“Today, Secretary of State Colin Powell provided to the United Nations Security Council some thought-provoking evidence and made a strong case that Saddam Hussein is in violation of UN Resolution 1441.  

This is Saddam Hussein’s last chance to preserve peace and signal his willingness to comply with Resolution 1441, and I strongly hope he does not squander it.  UN inspectors must finally be provided total access and complete cooperation by Iraq to assess the validity of the evidence presented by Powell and ensure the complete disarmament of the Iraqi regime. 

I support the continued efforts of the weapons inspectors, and I look forward to hearing their next report on February 14th.  

I continue to believe that placing our young men and women in harm’s way is a last resort, but I fear we are quickly approaching that last resort.  However, if the use of force becomes necessary, it should occur with a multilateral coalition at our side.  I therefore believe that the global community, and the American people, would be best served by a second vote on a resolution specifically authorizing the use of force against Iraq when the weapons inspectors have completed their work.”

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