This comes from another mailing list. I've confirmed that it's not been reported on by the NYT, the Washington Post, or the Boston Globe.
Peter Trei > ---------- > From: Dave Farber[SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Reply To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Thursday, February 13, 2003 6:52 PM > To: ip > Subject: [IP] Speech by Sen. Robert Byrd -- Reckless Administration > May Reap Disastrous Consequences > > > ------ Forwarded Message > From: Bruce R Koball <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2003 11:46:04 -0800 (PST) > To: Dave Farber <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Cc: ip <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Speech by Sen. Robert Byrd > > Dave, > > On the chance you've not seen this, it's a truly remarkable speech by Sen. > Robert Byrd made yesterday on the Senate floor. Remarkable both for its > content and the way it seems to have been buried by the media... I mean, > not even a squib in the NYT! > > http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0212-07.htm > > ------ End of Forwarded Message > > Reckless Administration May Reap Disastrous Consequences > > by US Senator Robert Byrd > Senate Floor Speech - Wednesday, February 12, 2003 > > > > To contemplate war is to think about the most horrible of human > experiences. > On this February day, as this nation stands at the brink of battle, every > American on some level must be contemplating the horrors of war. > > Yet, this Chamber is, for the most part, silent -- ominously, dreadfully > silent. There is no debate, no discussion, no attempt to lay out for the > nation the pros and cons of this particular war. There is nothing. > > We stand passively mute in the United States Senate, paralyzed by our own > uncertainty, seemingly stunned by the sheer turmoil of events. Only on > the > editorial pages of our newspapers is there much substantive discussion of > the prudence or imprudence of engaging in this particular war. > > And this is no small conflagration we contemplate. This is no simple > attempt to defang a villain. No. This coming battle, if it materializes, > represents a turning point in U.S. foreign policy and possibly a turning > point in the recent history of the world. > > This nation is about to embark upon the first test of a revolutionary > doctrine applied in an extraordinary way at an unfortunate time. The > doctrine of preemption -- the idea that the United States or any other > nation can legitimately attack a nation that is not imminently threatening > but may be threatening in the future -- is a radical new twist on the > traditional idea of self defense. It appears to be in contravention of > international law and the UN Charter. And it is being tested at a time of > world-wide terrorism, making many countries around the globe wonder if > they > will soon be on our -- or some other nation's -- hit list. High level > Administration figures recently refused to take nuclear weapons off of the > table when discussing a possible attack against Iraq. What could be more > destabilizing and unwise than this type of uncertainty, particularly in a > world where globalism has tied the vital economic and security interests > of > many nations so closely together? There are huge cracks emerging in our > time-honored alliances, and U.S. intentions are suddenly subject to > damaging > worldwide speculation. Anti-Americanism based on mistrust, > misinformation, > suspicion, and alarming rhetoric from U.S. leaders is fracturing the once > solid alliance against global terrorism which existed after September 11. > > Here at home, people are warned of imminent terrorist attacks with little > guidance as to when or where such attacks might occur. Family members are > being called to active military duty, with no idea of the duration of > their > stay or what horrors they may face. Communities are being left with less > than adequate police and fire protection. Other essential services are > also > short-staffed. The mood of the nation is grim. The economy is stumbling. > Fuel prices are rising and may soon spike higher. > > This Administration, now in power for a little over two years, must be > judged on its record. I believe that that record is dismal. > > In that scant two years, this Administration has squandered a large > projected surplus of some $5.6 trillion over the next decade and taken us > to > projected deficits as far as the eye can see. This Administration's > domestic policy has put many of our states in dire financial condition, > under funding scores of essential programs for our people. This > Administration has fostered policies which have slowed economic growth. > This Administration has ignored urgent matters such as the crisis in > health > care for our elderly. This Administration has been slow to provide > adequate > funding for homeland security. This Administration has been reluctant to > better protect our long and porous borders. > > In foreign policy, this Administration has failed to find Osama bin Laden. > In fact, just yesterday we heard from him again marshaling his forces and > urging them to kill. This Administration has split traditional alliances, > possibly crippling, for all time, International order-keeping entities > like > the United Nations