Uneasy on Iraq, US Cong seeks details

Senior members of Congress from both parties say they support President Bush’s goal of overthrowing Saddam Hussein, but they’re be...

Senior members of Congress from both parties say they support President Bush’s goal of overthrowing Saddam Hussein, but they’re beginning to question the thoroughness of the administration’s preparations for a potential confrontation with the Iraqi leader.

Leaders on Capitol Hill, citing skepticism from abroad and differences within the administration, are pressing the administration to deliver a convincing assessment of the threats posed by Saddam, the risks presented by a military invasion and the demands on the United States in Iraq in the aftermath.

Iraq welcomes ex-UN official’s criticism of US

Baghdad: Iraq on Wednesday welcomed remarks by a former chief UN arms inspector accusing US of exploiting UN arms teams in Iraq, vindicating Baghdad’s view that some inspectors were spies.
Rolf Ekeus said US and other powers had exploited UN teams in Iraq for their political ends, including tracking President Saddam Hussein’s movements. Ekeus, who led the first inspections for Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction programmes from 1991-1997, said that, at times, crises were created that could possibly form the basis for military action. —Reuters

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‘‘You can’t just drop the 82nd Airborne into Baghdad and it will all be over,’’ said Sen Chuck Hagel, R-Neb, a Foreign Relations Committee member who has reservations about a military assault.

The committee opens two days of hearings on Wednesday on Iraq, US policy making and Saddam’s access to weapons of mass destruction. Committee Chairman Joseph Biden, said today he would be ‘‘very, very surprised’’ if the administration moved against Saddam before next year.

Asserting that he doesn’t want to force the hand of the White House, he said he believes Bush is ‘‘nowhere near making the decision as to when and how.’’

No administration officials were summoned, he added, when the White House made clear that it wasn’t prepared to offer public testimony until September at the earliest.

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A number of congressional leaders, including Biden and House International Affairs Committee Chairman Henry Hyde, R-Ill, said they expect Bush to seek a formal congressional support for any military action against Iraq.

Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld reiterated on Tuesday that the administration has made no decision to use force against Saddam. Bush has

said there are no invasion plans ‘‘on my desk,’’ but military planners and others in the government are developing proposals for a possible invasion and occupation.