OTHER VIEWS

President Should Not 'Go It Alone'

IfNot Now, When?

tions that impedes the com-
he time has come for
is forced to vote at this time
ver the next few weeks,
mander-in-chief's constitutional
the removal of Iraqi
on a resolution that would
both the House and
ability to act in the absence of
President Saddam
give the president the broad
the Senate will decide
imprimatur from a United
Hussein's regime. He
authority to take unilateral
on a resolution regard-
Nations Security Council that
has surpassed Nazi Germany's
American military action
ing U.S. policy toward Iraq. If
includes Syria, a terrorist state.
Adolf Hitler with respect to the
against Iraq, in other words,
done wisely, we can unite not
The Constitution gives to
number
of
"second
chances"
to "go it alone" without
only the Congress, but ultimate-
Congress,
not to the Security
that
the
world
has
given
him.
U.N. backing. A vote now
ly help unite the world commu-
Council,
the
power to declare
Twentieth
century
history
ERIC
SEN
ATOR
authorizing
unilateral
nity on a course of action that
illustrates how dangerously
ROSEN BERG war; it gives to the president,
we all seek — the elimination of CARL LEVIN American military action
wrong world opinion often is.
suggests that action by a
Count apoint not to United Nations
Saddam Hussein's ability to
Point
Secretary General Kofi Annan,
The world ignored Italy's 1935
united world community is
threaten the world with .
the role of commander-in-
Ethiopian invasion, Germany's
only an option and not criti-
weapons of mass destruction.
chief.
The
United Nations Treaty does
1936
occupation
of
the
Rhineland,
its
cal as many of us believe it to be.
Saddam Hussein is without question
not
supersede
our Constitution.
1938
Anschluss
(annexation
of
Now that the president has called
a tyrant and a threat to the peace and
On
Sept.
29,
U.S. Rep. Jim
Austria),
its
1938
seizure
of
the
on
the
United
Nations
to
be
relevant,
stability of his neighbors, the United
McDermott, D-Wash., in Iraq, joined
Sudetenland and its 1939 seizure of
a vote by Congress authorizing unilat-
States and the world. He is intent on
on his mission by two other congress- -
the remainder of Czechoslovakia.
eral military action at this time sends
building or acquiring weapons of mass
men, stated that the world should take
World opinion did not care about
a very different message.
destruction and the means of deliver-
Hussein at his word, and that President
the plight of refugees fleeing Hitler on
If a U.N.-sponsored diplomatic
ing them, and he has ignored the
Bush has been misleading Americans.
ships
in
the
1930s,
nor
about
the
tens
approach does not achieve uncondi-
mandates of the United Nations.
When
George Orwell wrote 1984,
of
millions
of
victims
massacred
by
tional inspections and a U.N. author-
I believe Congress would give near-
even
he
could not anticipate how hard
Soviet
leader
Joseph
Stalin.
ized
military
confrontation
ensues,
at
unanimous support to a resolution
some Westerners would work to avoid
The world collaborated in the 1975
the very least we will have reduced the
that supports President Bush's tall
accepting reality and responsibility.
United Nations anti-Semitic "resolu-
risk to our armed. forces by broader
upon the United Nations "to hold
The president has been making the
tion" (slur) of Zionism's
involvement of the
Iraq to account," and that specifically
case for regime change in Iraq for quite
equaling racism. Almost
forces of other nations,
a while. During his campaign for presi-
everyone condemned
preserved the broad
THE
TOPIC
dent, he stated that if Hussein were •
Israel
in
1981
for
saving
coalition that is so vital
found to be manufacturing weapons of
humanity from a
Should the
to our war against ter-
mass destruction, then it would be the
nuclear
Iraq.
rorism, and protected
United States
job of this country to remove the threat.
More recently, in
the interests of our
attack Iraq
Vice President Richard Cheney,
1991, 47 American sena-
country and our allies in
Secretary of State Colin Powell,
tors nearly derailed for-
without
the Middle East and
National Security Adviser Condoleezza
mer President George
around the world.
congressional
Rice, along with President Bush, have
H.W.
Bush's
operation
to
As Congress takes up
approval and
articulated a powerful public case, lim-
