COMPLETE RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate with respect to the actions the
President should take before any use of military force against
Iraq without the broad support of the international community.

Whereas more than three months have passed, and circumstances have
significantly changed, since Congress acted in October
2002 to authorize the use of military force against Iraq;

Whereas the United Nations Security Council unanimously approved
Security Council Resolution 1441 (2002) requiring Iraq
to cooperate with strict weapons inspections and give United Nations
weapons inspectors "immediate, unimpeded, unconditional, and
unrestricted access" to all suspected sites involving such weapons;

Whereas United Nations weapons inspectors arrived in Iraq on November
18, 2002, submitted their 60-day report to the Security
Council about Iraq's cooperation with weapons inspections on January 27,
2003, and will report again on their activities on February 14, 2003;

Whereas the President has not yet made a compelling case to Congress,
the American people, or the international community that the
use of armed force is the only alternative to disarm Iraq; and

Whereas Congress and the American people are increasingly concerned that
the President is prepared to use armed force against
Iraq without broad support by the international community, and without
making a compelling case that Iraq presents such an imminent threat to
the national security of the United States that unilateral action is
justified: Now therefore, be it

Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that before the President
uses military force against Iraq without the broad support of the
international community, the President should -
(1) provide full support tot he United
Nations weapons inspectors to facilitate their ongoing disarmament work;
and
(2) obtain approval by Congress of new
legislation authorizing the President to use all necessary means,
including the use of military force, to disarm Iraq.

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Senator Ted Kennedy
To go to the Ted Kennedy web site for more on Ted Kennedy
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