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02 February 1998

GINGRICH URGES WORLD LEADERS TO BACK U.S. ACTION AGAINST IRAQ

(Calls Saddam Hussein resistant to rationality) (380)
By Wendy Lubetkin
USIA European Correspondent
Davos -- Newt Gingrich, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives,
urged world leaders February 1 to bring every diplomatic pressure at
their disposal to bear to get Saddam Hussein to back down in his
confrontation with the United Nations, and to support the use of force
if he refuses.
"We cannot repeat the mistakes of the mid-1930s," Gingrich told
business and political leaders at a plenary session of the World
Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. "We have a
dictator who we all know is relatively resistant to rational thought.
We have a man who has proven he is resistant to pain...and he is
resistant, almost impervious, to having his people suffer."
Gingrich said everyone he had spoken to in Davos agrees that Hussein
is a "real problem."
"No one says, 'You Americans, you are just exaggerating, he is
basically a good guy....You just misunderstand him.' People here agree
that he is really dangerous," the Speaker said.
He said his response to those who are still asking if a non-violent
solution can be found is, "Don't convince us, just go convince
Saddam."
Gingrich argued that the United States has a "direct personal
interest" in preventing Saddam Hussein from building an arsenal of
weapons of mass destruction. "If he gets into terrorism, the next New
York terrorist bombing will be devastating," he said. "This is not
just about his neighbors."
"I would appeal to every one of our allies...(to) bring all of your
diplomatic pressure to bear in the next two weeks, and if he is not
prepared to back down, support us in whatever level of action we have
to take," he added.
"Commit yourselves to the idea that you do not want to live in a world
where the Saddam Husseins can acquire biological and chemical weapons
to use against your people."
"We need your help and your support, and rather than urging us to go
slower, I would ask every one of you to get your government to urge
Saddam to stand down. They must not continue down this road," Gingrich
said.