Posted on 02/23/2003 9:00:09 AM PST by SandRat
Arizona Senator John Kyl visits Sierra Vista on Friday night at the Windemere Hotel as a guest speaker for the Lincoln Day Dinner sponsored by the Cochise County Republican Committee. (Ed Honda-Herald/Review)
SIERRA VISTA -- It is not a matter of if the United States will attack Iraq but when, Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl said Friday night.
"We will be involved in military action in a matter of days or a few weeks," he told nearly 250 people who attended the annual Lincoln Day Dinner sponsored by the Cochise County Republican Committee.
What people do not understand is that the Persian Gulf War in the early 1990s ended with an armistice, "and we are technically still in a state of war with Iraq," the senator said.
Some of the current problems concerning Iraq and its leader Saddam Hussein can be put at the door of the administration of Democratic President Bill Clinton, Kyl said.
The Clinton administration kicked the can down the road hoping some day someone else would take care of the problem, the senator said.
As for a lack of support from some in the United Nations and NATO, he called them feckless countries, that are weak and irresponsible.
"If the United Nations wants to cut and run and if our allies want to cut and run, OK. We're going to rid the world of Saddam Hussein," Kyl said. "That will happen."
Applause rose from the audience when he made the comments that Saddam's days are numbered.
But the United States will not go to war alone, for there will be support from many nations.
Kyl was disdainful of France saying that nation has "confirmed its irrelevancy" by not supporting the United States over Iraq.
"Neither France nor the United Nations are relevant," the senator said.
When asked if the United States can direct U.N. inspectors to where weapons of mass destruction are being hidden in Iraq, Kyl responded, "Our intelligence isn't that good."
But there is no doubt in his mind about Iraq having chemical and biological weapons based on that nation's past history of using such devices.
What concerns the senator is that the Iraqi leader will use them against American and other forces during the coming war and will also turn them over to terrorist groups to be used against the United States.
Because Iraq also is trying to develop nuclear weapons that makes that country even more dangerous, Kyl said.
He then spoke about how the United States is handling the problem with North Korea, a country that has nuclear weapons.
The United States can use military power against Iraq, but it is too late to do the same thing against North Korea because that country has nuclear weapons, the senator said.
Taking care of the North Korean problem will require strong international diplomacy, he added.
While some may think the United States has forgotten about Osama bin Laden, the accused mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, Kyl said the man is still being sought.
One difficulty is that it is believed bin Laden is hiding in a border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan -- a wild tribal area where Pakistan has no control, Kyl said.
United States and Pakistan officials are working to be able to enter the area controlled by tribal groups that do not recognize Pakistani authority, the senator said.
Terrorism remains a major concern for the United States and that means ensuring the nation's borders are protected, Kyl said.
Ensuring the nation is as safe as it can be from terrorist attacks means the federal government has to do more to secure the borders, he said.
The senator was asked if military forces can be put along the border.
"Not at this time," he said, explaining that with the need for military forces to handle problems elsewhere in the world, they cannot take on additional duties.
However, he held out the possibility that armed forces could be used in the future, noting that in some cases National Guard and active duty forces are providing support along the border. The comment elicited applause.
"This county does not have the will to enforce its own laws when it comes to immigration," the senator said.
The laws include going after employers who willingly hire illegal immigrants, Kyl said to applause.
He said he could support a new guest-worker program but only if it has strong enforcement rules that will be used by the government.
Earlier, Kyl introduced Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado.
Tancredo, who is the chairman of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus, was spending a few days in Arizona, including some time in Cochise County, to obtain firsthand knowledge of the state's border problems.
Of Tancredo, Kyl said, "He's an Arizona kind of guy. He tells it like it is and he says what he means and means what he says."
It is people like Tancredo who will help solve the nation's immigration problems by educating other members of Congress to understand the issues, Kyl said, adding "He will speak with firsthand knowledge."
Since the dinner was a partisan event, Kyl started out noting Abraham Lincoln was the founder of the modern Republican party.
"He (Lincoln) was a very political person, a precinct chairman, a local candidate. He understood grassroots politics," the senator said.
Kyl attacked Democrats of today, especially those in the U.S. Senate, saying they are out of tune with the American public.
The Democrats in the Senate are making errors that will lead to an even bigger defeat for that party in the 2004 elections, including the presidential race, the senator said.
As for party politics in Arizona, Kyl said that even though the top leader of Arizona is a Democrat -- Gov. Janet Napolitano -- the Republicans will be successful in stopping her from fiscally ruining the state.
Kyl noted that the local party faithfully "turned this Democratic county (Cochise County) into a Republican stronghold."
Right you are especially with - - -
don Grihalva de Azatlan M.e.C.h.a. y El Calde Pastur de Presideo Azatlna Centro.
If Bush fails to begin military action against Iraq by this Thursday or Friday, he is giving up the advantage of dark skies (New Moon) and cooler temperatures.
The likely result of his inaction will be that more Americans will become casualties, just to appease the UN, Euro Weenies, and the American lunatic left.
dittomom, how about an Arizona ping.
"kicked the can down the road" is now part of the official talking points. I've seen Powell use this exact phrase as well as I think it was Condi Rice. Dems aren't the only ones reading from talking points. I'm not saying this to critisize Kyl, far from it, just to point out that certain phrases tend to show up again and again.
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