Edolphus Towns: “I am concerned that this resolution ignores the political realities that are present in a tinderbox like the Middle…”

“I am concerned that this resolution ignores the political realities that are present in a tinderbox like the Middle East. It is naive to think that unilateral American action in the Middle East will achieve lasting security, but it is downright foolish to ignore the United Nations' potential as a partner in eliminating Saddam's chokehold on world security. This resolution merely pays lip service to any meaningful coalition building or endorsement of U.N. findings without establishing an international coalition. We leave the fate of the Iraqi people to uncertainty and without the hope of meaningful nation building or distribution of aid. America cannot achieve this alone or on its own. The world is watching us to see how a superpower acts which has defeated its dragons and is now confronted by malignant dictators of developing powers. Make no mistake about it, Saddam Hussein is a dictator who resorts to the most heinous of atrocities to silence his opponents. As the world's sole superpower, we must be careful that our allies do not grow resentful of us. We need to make certain that they are included in any sort of action that we as a Nation might decide to take. That has not happened, and I must vote no on the resolution. Let me close by saying I am concerned as anyone in this Chamber about national and international security. I served in the United States Army, but I am not convinced that we should put our young people in harm's way.”