To contemplate war is to think about the most > horrible of human > >experiences.  On this February day, as this nation > stands at the brink of > >battle, every American on some level must be > contemplating the horrors of war. > > > >Yet, this Chamber is, for the most part, silent -- > ominously, dreadfully > >silent.  There is no debate, no discussion, no > attempt to lay out for the > >nation the pros and cons of this particular war. > There is nothing. > > > >We stand passively mute in the United States > Senate, paralyzed by our own > >uncertainty, seemingly stunned by the sheer turmoil > of events.  Only on the > >editorial pages of our newspapers is there much > substantive discussion of > >the prudence or imprudence of engaging in this > particular war. > > > >And this is no small conflagration we contemplate. > This is no simple > >attempt to defang a villain.  No.  This coming > battle, if it materializes, > >represents a turning point in U.S. foreign policy > and possibly a turning > >point in the recent history of the world. > > > >This nation is about to embark upon the first test > of a revolutionary > >doctrine applied in an extraordinary way at an > unfortunate time.  The > >doctrine of preemption -- the idea that the United > States or any other > >nation can legitimately attack a nation that is not > imminently threatening > >but may be threatening in the future -- is a > radical new twist on the > >traditional idea of self defense.  It appears to be > in contravention of > >international law and the UN Charter.  And it is > being tested at a time of > >world-wide terrorism, making many countries around > the globe wonder if they > >will soon be on our -- or some other nation's -- > hit list.  High level > >Administration figures recently refused to take > nuclear weapons off of the > >table when discussing a possible attack against > Iraq. What could be more > >destabilizing and unwise than this type of > uncertainty, particularly in a > >world where globalism has tied the vital economic > and security interests of > >many nations so closely together?  There are huge > cracks emerging in our > >time-honored alliances, and U.S. intentions are > suddenly subject to > >damaging worldwide speculation.  Anti-Americanism > based on mistrust, > >misinformation, suspicion, and alarming rhetoric > from U.S. leaders is > >fracturing the once solid alliance against global > terrorism which existed > >after September 11. > > > >Here at home, people are warned of imminent > terrorist attacks with little > >guidance as to when or where such attacks might > occur.  Family members are > >being called to active military duty, with no idea > of the duration of their > >stay or what horrors they may face.  Communities > are being left with less > >than adequate police and fire protection.  Other > essential services are > >also short-staffed.  The mood of the nation is > grim.  The economy is > >stumbling.  Fuel prices are rising and may soon > spike higher. > > > >This Administration, now in power for a little over > two years, must be > >judged on its record.  I believe that that record > is dismal. > > > >In that scant two years, this Administration has > squandered a large > >projected surplus of some $5.6 trillion over the > next decade and taken us > >to projected deficits as far as the eye can see. > This Administration's > >domestic policy has put many of our states in dire > financial condition, > >under funding scores of essential programs for our > people.  This > >Administration has fostered policies which have > slowed economic growth. > >This Administration has ignored urgent matters such > as the crisis in health > >care for our elderly.  This Administration has been > slow to provide > >adequate funding for homeland security.  This > Administration has been > >reluctant to better protect our long and porous > borders. > > > >In foreign policy, this Administration has failed > to find Osama bin Laden. > >In fact, just yesterday we heard from him again > marshaling his forces and > >urging them to kill.  This Administration has split > traditional alliances, > >possibly crippling, for all time, International > order-keeping entities like > >the United Nations and NATO.  This Administration > has called into question > >the traditional worldwide perception of the United > States as > >well-intentioned, peacekeeper.  This Administration > has turned the patient > >art of diplomacy into threats, labeling, and name > calling of the sort that > >reflects quite poorly on the intelligence and > sensitivity of our leaders, > >and which will have consequences for years to come. > > > >Calling heads of state pygmies, labeling whole > countries as evil, > >denigrating powerful European allies as irrelevant > -- these types of crude > >insensitivities can do our great nation no good. > We may have massive > >military might, but we cannot fight a global war on > terrorism alone.  