Bush Says, “Please Approve Attacking Iraq.”

▽Securing the support of the Congress=The President Bush invited the Congress leaders of both parties such as the Senate Floor Leader of the Democratic Party Thomas Dashley, the House Floor Leader of the Democratic Party Richard Gephart, and the Senate Floor Leader of the Republican Party Trent Rott to the White House and asked a transcendent support about attacking Iraq. He said, “It is not a choice of America not to do anything against the threat (of Iraq),” and continued, “but I will discuss with the Congress and ask for an approval before starting to attack Iraq.” The Floor Leader Dashley and a Republican Senate John McCain each said after meeting with the President, “The America’s Action Proposal against Iraq will be passed by the Congress in few weeks,” and “we will support whatever action the White House takes,” so they promised a support of the Congress.

The Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld also had a briefing session for the Congressmen and did a ‘cover fire’ for the President Bush.

▽Securing the support of the people and persuading the international society=The President Bush is planning to invite the British Prime Minister Tony Blair to the Camp David on the 7th and discuss about ways to attack Iraq. And he said on the 4th that he would call each of the leaders of the major countries, who opposed to the Iraqi War such as Russia, China, and France, and persuade them. The appeal to support attacking Iraq by the President Bush seems to be at its peak in his commemorating address of the first anniversary of the 9.11 terror to people on the 11th and his address at the UN General Assembly on the 12th.

The President Bush stressed during the meeting with the leaders of the Congress on the 4th, “I will remind the UN General Assembly that the Iraqi President Sadam Hussein neglected the promise to the UN, which he would not develop massive killing weapons, for 11 long years.”

▽The US Army might attack Saudi Arabia in case of emergency=A Russian daily Izvestiya reported quoting an American diplomatic news source on the 5th that the Bush Administration said, “We already made plans to do military actions against Saudi Arabia in case of emergency.” The newspaper reported that this plan was to control the eastern part of Saudi Arabia, where the oil fields were concentrated, whenever an anti-American government was formed or Saudi Arabia got out of the American control.

This newspaper added that it was to cope with the case when the international oil price was suddenly raised, and America also made a political move plan to set a pro-American government in Saudi Arabia.

Sung-Kyu Kim Ki-Hyun Kim kimsk@donga.com kimkihy@donga.com