Senator Byrd's Speech

Thu, 20 Mar 2003 14:25:19 -0700

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The old man from West Virginia speaks again...

Arrogance of Power
Today, I Weep for my Country...
by US Senator Robert Byrd
Speech delivered on the floor of the US Senate
March 19, 2003 3:45pm

I believe in this beautiful country. I have studied its roots and=20
gloried in the wisdom of its magnificent Constitution. I have=20
marveled at the wisdom of its founders and framers. Generation after=20
generation of Americans has understood the lofty ideals that underlie=20
our great Republic. I have been inspired by the story of their=20
sacrifice and their strength.

But, today I weep for my country. I have watched the events of recent=20
months with a heavy, heavy heart. No more is the image of America one=20
of strong, yet benevolent peacekeeper. The image of America has=20
changed. Around the globe, our friends mistrust us, our word is=20
disputed, our intentions are questioned.

Instead of reasoning with those with whom we disagree, we demand=20
obedience or threaten recrimination. Instead of isolating Saddam=20
Hussein, we seem to have isolated ourselves. We proclaim a new=20
doctrine of preemption which is understood by few and feared by many.=20
We say that the United States has the right to turn its firepower on=20
any corner of the globe which might be suspect in the war on=20
terrorism. We assert that right without the sanction of any=20
international body. As a result, the world has become a much more=20
dangerous place.

We flaunt our superpower status with arrogance. We treat UN Security=20
Council members like ingrates who offend our princely dignity by=20
lifting their heads from the carpet. Valuable alliances are split.

After war has ended, the United States will have to rebuild much more=20
than the country of Iraq. We will have to rebuild America's image=20
around the globe.

The case this Administration tries to make to justify its fixation=20
with war is tainted by charges of falsified documents and=20
circumstantial evidence. We cannot convince the world of the=20
necessity of this war for one simple reason. This is a war of choice.

There is no credible information to connect Saddam Hussein to 9/11.=20
The twin towers fell because a world-wide terrorist group, Al Qaeda,=20
with cells in over 60 nations, struck at our wealth and our influence=20
by turning our own planes into missiles, one of which would likely=20
have slammed into the dome of this beautiful Capitol except for the=20
brave sacrifice of the passengers on board.

The brutality seen on September 11th and in other terrorist attacks=20
we have witnessed around the globe are the violent and desperate=20
efforts by extremists to stop the daily encroachment of western=20
values upon their cultures. That is what we fight. It is a force not=20
confined to borders. It is a shadowy entity with many faces, many=20
names, and many addresses.

But, this Administration has directed all of the anger, fear, and=20
grief which emerged from the ashes of the twin towers and the twisted=20
metal of the Pentagon towards a tangible villain, one we can see and=20
hate and attack. And villain he is. But, he is the wrong villain. And=20
this is the wrong war. If we attack Saddam Hussein, we will probably=20
drive him from power. But, the zeal of our friends to assist our=20
global war on terrorism may have already taken flight.

The general unease surrounding this war is not just due to "orange=20
alert." There is a pervasive sense of rush and risk and too many=20
questions unanswered. How long will we be in Iraq? What will be the=20
cost? What is the ultimate mission? How great is the danger at home?

A pall has fallen over the Senate Chamber. We avoid our solemn duty=20
to debate the one topic on the minds of all Americans, even while=20
scores of thousands of our sons and daughters faithfully do their=20
duty in Iraq.

What is happening to this country? When did we become a nation which=20
ignores and berates our friends? When did we decide to risk=20
undermining international order by adopting a radical and doctrinaire=20
approach to using our awesome military might? How can we abandon=20
diplomatic efforts when the turmoil in the world cries out for=20
diplomacy?

Why can this President not seem to see that America's true power lies=20
not in its will to intimidate, but in its ability to inspire?