We > >need the cooperation and friendship of our > time-honored allies as well as > >the newer found friends whom we can attract with > our wealth.  Our awesome > >military machine will do us little good if we > suffer another devastating > >attack on our homeland which severely damages our > economy.  Our military > >manpower is already stretched thin and we will need > the augmenting support > >of those nations who can supply troop strength, not > just sign letters > >cheering us on. > > > >The war in Afghanistan has cost us $37 billion so > far, yet there is > >evidence that terrorism may already be starting to > regain its hold in that > >region.  We have not found bin Laden, and unless we > secure the peace in > >Afghanistan, the dark dens of terrorism may yet > again flourish in that > >remote and devastated land. > > > >Pakistan as well is at risk of destabilizing > forces.  This Administration > >has not finished the first war against terrorism > and yet it is eager to > >embark on another conflict with perils much greater > than those in > >Afghanistan.  Is our attention span that short? > Have we not learned that > >after winning the war one must always secure the > peace? > > > >And yet we hear little about the aftermath of war > in Iraq.  In the absence > >of plans, speculation abroad is rife.  Will we > seize Iraq's oil fields, > >becoming an occupying power which controls the > price and supply of that > >nation's oil for the foreseeable future?  To whom > do we propose to hand the > >reigns of power after Saddam Hussein? > > > >Will our war inflame the Muslim world resulting in > devastating attacks on > >Israel?  Will Israel retaliate with its own nuclear > arsenal?  Will the > >Jordanian and Saudi Arabian governments be toppled > by radicals, bolstered > >by Iran which has much closer ties to terrorism > than Iraq? > > > >Could a disruption of the world's oil supply lead > to a world-wide > >recession?  Has our senselessly bellicose language > and our callous > >disregard of the interests and opinions of other > nations increased the > >global race to join the nuclear club and made > proliferation an even more > >lucrative practice for nations which need the > income? > > > >In only the space of two short years this reckless > and arrogant > >Administration has initiated policies which may > reap disastrous > >consequences for years. > > > >One can understand the anger and shock of any > President after the savage > >attacks of September 11.  One can appreciate the > frustration of having only > >a shadow to chase and an amorphous, fleeting enemy > on which it is nearly > >impossible to exact retribution. > > > >But to turn one's frustration and anger into the > kind of extremely > >destabilizing and dangerous foreign policy debacle > that the world is > >currently witnessing is inexcusable from any > Administration charged with > >the awesome power and responsibility of guiding the > destiny of the greatest > >superpower on the planet.  Frankly many of the > pronouncements made by this > >Administration are outrageous.  There is no other > word. > > > >Yet this chamber is hauntingly silent.  On what is > possibly the eve of > >horrific infliction of death and destruction on the > population of the > >nation of Iraq -- a population, I might add, of > which over 50% is under age > >15 -- this chamber is silent.  On what is possibly > only days before we send > >thousands of our own citizens to face unimagined > horrors of chemical and > >biological warfare -- this chamber is silent.  On > the eve of what could > >possibly be a vicious terrorist attack in > retaliation for our attack on > >Iraq, it is business as usual in the United States > Senate. > > > >We are truly "sleepwalking through history."  In my > heart of hearts I pray > >that this great nation and its good and trusting > citizens are not in for a > >rudest of awakenings. > > > >To engage in war is always to pick a wild card. > And war must always be a > >last resort, not a first choice.  I truly must > question the judgment of any > >President who can say that a massive unprovoked > military attack on a nation > >which is over 50% children is "in the highest moral > traditions of our > >country".  This war is not necessary at this time. > Pressure appears to be > >having a good result in Iraq.  Our mistake was to > put ourselves in a corner > >so quickly.  Our challenge is to now find a > graceful way out of a box of > >our own making.  Perhaps there is still a way if we > allow more time.