DATE=12/17/98 TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT NUMBER=5-42171 TITLE=REPUBLICANS ON IRAQ BYLINE=DAVID SWAN DATELINE=CAPITOL HILL CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: PRESIDENT CLINTON'S DECISION TO STRIKE IRAQ HAS DRAWN AN UNUSUALLY CRITICAL REACTION FROM CONGRESS, WHICH USED TO BE KNOWN FOR BIPARTISANSHIP ON DEFENSE AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS. V-O-A SENATE CORRESPONDENT DAVID SWAN REPORTS THAT SOME LAWMAKERS CHARGE THE RAIDS WERE TIMED TO INFLUENCE THE COMING VOTE ON WHETHER TO IMPEACH THE PRESIDENT. TEXT: EVEN AT A TIME WHEN CONGRESS IS POLARIZED, WITH CONSTANT POLITICAL WARFARE CONSIDERED NORMAL, THE ACTION OF SENATE MAJORITY LEADER TRENT LOTT STANDS OUT. IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT JUST BEFORE THE FIRST ATTACK, THE SENATOR SAID HE CAN NOT SUPPORT THE USE OF FORCE AT THIS TIME. MR. LOTT QUESTIONED THE POLICY AND MOST NOTABLY, THE TIMING -- SUGGESTING THE PRESIDENT SENT TROOPS INTO COMBAT TO DERAIL THE PENDING IMPEACHMENT VOTE IN THE HOUSE. FOR A SENATE LEADER, THESE ARE UNCOMMONLY STRONG WORDS. THEY DREW A QUICK REACTION FROM THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE. // BIDEN TEASE ACT // DISAPPOINTING. I MEAN, THE ONLY THING I CAN SAY TO YOU IS, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 26 YEARS. ITS GENUINELY DISAPPOINTING. GENUINELY. // END ACT // SENATOR JOSEPH BIDEN, THE RANKING DEMOCRAT ON THE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE, SAYS MR. LOTT'S REMARKS ARE DEAD WRONG AND MR. CLINTON'S TIMING WAS CORRECT. // 2ND BIDEN ACT // I WONDER WHAT SENATOR LOTT WOULD HAVE SAID HAD THE PRESIDENT WITHHELD TAKING MILITARY ACTION AND BEEN PUT IN THE POSITION OF HAVING TO WAIT OVER A MONTH (UNTIL AFTER RAMADAN) BEFORE HE COULD ACT. I WONDER WHAT HE WOULD HAVE SAID THEN? // END ACT // OTHER REPUBLICANS ARE EQUALLY DOUBTFUL OF MR. CLINTON'S MOTIVES. TO BE SURE, SOME OPPOSITION LAWMAKERS SUPPORT HIS DECISION TO ATTACK NOW. THIS INCLUDES THE OUTGOING SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, NEWT GINGRICH, AND INCOMING CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE, JOHN WARNER. // WARNER ACT // THIS STRIKE WAS NEEDED IF SADDAM HUSSEIN CONTINUED TO VIOLATE THE RULE OF LAW AS ESTABLISHED BY THE CONSORTIUM OF NATIONS AND THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE SECURITY COUNCIL. // END ACT // BUT THE OVERALL LEVEL OF SKEPTICISM IS STILL ABNORMALLY HIGH. THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE WIDESPREAD MISTRUST AND BITTERNESS OVER THE MONICA LEWINSKY AFFAIR AND THE RESULTING IMPEACHMENT CRISIS. SOME REPUBLICANS SAY THEY SIMPLY NO LONGER BELIEVE ANYTHING MR. CLINTON SAYS. CONGRESSMAN STEVE BUYER IS BOTH A GULF WAR VETERAN AND A MEMBER OF THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, WHICH HANDLES IMPEACHMENT. SPEAKING ON THE HOUSE FLOOR (THURSDAY), HE UNDERLINED HIS SUPPORT FOR THE STRIKES AND THE TROOPS IN THE FIELD, WHILE ALSO VOICING WHAT MANY REPUBLICANS FEEL ABOUT THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. // BUYER ACT // HE'S GIVEN THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT. THE BENEFIT GETS REMOVED IN THIS CASE BECAUSE OF THE DIMINISHED CREDIBILITY AND THE SELF-INFLICTED WOUNDS THE PRESIDENT HAS CAUSED HIMSELF. // END ACT // THERE ARE ALSO LONGSTANDING DOUBTS ABOUT THE SUBSTANCE OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY. MEMBERS OF BOTH PARTIES WANT A LONG-TERM STRATEGY AIMED AT TOPPLING PRESIDENT SADDAM HUSSEIN. THESE QUESTIONS AND THE DIVISIVE PARTISAN ATMOSPHERE IN CONGRESS, SEEM LIKELY TO OUTLAST ANY IMPEACHMENT DEBATE. (SIGNED) NEB/DS/GE 17-Dec-98 2:51 PM EST (1951 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .
