Bush Signs US Resolution on Use of Force Against Iraq

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, October 17, 2002

Bush Signs US Resolution on Use of Force Against Iraq

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US President George W. Bush on Wednesday signed the resolution passed by US Congress last week on authorizing the use of force against Iraq and called on the United Nations to face the global responsibility of confronting Saddam Hussein.

Speaking at a signing ceremony in the White House East Room, Bush said: "The Iraqi regime is a serious and growing threat to peace. And every nation that shares the benefits of peace also shares the duty of defending the peace."

He said the resolution "symbolizes the united purpose of our nation ... We will face our dangers squarely and we will face them unafraid."

But he noted although the US Congress "has now authorized the use of force" with this resolution, he has not ordered the use of force. "I hope the use of force will not become necessary," he said.

"Yet confronting the threat posed by Iraq is necessary, by whatever means that requires," Bush said. "Either the Iraqi regime will give up its weapons of mass destruction or, for the sake of peace, the United States will lead a global coalition to disarm that regime."

Both US House and Senate voted overwhelmingly last week to grand Bush the power to "use the armed forces of the United States as he determines to be necessary and appropriate in order to defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq."

With this resolution, the US president needs no further congressional approval to deploy troops, order air strikes and wage a ground war with Iraq.

Few Changes in Bush's Initial Draft

In a major victory for the president, weeks of back-and-forth between Congress and the White House produced little significant change in Bush's initial draft of the resolution. The measure giving Bush the authority to use military force, if necessary, to rid Iraq of its biological and chemical weapons and disband its nuclear weapons program was approved Friday.

The resolution requires the president to notify Congress, before or within 48 hours after an attack, that further diplomatic approaches would not have protected US security and to explain to Congress how the military action will not hurt the war on terror. But it allows Bush to take unilateral action regardless of UN activities.

Just seven Republican lawmakers - six in the House and one in the Senate - opposed the resolution, while nearly half the congressional Democrats were unwilling to give Bush such open-ended war-making authority and voted no.

Passage of the resolution came with entreaties by lawmakers from both parties for Bush to exhaust all diplomatic efforts before using military force.

The Bush administration had hoped the congressional action would fortify the US- and British-backed effort at the United Nations. France, Russia and China, the Security Council's other veto-capable permanent members, remain opposed to a resolution authorizing military action if it refuses to cooperate with inspectors. France has preferred a separate resolution to be debated afterward.

Saddam Avoids Compliance

In his speech, Bush spelled out several ways Saddam has avoided compliance with UN resolutions on weapons of mass destruction and made it clear his patience was running out.

"I have not ordered use of force. I hope the use of force will not become necessary. Yet, confronting the threat posed by Iraq is necessary by whatever means that requires," he said.

Secretary of State Colin Powell said Tuesday that France, which has led the opposition, is proposing new ideas. But diplomatic sources at the United Nations, insisting on anonymity, said France stood by its demand for two Security Council resolutions.

The first would toughen UN demands to reopen suspect weapons sites to international inspectors after a lapse of nearly four years and would threaten possible use of force if Iraq refused. The second resolution would authorize possible military action, the diplomatic sources said. Until now, France wanted to reserve any threats for a second resolution.

The United States wants a single resolution, telling Iraq what it must do and warning of consequences of noncompliance.

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