Tom Lantos: “as divided as this House was on fast track, we are as united on the subject of dealing with Iraq. Today, I am…”

“as divided as this House was on fast track, we are as united on the subject of dealing with Iraq. Today, I am introducing a resolution supported by Members across the political spectrum which has a message for Saddam Hussein in Bagdad. At the conclusion of the gulf war, the United Nations decided to find and to destroy all of Iraq's capability to produce chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons and the missiles capable of delivering them. For 6/2 years, Iraq has pursued a policy of deception, lies, concealment, harassment, and intimidation in a deliberate effort to hamper the work of the inspectors designed to eliminate Iraq's ability to produce weapons of mass destruction. Recently Iraq has escalated its noncompliance by refusing to permit United States citizens of the inspection team from carrying out their responsibility. My resolution calls for resolving peacefully, through diplomatic means, this matter with full Iraqi compliance. Short of that, my resolution calls for military action undertaken under the broadest feasible multinational basis, preferably under United Nations' auspices, and, if necessary, my resolution calls for the United States to take military action to assure the destruction of Iraq's capability to produce and deliver weapons of mass destruction.”