Jim Inhofe: “I wish he had seen what we all witnessed a few minutes ago when the great Prime Minister Allawi from Iraq gave one of…”

“I wish he had seen what we all witnessed a few minutes ago when the great Prime Minister Allawi from Iraq gave one of the best messages I have ever heard to a joint meeting. Much has been made about the Secretary General's remarks in an interview last week in which he called the war in Iraq 'illegal.' It is not an illegal war. I would like to reemphasize that the liberation of Iraq was carried out to enforce Security Council resolutions. These were the serious consequences with which Saddam was threatened if he continued his illegal acts--his illegal acts. Secretary General Annan's remarks seem to be based on the idea that without explicit Security Council permission, any military action is illegal under international law. I remind my colleagues that in 1999, NATO forces had been conducting air operations in Kosovo for 72 days before the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution granting its blessings. I have not heard any condemnation of the NATO's action as being illegal.”