Political Quotes

“I think Iran knows our view; in various ways they know our view that grabbing territory would be counterproductive. And I could take this opportunity to suggest that that would be the worst thing they could do. And I know that I would speak confidently for our coalition partners in the Gulf on that point. I'd let the Prime Minister speak for himself. On the question of Saddam, I have said over and over again that I think it's almost impossible--put it this way--is impossible to have normalized relations with Iraq while Saddam Hussein is in there. As the brutalities in Kuwait come out, as people see this environmental terrorism--right, looking it in the face over there--I think people are feeling more strongly than ever that what he has done in brutalizing that country and in the burnt, the scorched-earth policy, as he's violated every tenet of any concern for the environment, is beneath even contempt. So, it is hard to see how an Iraq with him at the helm can rejoin the family of peace-loving nations. And, of course, there is this U.N. sanction question of damages that has to be addressed. But as one assesses the damage in Kuwait, I think the blame has to be put right squarely on his shoulders. The Prime Minister. You can't find, I wouldn't think, a person in a civilized country who would do anything but expect and hope for a change in the leadership, a quite vile leadership, that we have seen in Iraq. To go to the first part of your question, one thing that Mr. Clark has picked up in the last week is an opinion quite contrary to the view that the coalition or the United States might adopt quite a leisurely pace in dealing with problems in the Middle East. There's a sense of urgency that Canada has picked up and we have conveyed to our partners about not sitting idly by and saying, well, perhaps 6 months or 9 months or a year from now we'll get around to this. There is a request from all of the moderate Arab leaders who have been partners of ours in the coalition for prompt attention to some of the very serious matters that have emerged in the region.”