Edwards on Iraq, Jan 13, 2002

Pre January 21, 2003

STATEMENT FROM US SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

I appreciate hearing your concerns about the current situation with Iraq. Along with many other Americans, you continue to raise important and complex questions that deserve to be addressed. These questions include the risks, costs, and consequences of potential conflict with Iraq. We must ensure that any action against Iraq does not undermine the ongoing war on terrorism. And we must also continue to address the domestic problems that affect the daily lives of millions of Americans.

Saddam Hussein's regime is one of the most repressive and violent on the planet. Its human rights record is abominable. And Iraq is a grave threat to America and our allies. For more than 20 years, Hussein has sought weapons of mass destruction through every possible means. For over 10 years, he has acted in defiance of the United Nations (UN). We know that he has chemical and biological weapons today, that he has used them in the past, and that he is doing everything he can to build more. Everyday he gets closer to his longtime goal of nuclear capability. We must not allow him to get nuclear weapons. The world must not be forced to live in fear of a tyrannical leader who is equipped with weapons of mass destruction.

I am pleased that the Bush Administration followed the advice of those of us who believed that they should seek the broadest coalition possible through the UN Security Council. With strong U.S. leadership, last November the UN Security Council unanimously agreed to create a process to disarm Saddam Hussein.

Based on Iraq's history and recent behavior, we cannot be confident that Iraq will comply - and therefore must stand ready to enforce the UN's mandate. Iraq's 12,000 page report on its weapons (which was required by UN Security Council Resolution 1441) was analyzed by UN experts and judged to be full of inaccuracies and absolutely unsatisfactory. Iraq has thus far not shown any willingness to, in the words of UN Security Council Resolution 1441, "cooperate fully in the implementation" of the UN Security Council's mandate. But the UN inspectors are still doing their work on the ground, and they will again report to the UN Security Council on January 27.

Yet if Hussein refuses to comply, the U.S. and its allies must be prepared to resort to military force. If force is required, we must recognize that the costs of military action are nearly impossible to quantify precisely. In fact, the United States has never entered a conflict in which it knew beforehand what the costs would be. I am well aware that the potential costs - in dollars, but more importantly, in human lives - could be very high. Yet I believe that the costs of inaction would be far greater than the costs of action. That said, we must do as much as possible to ensure the safety of our troops as well as innocent civilians. And just as important, after Saddam Hussein is gone, we must be ready to assist the Iraqi people in their efforts to build a society rooted in democracy, tolerance, and freedom. I share your concern for the well-being of the Iraqi civilians. However, it is important to understand that the UN sanctions placed on Iraq following its unprovoked invasion of Kuwait in 1990 have been greatly modified in recent years to alleviate the suffering of the Iraqi people. Since 1996, the UN and Iraq have been engaged in the Oil-for Food Program, provided for by UN Security Council Resolution 986. This program, despite much Iraqi subversion and malfeasance, has resulted in $25 billion in humanitarian supplies being delivered to Iraq and, according to a December 2002 report from the U.S. State Department, $10 billion more is on its way.

Unfortunately, Hussein continues to exploit the program. His regime has sold much of the food and supplies to other Gulf countries for a profit that is then spent on his 48 palaces (built since 1991) and weapons of mass destruction. For example, the money allotted for medical supplies was spent largely on high-tech medical equipment used primarily on government officials, not on vaccines and antibiotics for the numerous Iraqi children that are dying from lack of treatment. During this current record drought in Iraq, Hussein has diverted the much-needed irrigation resources away from struggling villages and into his own region, making it impossible for hungry families to grow crops. Sanctions do not prevent Saddam Hussein from spending money on food and medicine for his people. Rather, he alone makes the decision to build another palace for himself and his cohorts, or to buy materials for weapons of mass destruction, rather than to provide for the Iraqi people.

I am grateful for your time and interest during this complicated time. While I understand that we may respectfully disagree on how the situation in Iraq should be handled, I hope that we can agree that we must act in a way that ensures the security of the American people, enhances America's moral authority, and supports freedom around the world.