Joe Cunningham: “Well, if my colleague takes a look at the number of people at coalitions that are supporting the President, it is…”

“Well, if my colleague takes a look at the number of people at coalitions that are supporting the President, it is overwhelming. I think we also need to realize that many of the Middle East nations that are actually helping us, that helped us catch KSM just this week, they are helping us: Indonesia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia. These countries have been sterling. Yes, there is an issue with bases, but remember that these nations live at the back door of Saddam Hussein. Let us say that we did not go into Iraq and allowed Saddam Hussein to persevere once again. Can the gentleman imagine the risk that that puts these Arab nations in by coming out ahead of time? And I will tell my colleague that these nations will be with us when we go into Iraq, either to disarm Saddam Hussein or he disarms himself. Two real quick issues I think are important and I thank the gentleman for yielding. One critic says that let us look at the cost that it would cost. 9-11 cost New York $200 billion, another $83 billion in lost revenue while we were rebuilding New York. Look across the Nation. Look at the services. Look at the travel industry. Look at the airline industry. Look at the hotels and think about the devastation of our economy and how that hurt. So the cost of going in there is going to be far less than when al Qaeda hits the United States again. The second complaint they say, well, look at the innocent Iraqis that are going to be hurt. First of all, we will not target innocent Iraqis.…”