Pete Domenici: “as we acknowledge the passing of an entire decade since the victory of coalition forces in Desert Storm, we must…”

“as we acknowledge the passing of an entire decade since the victory of coalition forces in Desert Storm, we must simultaneously admit that this military victory has not translated into achievement of desired objectives. Recent events and intelligence assessments have once again focused attention on Iraq. Saddam Hussein has rebuilt any weapons production capabilities that were damaged or destroyed in the Desert Fox operations in late 1998. Despite military defeat, despite thwarted attempts by the U.N. Special Commission, and despite a decade of sanctions, Iraq under Saddam Hussein's leadership remains a threat. Two weeks ago strikes at command and control centers outside of the no-fly zones reminded the American public that our pilots have been patrolling Iraqi skies for ten years. Although we haven't yet lost any pilots or planes in this ongoing operation, a decade of this routine and the wear and tear on the aircraft without any end in sight has caused many people to question the prudence of this policy and approach.”