Sununu says U.N., Congress Back War
By Daniel Remin
WASHINGTON — Sen. John E. Sununu, R-N.H., said yesterday he believes that after Secretary of State Powell’s U.N. Security Council speech Wednesday and his testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee the following day, most people in both Congress and at the United Nations will back the war effort.
Powell told the committee that additional money in the budget will be required if the United States goes to war with Iraq.
“If the diplomatic effort and peace is not sustainable, there will be a supplemental budget,” Powell said. “I think we saw a very favorable response, not just from senators or House members here in Washington, but Security Council members themselves,” Sununu, a member of the committee, said in an interview after the hearing.
“Secretary Powell indicated some real positive movement and seemed to express some optimism that if the U.S. chose to push forward to develop an additional Security Council resolution, that effort would meet with some support.”
Powell also hinted that a potential war with Iraq could happen soon. “I think we are reaching an endgame in a matter of weeks not a matter of months,” Powell said.
Powell also spoke about other issues, including the State Department budget and international terrorism.
Addressing the terrorism concern, Powell said he believes the United States and its allies can help thwart the threats. “I believe we can keep the global war on terrorism intact,” he said. “I think the secretary’s presentation was very strong,” Sununu said afterward. “It’s never easy to come out to the House or Senate and talk about such a large budget.”
The President’s proposed fiscal year 2004 budget for the State Department and other international agencies is $27.4 billion.
After the secretary’s introductory remarks, Sununu asked Powell about the need to protect embassies throughout the world and whether there have been any security setbacks. Powell responded that he was unaware of any setbacks.
“It’s a positive sign,” Sununu said later. “It’s a very large program, upgrading embassies around the world to improve security to build new structures that will meet some of the new challenges, given the war on terrorism.”
According to Sununu, $1.5 billion is set aside in the 2004 budget to “build or upgrade seven embassies around the world, to build a new embassy in Germany and to upgrade some of the existing security at embassies.”
“It’s a tremendous amount of money, and construction overseas is difficult,” Sununu said. “So if there are obstacles or problems to the State Department being successful in implementing these security improvements, it’s helpful for Congress to hear about it as early as possible. I believe the State Department understands that.”
(Daniel Remin is an intern with the Boston University Washington News Service.)
Published in The Manchester Union Leader, in New Hampshire.
