Dave Camp: “Mr. Speaker, the Iraqi regime has posed a threat to peace, to the United States, and to the world for too long. In order…”

“Mr. Speaker, the Iraqi regime has posed a threat to peace, to the United States, and to the world for too long. In order to protect America against this very real and growing threat, I support giving the President the authority to use force, to use military action if necessary against Iraq. Without a doubt this is one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make as a Member of Congress. But after briefings from the administration, testimony from congressional hearings, I am convinced the threat to our Nation's safety is real. After repeatedly failing to comply with U.N. inspections, Saddam Hussein's efforts to build weapons of mass destruction, biological, chemical and nuclear, have gone unchecked for far too long. The world cannot allow him to continue down this deadly path. Saddam Hussein must comply with U.N. inspections; but if not, America and our coalition must be prepared to meet this threat. The connection between Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and its longstanding ties to terrorist networks such as al Qaeda has significantly altered the U.S. security environment.”