-Caveat Lector- >From WND
>>>The House impeachment "managers" strike out on their own. A<>E<>R<<< }}}>Begin This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows. To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=25629 Tuesday, December 11, 2001 WAR ON TERROR Lawmaker decries potential Iraq attack Calls widening of military action 'dangerous in the extreme' By Jon Dougherty © 2001 WorldNetDaily.com A noted Texas congressman says he fears the Bush administration is set to expand the war on terrorism to Iraq, a move he calls "dangerous in the extreme." Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, in a letter sent to the president last week, said the "volume of those voices demanding a massive ground invasion of Iraq has been on the increase," even though "there is no evidence that Iraq had any part in the Sept. 11 attacks against the United States." "These voices demand that the U.S. government move American troops from Afghanistan to Iraq, to overthrow Saddam Hussein and install a new government there," Paul said in his letter. "It would be unwise and dangerous in the extreme, however, to heed these calls to widen American military action. …" Urging Bush to "stay the course" by responding only "to those who attacked the United States," Paul pointed out that the joint congressional resolution authorizing military action in response to the 9-11 attacks doesn't i nclude an assault against countries not identified as having played a role in the terrorism. Paul noted the congressional resolution said: "The president is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed or aided t he terrorist attacks that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons. ..." "An attack on Iraq, or any other nation not involved in the 9-11 attacks, would therefore exceed the authority given by Congress in the joint resolution of Sept. 14," Paul said. Also, Kent Snyder, executive director of The Liberty Committee, a Virginia-based political action committee co-founded by Paul, said an additional Iraq resolution introduced Dec. 4 was equally troubling. The resolution – called HJR 75, which has eight co-sponsors – states: (1) the president and the United Nations should insist on monitoring weapons development in Iraq, as required by United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 (April 3, 1991); (2) Iraq should allow United Nations weapons inspectors into Iraq, as required by Security Council Resolution 687; (3) Iraq remains in material and unacceptable breach of its international obligations; and (4) the refusal by Iraq to admit United Nations weapons inspectors into any facility covered by the provisions of Security Council Resolution 687 should be considered an act of aggression against the United States and its allies. "It's No. 4 we have a problem with," Snyder told WorldNetDaily. Sponsored by Reps. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Porter Goss, R-Fla., and Henry Hyde, R-Ill., the bill is "scheduled for markup" tomorrow – a process whereby changes to the measure are made – said Snyder. Once finished, members will send it to the Rules Committee, then out to the full House for a vote. Snyder said Paul would attend the meeting to voice his opposition. The measure "is already scheduled for markup … by the full House Committee on International Relations – not even a subcommittee first," Snyder said. "That makes this bill a high priority for someone." Hyde is chairman of the International Relations committee. Other lawmakers, especially the resolution's sponsors, appear convinced Iraq should be next on the administration's hit list. "There is overwhelming evidence that Saddam Hussein continues full speed ahead in his quest to obtain weapons of mass destruction," Graham said earlier this month, when HJR 75 was introduced. "Without inspections and over sight from the United States and international community, I think he will eventually acquire the capability. For the security of the United States and our allies, we must not allow that to happen." "Iraq has been operating its weapons program in the shadows," Graham continued. "If that continues, it should be viewed as a direct threat and considered an act of aggression against the United States and our allies." Other sources on Capitol Hill who spoke on background with WND say U.S. and British bombing of Iraq has negated Saddam's ability to build his weapons of mass destruction programs. Furthermore, Paul says he believes renewe d attacks on Iraq could subject the U.S. to increased risks. "Invading Iraq, with the massive loss of life on both sides, would only forward bin Laden's twisted and hateful plan," he wrote in his letter to Bush. He said he was "concerned that far from punishing terrorists who threa ten the United States, an invasion of Iraq would undermine our security and open the door to an exponential increase in threats to our survival." "It would be both tragic and ironic if U.S. policy actually helped terrorists advance their ultimate goal of a world war between Islam and the West," he said. Jeff Deist, a spokesman for Paul, said the committee is scheduled to convene at 2 p.m. Eastern tomorrow. Kevin Bishop, a spokesman for Graham, told WND that HJR 75 was "directly related" to the administration's ongoing terrorist war and was to be used "in addition to" existing congressional authorization. Asked how U.S. officials know that Saddam is attempting to revitalize his weapons program – since weapons inspectors have been banned from Iraq since 1997 – Bishop said "Iraqi defectors and American intelligence agencies" have evidence pointing in that direction. "I don't think there is anyone who disputes that Iraq is trying to obtain weapons of mass destruction," he added. Still, others are opposed to expanding the current terror war to Iraq. In fact, entire governments remain opposed. Germany has expressed reservations about widening the terror war to Iraq, and Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said last week, "We don't want an American operation concerning Iraq." And yesterday, WND reported that "official sources" in Russia say Moscow is "vehemently opposed" to expanding the war to Baghdad. "Moscow is convinced that Washington has no proof of Iraq's connection with the events of Sept. 11 … or Iraq's involvement in terrorism," while any assault on Iraq would split the anti-terrorism coalition, said the Russia n government's official broadcasting service, the Voice of Russia World Service. "For a number of historical, geographical, military, political and economic reasons, Moscow is interested in good relations with Baghdad," said an earlier broadcast. In an interview Sunday in Business Week, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld left open the possibility that the war could be expanded to a number of different nations suspected of harboring terrorist factions. Asked how long the U.S. could tolerate Baghdad's pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, Rumsfeld said that question was "above his pay grade." "We've got six to 10 countries on the terrorist list. [Some] already have chemical and biological weapons programs. A number have been pursuing nuclear capabilities," he told Business Week. "When weapons were less lethal and [casualties] involved thousands instead of hundreds of thousands, or millions, of people, you could make a mistake and it wasn't terminal. [Now,] when you're dealing with that many countries and with the close linkage s [among] terrorist networks ... it forces you to make different calculations." Related story: Moscow 'vehemently' opposes attacks on Iraq Jon E. Dougherty is a staff reporter and columnist for WorldNetDaily, and author of the special report, "Election 2000: How the Military Vote Was Suppressed." 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