F**K BUSH & the whimpering democrats!!!

White House - AP


Bush Seeks OK on Iraq From Congress
Thu Sep 19, 5:34 PM ET

By MATT KELLEY, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush ( news - web sites) asked Congress
Thursday for authority to "use all means," including military force if necessary,
to disarm and overthrow Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein ( news - web sites) if he
does not comply quickly with United Nations ( news - web sites) demands that
he abandon all weapons of mass destruction.

Separately, the White House pressed reluctant allies
Russia and France to support a U.N. Security
Council resolution authorizing force. The Iraqi
president told the world organization in a written
speech, read by Iraq's foreign minister, that his
country has no chemical, biological or nuclear
weapons — and was ready to welcome back
inspectors.

Secretary of State Colin Powell ( news - web sites)
said that Saddam's latest statement itself
represented a backing away from his earlier promise
to grant weapons inspectors unfettered access.

The proposal Bush sent to Capitol Hill would give him
broad war-making authority. "If you want to keep the
peace, you've got to have the authorization to use
force," he told reporters in the Oval Office.

The president worked to build support for a vote by
Congress before lawmakers go home to campaign for
the Nov. 5 elections. His proposed resolution says
Iraq has repeatedly violated U.N. resolutions and
international law by possessing chemical and
biological weapons, seeking nuclear weapons,
repressing the Iraqi people and consorting with
terrorists.

Congressional leaders predicted lawmakers would
quickly pass a resolution on Iraq, although
Democrats said they would like to have a say on the
measure's final wording.

"We don't want to be a rubber stamp, but we do want to be helpful and
supportive," said Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D. "Congress has a
role here, and we'll assert that role whenever it is necessary or appropriate."

Senate Armed Services Committee ( news - web sites) Chairman Carl Levin,
D-Mich., said he would like the resolution to specify that Bush needs a U.N.
resolution backing the use of force. "Going alone has some very significant
risks," Levin said.

Republican leaders praised the measure as written. "I'm perfectly happy with
the language," said Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss. He said he
expected a Senate vote the first week in October. Sen. John McCain ( news,
bio, voting record), R-Ariz., called the wording "pretty straightforward" and
predicted, "It will pass overwhelmingly."

As drafted, Bush's resolution would authorize him to use force unilaterally if he
deemed necessary, without waiting for the U.N. to act.

It reads: "The president is authorized to use all means that he determines to be
appropriate, including force, in order to enforce the United Nations Security
Council resolutions, defend the national security interests of the United States
against the threat posed by Iraq, and restore international peace and security in
the region."

Bush spoke to reporters after meeting with Powell on his difficult diplomatic
effort to draft the U.N. resolution against Iraq. The administration has to
overcome strong reservations by Russia and France, which have veto power as
permanent council members.

Britain is expected to side with the United States. The fifth member, China, has
voiced opposition to unilateral U.S. military action but has not threatened to
veto measures calling for collective action.

"The United Nations Security Council must work with the United States and
other concerned parties to send a clear message that we expect Saddam to
disarm," Bush said.

"And if the United Nations Security Council won't deal with the problem, the
United States and some of our friends will," he declared.

The gap between Russian and American viewpoints was underlined in
comments by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov at the Pentagon ( news -
web sites), where he met with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. Ivanov
said he believed U.N. weapons inspectors will succeed in settling the question
of whether Iraq has weapons of mass destruction.

"Being experienced in that sort of business — both Americans and Russians —
I think we can easily establish (whether) there exist or not weapons of mass
destruction technology," Ivanov said.

Rumsfeld has said repeatedly that inspections cannot be 100 percent reliable
because Iraq has a long history of deceiving inspectors — and because it's had
nearly four years to figure out how to hide its weapons.

Bush was to meet at the White House on Friday with both the Russian defense
minister and its foreign minister, Igor Ivanov.

Meantime, Saddam told the United Nations that Iraq is free of nuclear,
biological and chemical weapons.

"Our country is ready to receive any scientific experts, accompanied by
politicians you choose to represent any one of your countries, to tell us which
places and scientific installations they would wish to see," Foreign Minister Naji
Sabri told the world body, quoting the Iraqi president.

Powell, appearing before the House International Relations Committee, scoffed
at Saddam's message and noted that it appeared to limit where inspectors
might go. "He is already backing away, he is stepping away from the `without
conditions' statement they made on Monday," Powell said. "He's not deceiving
anybody. It's a ploy we have seen before."

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer ( news - web sites) ridiculed the Iraqi
statement as a "disappointing failure in every respect."

Apparently preparing for a possible U.S. attack, Saddam in recent weeks has
moved some military forces into civilian areas, Rumsfeld said. Other officials
said it did not appear to be the kind of large-scale movement of forces that
would indicate Saddam expects an imminent attack, but rather a precaution
against a sudden assault.

Bush said he wanted Congress to give him not only the power to make war with
Saddam, but also an explicit restatement of U.S. policy that Saddam must be
overthrown. His proposal mentions "efforts to remove from power the current
Iraqi regime and promote the emergence of a democratic government."

Later, during a visit to the Homeland Security Command Center, Bush told
reporters that even though he hadn't heard Saddam's message to the United
Nations, he assumed it was "the same old song and dance we've heard for 11
long years." He challenged the Security Council anew to show some "backbone
... or the United States and some of our friends will do so."