U.S. Policy Toward Iraq

Hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs

March 01, 2001

PREPARED STATEMENT OF

HON. RICHARD N. PERLE
Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security
Washington, D.C.

Mr. Chairman: Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. I do not have a prepared statement. For the convenience of the subcommittee I have listed on this page the key issues which, in my view, must shape any American policy toward Iraq. I will try to cover each of them in a short opening statement.

1. Does the regime of Saddam Hussein pose a threat to the interests of the United States and its allies? How does the magnitude of that threat today compare with what it was a decade ago at the end of Desert Storm? What about this time two years ago? How about last year?
2. Does Saddam Hussein now possess weapons of mass destruction? How much do we know about his programs with respect to chemical, biological and nuclear weapons? Are any such programs proceeding?
3. How can we end Saddam's programs to obtain weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver them?
4. In the absence of U.N. inspectors, how much can we expect to learn about these programs?
5. Would a return of U.N. inspectors give us confidence that Saddam's programs would be terminated and that any weapons of mass destruction he may now have would be surrendered?
6. Would a return of inspectors justify the normalization of relations with Saddam?
7. Beyond weapons of mass destruction, what should we think of the claim that Saddam is "contained?"
8. Are the present sanctions working? Can they be made more effective?
9. Can we—should we—rebuild the coalition that opposed Saddam following the invasion of Kuwait?
10. Can we have confidence in the U.N. administration of programs affecting Iraq?
11. Can we secure ourselves, our forces in the field and our friends and allies in the region as long as Saddam is in power?
12. What are the prospects for removing Saddam's regime from power?
13. How can we work with the INC to bring about a change in the Iraqi regime?