Forwarded Message:
Subj: Words of sanity amid the rush to insanity
Date: 2/13/03 8:38:49 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Cuccia, Nick)
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Castelvecchi, Mike)
Published on Wednesday, February 12, 2003 by CommonDreams.org
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 h!
uge 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.
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