MORE TARGETING IRAQ

[Suzy Kane <suzykane@DELETETHISnewmex.com>]

Thanks, Drew Hamre, for your roundup.  Here's the latest from The
Washington Post:

10 Leading Lawmakers Urge Targeting of Iraq

By Steven Mufson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 6, 2001; Page A28

Ten leading members of Congress have signed a letter urging President
Bush to make the Iraqi regime the next major target in the war on
terrorism, declaring that "as
we work to clean up Afghanistan and destroy al Qaeda, it is imperative
that we plan to eliminate the threat from Iraq."

Among the signers are former presidential candidate Sen. John McCain
(R-Ariz.); former vice presidential candidate Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman
(D-Conn.); the
ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Jesse
Helms (N.C.); Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.); House
International Relations
Committee Chairman Henry J. Hyde (R-Ill.); and the ranking Republican on
the Senate Intelligence Committee, Richard C. Shelby (Ala.).

The letter adds to the chorus of policymakers calling for efforts to
topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. It follows warnings by Bush that
Iraq will face serious
consequences if it does not allow United Nations inspectors to search
for weapons of mass destruction. "We believe we must directly confront
Saddam, sooner
rather than later," the letter said.

Noting that this month marks the third anniversary of the last U.N.
inspection of Iraqi weapons programs, the lawmakers said the current
economic sanctions are not
enough to contain Iraq. They said the administration had struggled to
close "loopholes" in the sanctions but had failed to stop illicit oil
sales. They also said they have
no doubt Hussein has "reinvigorated" Iraq's biological, chemical and
nuclear weapons programs.

The lawmakers urged Bush to provide more assistance to the opposition
Iraqi National Congress. "Successive administrations have funded
conferences, offices and
other intellectual exercises that have done little more than expose the
INC to accusations of being 'limousine insurgents' and 'armchair
guerrillas,' " the letter said.

                                               © 2001 The Washington
Post Company

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