BROADSIDES

August 22, 2002

DON'T DELAY, SAYS DELAY: In a gem of a speech delivered in Houston, House majority whip Tom DeLay (R, Texas) becomes the the first member of either house of Congress to explain in detail the justification for liberating Iraq. The full text of DeLay's speech is here. DeLay cautions that advances in Saddam's weapons programs and his continued support of terrorist strikes means the United States must liberate Iraq -- and soon.

This is a particularly powerful excerpt:

"Many of those questioning the President’s policy have served America well for many years. And I respect their service to our country. But I couldn’t disagree more strongly about the grave costs of avoiding a confrontation with Iraq. Toppling Saddam would, they say, 'seriously jeopardize, if not destroy, the global counterterrorist campaign we have undertaken.' Ladies and gentlemen, these critics are dead wrong. Removing Saddam from power and liberating the Iraqi people would do more to advance the war against terror than any step we’ve taken yet. Removing Saddam would send a clear and unambiguous signal to every other state sponsor of terror: 'Shape up, because the price of subsidizing terror is now more than you can afford.' Returning their government to the people of Iraq would signal democratic reformers around the region that the United States is deeply committed to expanding freedom. It would demonstrate that we stand ready to help any willing country discover the blessings of self-government. And, by assisting reformers in Iraq to govern themselves, we would show that the United States has no intention of ruling in place of fallen dictators. But most importantly, ending Saddam’s dictatorship would deprive terrorist groups of refuge, training, support, and access to Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction. We would be fools to require American standards of criminal evidence in making the case against state sponsors of terror including Saddam Hussein`s Iraq. Our challenge is clear. Iraq’s vile dictator is a central power in the Axis of Evil. President Bush is committed to ending the threat from Saddam Hussein’s terror regime. Only regime change can destroy Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction. Only by taking them out of his hands can we be certain that nuclear, biological or chemical weapons won’t wind up in the hands of terrorists. I offer my full support to applying the Bush preemption doctrine to Iraq. The President needs to know that the Congress stands behind his campaign to protect the American people . . . As Americans, we're not governed by fear and appeasement. As Americans, we inherit a higher obligation than placating contemporary opinion. As Americans, we reject the illusion of greener pastures offered by moral equivocators. As Americans, we offer unceasing hostility to terrorists, tyrants, and every system of oppression. Because, as Americans, we're born to a special destiny. We won't evade the defense of freedom. We won't take counsel of our fears. We won't seek shelter in the naïve comfort of misguided hopes. And we won't shrink from the mission before us. For in the last analysis, we'll answer, not to the fickle whims of the international community, but to posterity."

B. Sides @ 4:11 PM