expel Iraq from Kuwait.
this issue, we should
U.N. backing?
ited to information that is unclassified.
In the 1930s, many in
approve a resolution that
For - Senator Levin and others, who
the European and
can move us forward in
state that the president has not shown
American political
this manner. Such a reso-
an imminent threat from Iraq and
spheres, such as former
lution would not author-
authorizes the use of American mili-
that we should have the United
British
Prime
Minister
Neville
ize unilateral American military action
tary power to carry out a U.N. man-
Nations
behind the "_barrel of the gun"
Chamberlain
and
former
American
against Iraq at this time, but neither
date to disarm Iraq.
before
Congress
votes, I would submit
Ambassador
to
Germany
Joseph
P.
would
it
preclude
Congress
approving
When President Bush addressed the
that we already have a substantial and
Kennedy, either failed to understand
unilateral action at a later date.
United Nations, he rightfully declared
growing coalition of nations in sup-
Hitler's threat or felt the West could
Our nation should never 'relinquish
that the Iraqi threat is "exactly the kind
port of President Bush's goals.
contain that threat.
our authority to defend ourselves to
of aggressive threat that the United
Additionally, I am disappointed by
How
eerily
similar
that
sounds,
when
the United Nations or anyone else and
Nations was born to confront," and he
an
elected senator trying to limit the
one
listens
in
contemporary
times
to
will always be free to defend itself
reminded the world that Iraqi aggression
commander-in-chief's
authority based
Senators
Ted
Kennedy,
D-Mass.,
Carl
was stopped after the invasion of Kuwait against an imminent threat.
on
the
whim
of
a
Security
Council that
Levin,
D-Mich.,
and
others.
The
mis-
But
just
as
Secretary
of
State
Colin
"by the might of coalition forces and the
includes China, Russia, and France.
understanding of history, and of the
Powell is focused on winning U.N. .
will of the United Nations."
None of those nations was attacked on
threat posed by Hussein's weapons of
support for multilateral action in the
He pledged that the United States
Sept. 11, 2001; this nation was.
mass destruction and his proved will-
weeks ahead, Congress should do the
would work with the Security Council
With respect to politics, if George
ingness to use them, is frightening.
same and save for later consideration
"for the, necessary resolutions." This
Bush
were acting with political motiva-
The
readiness
of
Rich
individuals
to
the option of unilateral action and the
course recognizes that Saddam is a
tion,
then
why do Democratic Senators
subordinate
our
national
interest
to
feck-
very different risks involved in going it
problem for the entire world commu-
Zell
Miller,
John Breaux, Mary Landrieu,
less,
anti-American
and
anti-Jewish
alone,
should
the
U.N.
effort
fail.
nity, not just the United States. And
Evan Bayh, Max Cleland, John Edwards
world bodies such as the United Nations
Congressional authorization of the
we are far more likely to disarm Iraq
and Joseph Lieberman, and Democratic
and its quisling predecessor, the League
use of U.S. military force as part of
without war if Saddam, when he
representatives Tom Lantos, Minority
of Nations, is appalling. United States
such a U.N.-sponsored coalition can
stares down the barrel of a gun, sees
Leader Richard Gephardt, Howard
senators were elected to make decisions
lead and unite the world. Now that the
the whole world at the other end, not
Berman and many others support him?
of
war
and
peace,
not
to
defer
those
president has articulated a goal that can
just the United States.
The time for dithering, deferring (to
decisions
by
placing
language
in
resolu-
produce such a coalition, the Congress
But Congress will not be united if it
should not authorize a strategy that can Eric J. Rosenberg, a Farmington Hills res- the United Nations), dallying, and
debating has reached its close. Let us
Carl Levin, D-Mich.,.is chairman of
only create division in the world com-
ident, is active in the Zionist Organization
remove the Iraqi regime.
the Senate Armed Services Committee.
munity and here at home. ❑
ofAmerica's Metropolitan Detroit Chapter.

0

T

Congress will not be
united if forced to
vote for unilateral
military action
against Iraq.

❑

10/4
2002

30