Political Quotes

“I support S.J. Res. 45 authorizing the use of force against Iraq. Perhaps the most difficult decision one can make as a Member of this body is to vote to send American troops into harm's way. It forces one to consider every question, every possibility, and every option short of war. But this does not mean we should eschew action simply because we have not yet tried every other option. Some threats must be dealt with before implausible alternatives are allowed to play out because of the consequences of delay. Preemption may be the only logical course of action in some situations. A nation need not allow itself to be struck to be justified in acting to protect itself. With these principles in mind, we can evaluate the need to authorize the use of force against Iraq. Actually, use of force against Iraq has already been authorized by both the United States and the United Nations. And the United States and Great Britain are already using force on a weekly basis. Notwithstanding his obligations to allow aerial inspections in the no-fly zones, Saddam Hussein regularly attempts to shoot down our unarmed reconnaissance planes, and we either react by destroying the offending anti-aircraft site or seek to discover and destroy it before it can fire--preemption. No one questions our right to do this.”