Johnson, Larson Express Sentiments Over War n Iraq
By Bill Yelenak
WASHINGTON – Reps. John Larson (D-1) and Nancy Johnson (R-5) disagreed Tuesday about President George W. Bush’s abandonment of diplomatic efforts to disarm Iraq, but agreed that American troops in the Middle East deserve the nation’s continued support.
In an address to the nation Monday night, Bush said that if Saddam Hussein and his sons do not leave Iraq by Wednesday night, their “refusal to do so will result in military conflict commenced at a time of our choosing.”
Larson said he was disappointed that the diplomatic efforts had been abandoned.
“I was saddened last night that diplomacy has failed and there’s enough blame to go around all over the globe but now the decision has been made, I think it’s incumbent upon all of us to support our troops,” Larson said.
However, he said, he hoped that those with family members in the war or those in the war themselves receive the backing of the American people.
“I said goodbye to so many of our reservists in Connecticut and understand and appreciate the anxiety that their loved ones back home feel,” Larson said. “It’s so important that we reach out to those people here at home and also to our troops abroad.”
Although Larson expressed regret that Bush has declared the time for diplomacy is at an end, he said soldiers should go in and do the job for which they have been prepared and America should support them.
“They’re not part of diplomatic relations. They’re not part of developing policy,” Larson said. “They salute and follow orders – it’s up to us to fund them and make sure they’re the best equipped, best prepared, and hopefully we get them out of there in as expedited fashion as we can.”
In a statement, Johnson said she would support the troops and thanked them “for the dangers they will face and the courage they will show,” but unlike Larson, Johnson agreed with the President’s decision to issue Hussein and his sons the ultimatum.
“Tragically, if Hussein were gone, as the President has requested, many Iraqis would come forward and provide the information essential to reveal his development of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons,” Johnson said. “Unfortunately, as long as he’s there, no Iraqi can come forward. And we would only be able to deal with the relatively minor discoveries of the inspectors.”
Johnson said the Iraqis have not listed “more than 100 missiles that were clearly non-compliant with their treaty obligations,” and she questioned why inspectors were sent to find missiles Hussein had hidden from inspectors for so long in mobile or underground laboratories “that we know exist from detailed descriptions provided by Iraqi defectors.”
“Hussein threatens not only the life of any informer but assures the torture and death of family members,” Johnson said. “In such an environment, inspections cannot find the truth.”
Although the President’s national address was accompanied by a rise in the nation’s threat level from yellow to orange, Larson said residents of the state should remain calm and allow “common sense to prevail.”
“It’s precautionary because obviously we anticipate and our intelligence sources anticipate there’ll be retaliation for this attack,” Larson said.
Bill Yelenak, a Boston University student, works at the Boston University Washington News Service in Washington, D.C. His telephone number is 202-756-2860 ext: 114 and his email is byelenak@newbritainherald.com.
Published in The New Britain Herald, in Connecticut.
