John Tierney: “as the previous colleague just said, the decision of whether or not to send our young men and women to danger and to…”

“as the previous colleague just said, the decision of whether or not to send our young men and women to danger and to possibly kill or harm others is certainly the most solemn and serious decision the Members of Congress will have to make. There was no ambiguity between Congress and the President with respect to our response to the events of September 11, 2001, but now the issue is how to deal with a nation under control of an undeniably dangerous and treacherous individual, Saddam Hussein. The administration seeks to go it alone, seeks a resolution that would allow the President alone to decide and determine whether or not it is necessary to attack Iraq. It also seeks authorization to act for reasons beyond Iraq's failure to disarm after inspections. I believe there is a better way, a way recommended by other past commanders and present, names like Admiral Clark, Zinni and others. We should work within the international framework to create a consensus to impose inspections and disarmament and authorize the United States to participate in that U.N. Security Council effort to enforce those inspections and disarmament. That resolution should also say that if efforts are honestly and diligently pursued and they prove unsuccessful, then the administration should return to Congress for the determination of what appropriate action the United States, and other countries choosing to act with it, should then take.”