."
Sen. Carl Levin (D, MI), Sept. 19, 2002

"We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical
weapons throughout his country."
Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002

"Iraq's search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to
deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam
is in power."
Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002

"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and
developing weapons of mass destruction."
Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002

"The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998.
We are confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical
and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course
to build up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities.
Intelligence reports indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons..."
Sen. Robert Byrd (D, WV), Oct. 3, 2002

"I will be voting to give the President of the United States the
authority to use force-- if necessary-- to disarm Saddam Hussein because
I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his
hands is a real and grave threat to our security."
Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002

"There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working
aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear
weapons within the next five years ... We also should remember we have
always underestimated
the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass
destruction."
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D, WV), Oct 10, 2002

"He has systematically violated, over the course of the past 11 years,
every significant UN resolution that has demanded that he disarm and
destroy his
chemical and biological weapons, and any nuclear capacity. This he has
refused to do"
Rep. Henry Waxman (D, CA), Oct. 10, 2002

"In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show
that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological
weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program.
He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including
al Qaeda members
It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will
continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical
warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons."
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002

"We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that
Saddam Hussein has, and has had for a number of years, a developing
capacity for the production and storage of weapons of mass destruction."
Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL), Dec. 8, 2002

"Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal,
murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime . He presents a
particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to
miscalculation ... And now he is miscalculating America's response to
his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass
destruction So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass
destruction is real..."
Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan.23.2003

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