US president says use of force against Iraq may be unavoidable
( 2002-10-03 14:22) (8)
US President George W. Bush said Wednesday that "the use of military force against Iraq may become unavoidable" if Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein persists in his defiance of United Nations disarmament resolutions.
Flanked by Democratic and Republican congressional leaders and leading lawmakers at a White House Rose Garden ceremony, Bush praised a bipartisan draft resolution authorizing the use of forceagainst Iraq.
"The statement of support from the Congress will show to friendand enemy alike the resolve of the United States," Bush told reporters.
"In Baghdad, the regime will know that full compliance with allUN Security Council's demands is the only choice and the time remaining for that choice is limited," Bush said.
The leaders of the House of Representatives and the Bush administration reached an agreement earlier in the day on the wording of a draft resolution authorizing possible use of force todeal with Iraq.
"We should deal with it diplomatically if we can, militarily ifwe must and I think this resolution does that," House Democratic leader Dick Gephardt said after a White House breakfast meeting with Bush and three other leaders of US Congress.
The agreement came after the White House agreed to a number of concessions in its initial proposal for broad authority to use military force against Iraq.
Gephardt said the draft resolution was "quite a different resolution" from the draft resolution proposed by the Bush administration.
The initial plan of the Bush administration, sent to Congress last month, would give the president maximum flexibility to launchmilitary action against Iraq.
As part of the deal with the House, Bush bent to Democratic wishes and pledged to certify to Congress -- before any military strike, if feasible, or within 48 hours of a US attack -- that diplomatic and other peaceful means alone are inadequate to protect Americans from Saddam's weapons of mass destruction.
Bush "believes the prospects for bipartisan passage of this areexceptionally strong," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said ofthe draft resolution that the House leaders and the administrationagreed to.
"The president is pleased that the resolution gives him the tools he needs to deal with Saddam Hussein's threat and that it does so in a way that does not tie his hands," Fleischer told reporters.
The House Committee on International Relations was to begin itswork on the resolution later Wednesday, and floor debate was scheduled for next week.
The Senate is still debating the wording of a resolution on Iraq. And Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle said the Senate wouldreach a deal later Wednesday.
"It is still my hope and expectation, really, that at the end of the day we are going to have a broad level of support on both sides of the aisle for a resolution that indicates our support forthe United Nations effort and our support for the administration'seffort in dealing with Iraq," Daschle said.
The Senate Democratic leader has faced pressure from some fellow Democrats who believe Bush was asking for too much authority.
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