Gus Bilirakis: “12 years ago, I came to this floor and voted, with a heavy heart, to authorize military action against Iraq after Saddam…”

“12 years ago, I came to this floor and voted, with a heavy heart, to authorize military action against Iraq after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. Sadly, I rise today to support another resolution which once again authorizes the use of military force against Iraq and Saddam Hussein. I think everyone agrees that military action, especially unilateral action, should never be undertaken lightly, and that judicious thought must be given to the consequences of such action. While I strongly believe that diplomacy is always preferable, it has become clear to me that we can no longer afford to ignore the threat posed by Saddam Hussein and his brutal regime. It has been well documented by previous speakers today that since the end of the Persian Gulf War, the threats posed by Iraq have actually increased rather than diminished. For more than a decade, Saddam has persisted in violating numerous United Nations resolutions designed to ensure that Iraq does not pose a threat to international peace and security. At the same time, he has consistently tried to circumvent U.N. economic sanctions against his brutal regime. Iraq continues to breach its international obligations by pursuing its efforts to develop a significant chemical and biological weapons capability, actively seeking nuclear weapons capability and supporting and harboring terrorist organizations.”