John Kerry: “last weekend Saddam Hussein sought to test the international community's tolerance and resolve yet again. Some 30,000…”

“last weekend Saddam Hussein sought to test the international community's tolerance and resolve yet again. Some 30,000 Iraqi soldiers, led by the elite Republican Guards, attacked and captured the Kurdish-controlled city of Irbil in northern Iraq. Saddam undertook this action despite warnings from the United States and other members of the international community and in defiance of our collective commitment, born out of the Persian Gulf war, to protect the Kurds. None of us knows why Saddam decided to test us now. But if the history of the last six years has taught us anything, it is that Saddam Hussein does not understand diplomacy, he only understands power, and when he brandishes power in a manner that threatens our interests or violates internationally accepted standards of behavior, we must be prepared to respond--and with force, if necessary. President Clinton's response to Saddam's latest challenge was the right one--decisive, measured, and carefully calculated to take the strategic advantage away from Saddam.”