Congress must authorize the use of military force against Iraq before the U.N. Security Council votes on the issue, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told Congress Wednesday.
"No terrorist state poses a greater and more immediate threat to the security of our people and the stability of the world than the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq," Rumsfeld told the House Armed Services Committee.
"The goal isn't inspections, the goal is disarmament," Rumsfeld said. "That is what Iraq agreed to do."
According to AP, Rumsfeld's testimony came shortly after President Bush said Saddam is "not going to fool anybody" with his promise to admit weapons inspectors and predicted the United Nations will rally behind his Iraq policy despite signs of unease.
In an Oval Office meeting with congressional leaders, Bush thanked Democrats and Republicans alike for their commitment to vote on a congressional resolution on Iraq before November's elections.
"I think it's an important signal for the world to see that this country is united in its resolve," the president said.
Rumsfeld said that message must be given before further U.N. action on Iraq. "Only certainty of U.S. and U.N. purposefulness can have even the prospect of affecting the Iraqi regime," Rumsfeld said. "It is important that Congress send that message as soon as possible — before the U.N. Security Council votes."
Rumsfeld said Iraq has stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons and is trying to get enough weapons-grade material to build a nuclear bomb. "The last thing we want is a smoking gun. A gun smokes after it has been fired," Rumsfeld said. "The goal must be to stop Saddam Hussein before he fires a weapon of mass destruction against our people."
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