and NATO. This Administration has called into question > the traditional worldwide perception of the United States as > well-intentioned, peacekeeper. This Administration has turned the patient > art of diplomacy into threats, labeling, and name calling of the sort that > reflects quite poorly on the intelligence and sensitivity of our leaders, > and which will have consequences for years to come. > > Calling heads of state pygmies, labeling whole countries as evil, > denigrating powerful European allies as irrelevant -- these types of crude > insensitivities can do our great nation no good. We may have massive > military might, but we cannot fight a global war on terrorism alone. We > need the cooperation and friendship of our time-honored allies as well as > the newer found friends whom we can attract with our wealth. Our awesome > military machine will do us little good if we suffer another devastating > attack on our homeland which severely damages our economy. Our military > manpower is already stretched thin and we will need the augmenting support > of those nations who can supply troop strength, not just sign letters > cheering us on. > > The war in Afghanistan has cost us $37 billion so far, yet there is > evidence > that terrorism may already be starting to regain its hold in that region. > We have not found bin Laden, and unless we secure the peace in > Afghanistan, > the dark dens of terrorism may yet again flourish in that remote and > devastated land. > > Pakistan as well is at risk of destabilizing forces. This Administration > has not finished the first war against terrorism and yet it is eager to > embark on another conflict with perils much greater than those in > Afghanistan. Is our attention span that short? Have we not learned that > after winning the war one must always secure the peace? > > And yet we hear little about the aftermath of war in Iraq. In the absence > of plans, speculation abroad is rife. Will we seize Iraq's oil fields, > becoming an occupying power which controls the price and supply of that > nation's oil for the foreseeable future? To whom do we propose to hand > the > reigns of power after Saddam Hussein? > > Will our war inflame the Muslim world resulting in devastating attacks on > Israel? Will Israel retaliate with its own nuclear arsenal? Will the > Jordanian and Saudi Arabian governments be toppled by radicals, bolstered > by > Iran which has much closer ties to terrorism than Iraq? > > Could a disruption of the world's oil supply lead to a world-wide > recession? > Has our senselessly bellicose language and our callous disregard of the > interests and opinions of other nations increased the global race to join > the nuclear club and made proliferation an even more lucrative practice > for > nations which need the income? > > In only the space of two short years this reckless and arrogant > Administration has initiated policies which may reap disastrous > consequences > for years. > > One can understand the anger and shock of any President after the savage > attacks of September 11. One can appreciate the frustration of having > only > a shadow to chase and an amorphous, fleeting enemy on which it is nearly > impossible to exact retribution. > > But to turn one's frustration and anger into the kind of extremely > destabilizing and dangerous foreign policy debacle that the world is > currently witnessing is inexcusable from any Administration charged with > the > awesome power and responsibility of guiding the destiny of the greatest > superpower on the planet. Frankly many of the pronouncements made by this > Administration are outrageous. There is no other word. > > Yet this chamber is hauntingly silent. On what is possibly the eve of > horrific infliction of death and destruction on the population of the > nation > of Iraq -- a population, I might add, of which over 50% is under age 15 -- > this chamber is silent. On what is possibly only days before we send > thousands of our own citizens to face unimagined horrors of chemical and > biological warfare -- this chamber is silent. On the eve of what could > possibly be a vicious terrorist attack in retaliation for our attack on > Iraq, it is business as usual in the United States Senate. > > We are truly "sleepwalking through history." In my heart of hearts I pray > that this great nation and its good and trusting citizens are not in for a > rudest of awakenings. > > To engage in war is always to pick a wild card. And war must always be a > last resort, not a first choice. I truly must question the judgment of > any > President who can say that a massive unprovoked military attack on a > nation > which is over 50% children is "in the highest moral traditions of our > country". This war is not necessary at this time. Pressure appears to be > having a good result in Iraq. Our mistake was to put ourselves in a > corner > so quickly. Our challenge is to now find a graceful way out of a box of > our > own making. Perhaps there is still a way if we allow more time. > > ------------------------------------- > You are subscribed as [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe or update your address, click > http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip > > Archives at: > http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
