Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=08/18/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=U-S IRAQ SUNDAY (L-O)

NUMBER=2-293144

BYLINE=BERMAN

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

INTERNET=

INTRO: There appears to be a deep divide within the Bush Administration over whether to attack Iraq, and the possibility is being discussed by many Americans. V-O-A'S Jessica Berman reports three former White House administration officials, now foreign policy analysts, brought the debate to the television airwaves.

TEXT: The heart of the debate is whether the United States should attack Iraq in an effort to eliminate Saddam Hussein's chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction, before the Iraqi leader has a chance to use his arms.

Further discussion focuses on whether the United States should go it alone or whether the Bush administration should take its time and try to pull together an international coalition similar to the one it constructed for the war on terrorism in the wake of September 11th?

Appearing on the N-B-C television program "Meet the Press," former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who served in the Nixon Administration, believes President Bush has made the intellectual case for a preemptive, U-S assault on Iraq.

/// KISSINGER ACT ///

I think the purpose of any military operation against Iraq should be the removal of the capacity of the weapons of mass destruction, and to the creation of a transparent system in which this cannot happen again. Because it is against the interests not only of the United States but of the world, to have these weapons that are easily distributed in the hands of such absolutist rulers in a region which, after all, spawned the terrorism which we suffered last year.

/// END ACT ///

Former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleberger, who served President Bush's father, believes the United States will have to deal with Iraq sooner or later. But Mr. Eagleburger says he is not convinced there is enough reason to go after Saddam Hussein at the moment.

/// EAGLEBURGER ACT ///

Unless the President can demonstrate to all of us that Saddam has his finger on a nuclear or biological or chemical trigger, and he is about to use it... in other words, to me the question has to be, where does he stand now on the use of weapons of mass destruction? Does he have them? And if so, is he likely to begin to use them soon?

/// END ACT ///

General Norman Schwarzkopf led the U-S campaign against Iraq during the Persian Gulf War in the early 1990's. He says there is a danger a U-S attack on Iraq could cause a wider conflict.

/// SCHWARZKOPF ACT ///

In this case, if we invade Iraq, and the regime is very close to falling, I am very, very concerned that the Iraqis will in fact use weapons of mass destruction. I sincerely believe that their first target will be Tel Aviv just as it was during the Gulf war. I mean, we started bombing them with our forces and the Israelis were not even in the fight.

/// END ACT ///

General Schwarzkopf said the United States needs the help of U-S friends and allies in the region to eliminate the threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. He said it would be much more effective to have the cooperation of Turkey, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. (SIGNED)

NEB/JB/RAE