Senator Backs Pressure on Iraq

Senator Joseph Lieberman has urged the Bush administration to support democratic opponents of President Saddam Hussein of Iraq, the same way we are supporting opposition to the Taliban in Afghanistan. However, he stopped short of calling for an immediate military strike on Iraq. The Connecticut senator says there should be a ?phase two? response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He feels the administration should now turn its attention to Iraq as a state that is suspected of supporting and harboring terrorists and says, ?As long as Saddam is there, Iraq is not just going to be a thorn in our side, but a threat to our lives.? Lieberman, who is a member of the Armed Services Committee, wants to revive legislation that would authorize the President to provide military training, money for radio and television broadcasting, and humanitarian aid to democratic opposition organizations in Iraq. The war on Saddam has ?got to start with more support of the Iraqi opposition, that?s the beginning of it,? he says. ?At some point, there would be a military component.? ?I don?t think we should do too much at once here,? says Senator Sam Brownback, R-Kan., senior Republican on a Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee. ?At the appropriate time, we should move forward in pressing for a regime change in Iraq.? Lieberman has praised Bush?s handling of the crisis. He cautions against giving too much power to our allies, saying the United States must be willing to take the lead in the war against terrorism.

NOTE: This news story, previously published on our old site, will have any links removed.