28 March 2003
Senate Resolution Hails Coalition Nations
(Resolution Expresses U.S. gratitude to members of Coalition to Disarm Iraq) (1220) The United States is grateful for the help of its allies in the fight against Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, according to a March 27 Senate resolution. The Senate passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 30 (S. Con. Res. 30) one day after it was introduced by a 97-0 margin. S. Con. Res. 30 "expresses the gratitude of the United States to the military personnel and civilians of the member states of the Coalition to Disarm Iraq who are serving in operations against the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, and to the family members of such personnel and civilians who have borne the burden of sacrifice and separation from their loved ones during the current conflict in Iraq." The resolution, introduced by Senator Richard Lugar (Republican of Indiana), singled out for the sincere gratitude of the Congress Australia, Denmark, Poland, and the United Kingdom, "whose military forces have joined United States Armed Forces to disarm and liberate Iraq." Lugar, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was joined by seven other co-sponsors, including the ranking minority member on that panel, Senator Joseph Biden (Democrat of Delaware. The authors of the resolution single out by name the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair, the Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, and the President of the Spanish Government, Jose Maria Aznar, "for their courageous support and strong commitment to the Coalition to Disarm Iraq." S. Con. Res. 30 also hails nations in the Persian Gulf region, "for their military support, logistical support, and other assistance in the current campaign against the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq." The resolution goes on to welcome and encourage "the active involvement and participation of these countries, other nations, and key international organizations in the reconstruction and administration of Iraq after the current conflict in Iraq." Following is the text of Senate Concurrent Resolution 30 from the Congressional Record: (begin text) 108th CONGRESS 1st Session S. CON. RES. 30 CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Whereas on September 12, 2002, the President of the United States, appearing at the United Nations, called on that institution and its member states to meet their responsibility to disarm Iraq; Whereas on November 8, 2002, the United Nations Security Council approved Security Council Resolution 1441 under chapter VII of the United Nations Charter by a vote of 15-0, giving Iraq a final opportunity to comply with its disarmament obligations; Whereas on January 30, 2003, the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, and the Presidents of the Czech Republic and the Spanish Government, issued a declaration regarding Security Council Resolution 1441, wherein they stated that `[t]he transatlantic relationship must not become a casualty of the current Iraqi regime's persistent attempts to threaten world security . . . . The Iraqi regime and its weapons of mass destruction represent a clear threat to world security. This danger has been explicitly recognized by the United Nations. All of us are bound by Security Council Resolution 1441, which was adopted unanimously.'; Whereas the January 30, 2003, declaration continued to state that `Resolution 1441 is Saddam Hussein's last chance to disarm using peaceful means. The opportunity to avoid greater confrontation rests with him . . . . Our governments have a common responsibility to face this threat . . . . [T]he Security Council must maintain its credibility by ensuring full compliance with its resolutions. We cannot allow a dictator to systematically violate those resolutions. If they are not complied with, the Security Council will lose its credibility and world peace will suffer as a result.'; Whereas on February 5, 2003, the Foreign Ministers of Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia issued a declaration regarding Security Council Resolution 1441, stating that `the United States [has] presented compelling evidence to the United Nations Security Council detailing Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs, its active efforts to deceive United Nations inspectors, and its links to international terrorism . . . . The transatlantic community, of which we are a part, must stand together to face the threat posed by the nexus of terrorism and dictators with weapons of mass destruction.'; Whereas the February 5, 2003, declaration continued to state that `it has now become clear that Iraq is in material breach of United Nations Security Council resolutions, including United Nations Resolution 1441...The clear and present danger posed by Saddam Hussein's regime requires a united response from the community of democracies. We call upon the United Nations Security Council to take the necessary and appropriate action in response to Iraq's continuing threat to international peace and security.'; Whereas many of the supporters of the January 30, 2003, and February 5, 2003, declarations have provided important support to the United States in addition to their political declarations; and Whereas in addition to the supporters of the January 30, 2003, and February 5, 2003, declarations, important diplomatic and strategic support to the United States-led Coalition to Disarm Iraq have been provided by such nations as Afghanistan, Angola, Australia, Azerbaijan, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Honduras, Iceland, Japan, Kuwait, Macedonia, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, the Philippines, Rwanda, Singapore, the Solomon Islands, South Korea, Tonga, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That Congress-- (1) commends and expresses the gratitude of the United States to the nations participating in and contributing to the Coalition to Disarm Iraq, including-- (A) the supporters of the January 30, 2003, declaration issued by the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, and the Presidents of the Czech Republic and the Spanish Government; (B) the supporters of the February 5, 2003, declaration issued by the Foreign Ministers of Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia; and (C) other allies of the United States who are participating in or contributing to the Coalition; (2) expresses sincere gratitude to Australia, Denmark, Poland, and the United Kingdom, whose military forces have joined United States Armed Forces to disarm and liberate Iraq; (3) expresses sincere gratitude to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair, the Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, and the President of the Spanish Government, Jose Maria Aznar, for their courageous support and strong commitment to the Coalition to Disarm Iraq; (4) expresses sincere gratitude to other allied nations, including nations in the Persian Gulf region, for their military support, logistical support, and other assistance in the current campaign against the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq; (5) welcomes and encourages the active involvement and participation of these countries, other nations, and key international organizations in the reconstruction and administration of Iraq after the current conflict in Iraq; and (6) commends and expresses the gratitude of the United States to the military personnel and civilians of the member states of the Coalition to Disarm Iraq who are serving in operations against the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, and to the family members of such personnel and civilians who have borne the burden of sacrifice and separation from their loved ones during the current conflict in Iraq. (end text) (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
