Why US Congress Grants Bush War Authority

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, October 13, 2002

Why US Congress Grants Bush War Authority

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A choice between war and peace has never been an easy one, but the US Congress swiftly passed a resolution granting President George W. Bush broad authority to act against Iraq after a brief debate over the past few days.

This is in sharp contrast with the way the Congress behaved more than a decade ago when the majority of Democratic lawmakers in both chambers voted against giving former US president George Bush the same power to expel Iraq from Kuwait following heated debates over the issue.

The first reason for such a dramatic change is that the September 11 terror attacks on New York and Washington last year have convinced both the White House and US lawmakers that America can no longer ignore the threat posed by Iraq's alleged possessionof weapons of mass destruction.

Debating over the resolution authorizing Bush to use force in dealing with Iraq, most of US lawmakers, including some most outspoken critics of the administration, stressed that they can not tolerate the threat to US national security posed by Baghdad'salleged possession and pursuance of weapons of mass destruction. They demanded that Baghdad accept unfettered UN weapons inspections to make sure it no longer has such weapons.

Many prominent lawmakers, including Senate Majority leader Thomas Daschle and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph Biden, chose to support the resolution, saying that while they are not prepared to support Bush in going into war with Iraq,they hoped that the adoption of the resolution could send a clear message to Iraq and the international community and that the United Nations could therefore act to enforce its resolutions on disarming Baghdad.

Secondly, the smooth adoption of the war authority resolution is an attempt to show US "unity" on the Iraqi issue. The Bush administration, which seeks a stated policy of regime change in Iraq, had repeatedly vowed to go alone in dealing with Iraq.

Bowing to increasing criticism and opposition both at home and abroad, the administration made some adjustments to its benchmark unilateral approach in early September and agreed to discuss the Iraqi issue at the UN Security Council.

However, it insists that the Security Council adopt a new and tough resolution which not only imposes a much more aggressive inspection regime but also automates the use of force in the eventof Baghdad's non-compliance.

The US proposal confronts strong opposition from countries likeRussia and France, which favor the resumption of weapons inspections first under the existing UN resolutions.

Frustrated over the impasse in the UN, the Bush administration came back to the Congress to seek support. Talking to lawmakers both publicly and privately, President Bush and Secretary of StateColin Powell said that if the Congress authorizes the use of forceagainst Iraq, it will send a message to the UN that the US is "united" on the issue and means business.

Embracing the administration's argument, Congressional leaders and some influential lawmakers worked hard during the debates to ensure a smooth and early adoption of the resolution giving Bush the power to use force if necessary.

Thirdly, as the mid-term elections approach, the Bush administration has adopted a strategy to exploit the Iraqi issue in the Republicans' favor.

The strategy has been so successful that it not only puts the Democrats on the defense in an election season but also forced them to make compromises for a smooth and early adoption of the resolution.

The prospect of war with Iraq is dealing Democratic candidates a triple blow, according to an analysis published on The Washington Post on Thursday.

It's pushing the Democrats' best issues, such as health care and the economy, into the background, while also damaging two crucial campaign operations -- fund-raising and voter turnout -- among key liberal constituencies disillusioned over the party's failure to challenge President Bush more forcefully on his bellicose posture toward Baghdad.

Election experts of the Democrats believe that an early adoption of the war authority resolution will help shift voters' attention from Iraq to such issues as health care and the economy,giving the Democrats a chance to regain lost ground in the remaining days prior to the November 5 election.

Although the Congress voted to give Bush the power to use forceagainst Iraq, many lawmakers, including those who voted for the bill, also expressed their deep concerns over the potential ramifications of the resolution.

If the Bush administration eventually chooses to take unilateral military actions because of the resolution, they fear, it will not only have a negative impact on the war against terror,the flagging US economy, and the stability in the Middle East, butalso produce unpredictable consequences to the international relations and long-term security interests of the US itself.

Therefore, they have urged President Bush to use the newly-granted power as a bargain chip to seek a new and strong UN resolution on Iraq and treat the use of force only as a "last resort."

By Yan Feng

Source: Xinhua Net

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