Bill Clinton: “I believe, having now traveled and talked with and heard from so many of my constituents, that it is time for us to face…”

“I believe, having now traveled and talked with and heard from so many of my constituents, that it is time for us to face the real issues that are on the minds of the American people. Obviously, we know Americans today are quite concerned and worried about the continuing defiance of the United Nations by Saddam Hussein and the amassing of 200,000 of our men and women in uniform in the gulf in the event the President must order military action to fulfill the requirements not only of Resolution 1441 but of all the resolutions that Saddam Hussein has defied for over a decade. I know many of the people I represent are deeply concerned that in the last week we have not been able to get any information from the administration about their projected costs of the military action should it occur in Iraq, and the follow-on costs that would be required for the pacification and rebuilding of Iraq, the efforts to try to create a set of conditions that could provide a better opportunity for a brighter future for the people of Iraq. Many of my constituents have said: Senator, how much is it going to cost? How long is it going to take? How many of our people will be put at risk? We do not know the answers.”