Hawai'i delegation urges caution against Iraq
| • | Pacifism advocates urge Iraq dialogue |
By Derrick DePledge
Advertiser Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — A decade ago, as the United States prepared for war with Iraq, Sen. Dan Inouye was an eloquent voice of opposition.
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The Hawai'i Democrat, who lost his right arm fighting for the United States in World War II, said in January 1991 that he was not one to shrink from a fight but the United States had not exhausted its options in dealing with Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
Sen. Dan Inouye is concerned about whether he could justify military action.
"We owe it to our forces in the field — young men and women — to ensure that we have done everything possible to avert conflict before we ask them to make the supreme sacrifice," he told the Senate.
Today, as the United States braces for the possibility of another confrontation with Iraq, Inouye and other members of Hawai'i's congressional delegation again have their doubts. Inouye's concern is whether he could justify military action to constituents whose sons, daughters, husbands and wives, would be sent into battle.
"I've got to be able to tell them why," he said. "I want to support the president, but I want to make certain my support is not misplaced."
Others in the delegation also urged caution.
In a speech to the United Nations on Thursday, President Bush accused Iraq of developing weapons of mass destruction and supporting international terrorism. The president described Iraq as a threat to world security and claimed the United Nations risks irrelevance if it fails to respond.
Bush said he is prepared to work within the United Nations but warned that the United States is ready to act alone to remove Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
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"The history, the logic, and the facts lead to one conclusion: Saddam Hussein's regime is a grave and gathering danger," Bush said. "To suggest otherwise is to hope against the evidence. To assume this regime's good faith is to bet the lives of millions and the peace of the world in a reckless gamble. And this is a risk we must not take."
Sen. Daniel Akaka said threats to U.S. personnel should be kept to a minimum.
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged Iraq to respect U.N. authority but said pursuing military action without U.N. approval is justified only for countries acting in self-defense.
Mohammad Al-Douri, Iraq's ambassador to the United Nations, denied that Iraq is building weapons of mass destruction or condoning terrorism. He called Bush's speech a fabrication.
Bush has asked Congress to endorse a resolution against Iraq before lawmakers break next month. But many lawmakers question whether the president has made a compelling case for military action and whether a vote should be delayed until after the November elections.
Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawai'i, said the United Nations should insist on sending weapons inspectors back to Iraq. He agreed with Bush that the United Nations should contain Iraq but stopped short of backing unilateral U.S. action.
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"The first step of the United Nations is to insist on the return of international inspectors with the ability to fulfill their mandate," he said.
Rep. Neil Abercrombie is not convinced an operation against Iraq will easily succeed.
Akaka, chairman of the Senate subcommittee on military readiness, also said any military intervention should be conducted with minimum threats to U.S. personnel and without jeopardizing other missions, particularly in Afghanistan.
Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawai'i, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, said Bush still needs to weigh the views of domestic critics and U.S. allies.
"He hasn't made a persuasive case for unilateral military action," he said. "We still have to answer hard questions about the administration's assumptions that the operation will easily succeed, that there won't be any lasting harm to U.S. relations with friendly nations, and that we'll be able to extricate ourselves quickly once the fighting ends."
White House aides have said Bush does not need congressional approval to attack Iraq but has sought — as his father did in 1991 — a vote to demonstrate political support for his stand. The Constitution gives the president the power over the armed forces as commander in chief but grants Congress the authority to declare war.
After Iraq invaded Kuwait, Congress backed the decision by Bush's father to send military forces to the Persian Gulf, but not before a passionate debate. Ultimately, Inouye, Akaka, Abercrombie and Rep. Patsy Mink, D-Hawai'i, voted against military action. Mink has been in Straub Hospital & Clinic's intensive care unit with pneumonia since Sept. 1 and has been unable to comment.
Inouye said he wants credible evidence that Iraq has either developed or is close to developing weapons of mass destruction. He also believes Bush has to convince Congress that military action is necessary.
"If we don't give him an army he has no forces to command," Inouye said.