War appears inevitable. But, I continue to hope that the cloud will=20
lift. Perhaps Saddam will yet turn tail and run. Perhaps reason will=20
somehow still prevail. I along with millions of Americans will pray=20
for the safety of our troops, for the innocent civilians in Iraq, and=20
for the security of our homeland. May God continue to bless the=20
United States of America in the troubled days ahead, and may we=20
somehow recapture the vision which for the present eludes us.=20

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<DIV>The old man from West Virginia speaks again...</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Arrogance of Power Today, I Weep for my Country... by US =
Senator=20
Robert Byrd Speech delivered on the floor of the US Senate March =
19, 2003=20
3:45pm I believe in this beautiful country. I have studied its =
roots and=20
 gloried in the wisdom of its magnificent Constitution. I have =
 marveled=20
at the wisdom of its founders and framers. Generation after =
 generation of=20
Americans has understood the lofty ideals that underlie our great =
Republic.=20
I have been inspired by the story of their sacrifice and their=20
strength. But, today I weep for my country. I have watched the =
events of=20
recent months with a heavy, heavy heart. No more is the image of =
America one=20
 of strong, yet benevolent peacekeeper. The image of America has =
 changed.=20
Around the globe, our friends mistrust us, our word is disputed, our =

intentions are questioned. Instead of reasoning with those with =
whom we=20
disagree, we demand obedience or threaten recrimination. Instead of=20
isolating Saddam Hussein, we seem to have isolated ourselves. We =
proclaim a=20
new doctrine of preemption which is understood by few and feared by =
many.=20
 We say that the United States has the right to turn its firepower on =
 any=20
corner of the globe which might be suspect in the war on terrorism. =
We=20
assert that right without the sanction of any international body. As =
a=20
result, the world has become a much more dangerous place. We =
flaunt=20
our superpower status with arrogance. We treat UN Security Council =
members=20
like ingrates who offend our princely dignity by lifting their heads =
from=20
the carpet. Valuable alliances are split. After war has ended, =
the United=20
States will have to rebuild much more than the country of Iraq. We =
will have=20
to rebuild America's image around the globe. The case this=20
Administration tries to make to justify its fixation with war is =
tainted by=20
charges of falsified documents and circumstantial evidence. We =
cannot=20
convince the world of the necessity of this war for one simple =
reason. This=20
is a war of choice. There is no credible information to connect =
Saddam=20
Hussein to 9/11. The twin towers fell because a world-wide terrorist =
group,=20
Al Qaeda, with cells in over 60 nations, struck at our wealth and =
our=20
influence by turning our own planes into missiles, one of which =
would likely=20
 have slammed into the dome of this beautiful Capitol except for the=20
 brave sacrifice of the passengers on board. The brutality =
seen on=20
September 11th and in other terrorist attacks we have witnessed =
around the=20
globe are the violent and desperate efforts by extremists to stop =
the daily=20
encroachment of western values upon their cultures. That is what we =
fight.=20
It is a force not confined to borders. It is a shadowy entity with =
many=20
faces, many names, and many addresses. But, this =
Administration has=20
directed all of the anger, fear, and grief which emerged from the =
ashes of=20
the twin towers and the twisted metal of the Pentagon towards a =
tangible=20
villain, one we can see and hate and attack. And villain he is. But, =
he is=20
the wrong villain. And this is the wrong war. If we attack Saddam =
Hussein,=20
we will probably drive him from power. But, the zeal of our friends =
to=20
assist our global war on terrorism may have already taken =
flight. The=20
general unease surrounding this war is not just due to "orange =
 alert." There=20
is a pervasive sense of rush and risk and too many questions =
unanswered. How=20
long will we be in Iraq? What will be the cost? What is the ultimate =

mission? How great is the danger at home? A pall has fallen over =
the=20
Senate Chamber. We avoid our solemn duty to debate the one topic on =
the=20
minds of all Americans, even while scores of thousands of our sons =
and=20
daughters faithfully do their duty in Iraq. What is happening =
to this=20
country? When did we become a nation which ignores and berates our =
friends?=20
When did we decide to risk undermining international order by =
adopting a=20
radical and doctrinaire approach to using our awesome military =
might? How=20
can we abandon diplomatic efforts when the turmoil in the world =
cries out=20
for diplomacy? Why can this President not seem to see that =
America's=20
true power lies not in its will to intimidate, but in its ability to =

inspire? War appears inevitable. But, I continue to hope that the =
cloud=20
will lift. Perhaps Saddam will yet turn tail and run. Perhaps reason =
will=20
 somehow still prevail. I along with millions of Americans will pray =
 for=20
the safety of our troops, for the innocent civilians in Iraq, and =
 for the=20
security of our homeland. May God continue to bless the United =
States of=20
America in the troubled days ahead, and may we somehow recapture the =
vision=20
which for the present eludes us. </DIV></BODY></HTML>

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