2000
[DOCID: f:hj75eh.txt]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. J. RES. 75
_______________________________________________________________________
JOINT RESOLUTION
Regarding inspection and monitoring to prevent the development of
weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
Whereas the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein engaged the Islamic Republic of Iran,
a nation of more than 55,000,000 Muslims, in a 10-year war, during which
Saddam Hussein used chemical weapons against Iran and his own people;
Whereas Saddam Hussein has pursued a policy of ethnic cleansing against the
Kurdish people, killing 5,000 Kurdish civilians with a chemical attack
on March 16, 1988, and an estimated 50,000 to 182,000 in the forced
relocation of Kurdish civilians in 1988;
Whereas on August 2, 1990, Iraq without provocation invaded the State of Kuwait,
a nation of more than 1,500,000 Muslims;
Whereas on November 29, 1990, the United Nations Security Council adopted United
Nations Security Council Resolution 678, which authorized nations
cooperating with the State of Kuwait to use all necessary means to force
Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait and to restore international peace and
security to the area;
Whereas on January 17, 1991, the regime of Saddam Hussein without provocation
fired 7 Scud missiles into the State of Israel, a nation of
approximately 1,000,000 Muslims and 5,000,000 Jews;
Whereas on January 17, 1991, Iraq fired Scud missiles into the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia, a nation of more than 20,000,000 Muslims;
Whereas on January 29, 1991, Iraq attacked the city of Khafji in the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia;
Whereas the regime of Saddam Hussein is a threat to its neighbors and has
demonstrated its willingness to use weapons of mass destruction;
Whereas on February 24, 1991, a broad international coalition of 38 Muslim and
non-Muslim nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the State of Kuwait, the Arab
Republic of Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Syrian Arab
Republic, began a coalition ground operation to liberate Kuwait;
Whereas on April 6, 1991, Iraq accepted the provisions of United Nations
Security Council Resolution 687 (April 3, 1991) bringing a formal cease-
fire into effect;
Whereas, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 687, Iraq
unconditionally accepted the destruction, removal, or rendering harmless
of ``all chemical and biological weapons and all stocks of agents and
all related subsystems and components and all research, development,
support and manufacturing facilities related thereto'', and ``all
ballistic missiles with a range greater than one hundred and fifty
kilometers, and related major parts and repair and production
facilities'';
Whereas, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 687, Iraq
unconditionally agreed not to acquire or develop any nuclear weapons,
nuclear-weapons-usable material, nuclear-related subsystems or
components, or nuclear-related research, development, support, or
manufacturing facilities;
Whereas Security Council Resolution 687 calls for the creation of a United
Nations special commission to ``carry out immediate on-site inspection
of Iraq's biological, chemical, and missile capabilities'' and to assist
and cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency in carrying
out the ``destruction, removal or rendering harmless'' of all nuclear-
related items and in developing a plan for the ongoing monitoring and
verification of Iraq's compliance;
Whereas, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 687, the process of
destruction, removal, or rendering harmless of Iraq's weapons of mass
destruction was to have been completed within 45 days of approval by the
United Nations Security Council of the weapons inspectors' plan for
doing so;
Whereas Iraq has now been in breach of this requirement for more than a decade;
Whereas the regime of Saddam Hussein consistently impeded the work of United
Nations weapons inspectors in Iraq between 1991 and 1998 by denying them
access to crucial sites and documents and by obstructing their work in
numerous other ways;
Whereas on October 31, 1998, Iraq banned the United Nations weapons inspectors
despite its agreement and obligation to comply with Security Council
Resolution 687;
Whereas on December 15, 1998, the chief United Nations weapons inspector
reported that Iraq was withholding cooperation;
Whereas Congress declared in Public Law 105-235 (112 Stat. 1538) that ``the
Government of Iraq is in material and unacceptable breach of its
international obligations, and therefore the President is urged to take
appropriate action, in accordance with the Constitution and relevant
laws of the United States, to bring Iraq into compliance with its
international obligations'';
Whereas Security Council Resolution 687 was adopted under chapter VII of the
United Nations Charter and violations of such resolution that threaten
international peace and security may be dealt with through military
action pursuant to Security Council Resolution 678;
Whereas the United States has reported that a high risk exists that Iraq has
continued to develop weapons of mass destruction since the expulsion of
United Nations weapons inspectors, in violation of Security Council
Resolution 687 and subsequent resolutions;
Whereas such development is a threat to the United States and its friends and
allies in the Middle East;
Whereas Congress declared in Public Law 105-338 (112 Stat. 3178) that it should
be ``the policy of the United States to support efforts to remove the
regime headed by Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq and to promote the
emergence of a democratic government to replace that regime'';
Whereas the attacks of September 11, 2001, illustrate the global reach of
terrorists;
Whereas numerous terrorist groups are seeking to acquire weapons of mass
destruction;
Whereas Iraq is a sponsor of terrorism and has trained members of several
terrorist organizations;
Whereas the regime of Saddam Hussein plotted to assassinate former President
George Bush during his visit to the State of Kuwait in 1993;
Whereas the President has stated that ``any nation that continues to harbor or
support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile
regime'' and has committed to ``pursue nations that provide aid or safe
haven to terrorism''; and
Whereas on November 26, 2001, President Bush warned that any nation that
develops weapons of mass destruction in order to ``terrorize'' others
``will be held accountable'': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled, That--
(1) the United States and the United Nations Security
Council should insist on a complete program of inspection and
monitoring to prevent the development of weapons of mass
destruction in Iraq;
(2) Iraq should allow United Nations weapons inspectors
``immediate, unconditional and unrestricted access to any and
all areas, facilities, equipment, records and means of
transportation which they wish to inspect'', as required by
United Nations Security Council Resolutions 707 (August 15,
1991) and 1284 (December 17, 1999);
(3) the United States should ensure that the United Nations
does not accept any inspection and monitoring regime tha
581
t fails
to guarantee weapons inspectors immediate, unconditional, and
unrestricted access to any and all areas, facilities,
equipment, records, and means of transportation which they wish
to inspect;
(4) Iraq, as a result of its refusal to comply with the
terms of United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 (April
3, 1991) and subsequent relevant resolutions, remains in
material and unacceptable breach of its international
obligations; and
(5) Iraq's refusal to allow United Nations weapons
inspectors immediate, unconditional, and unrestricted access to
facilities and documents covered by United Nations Security
Council Resolution 687 and other relevant resolutions presents
a mounting threat to the United States, its friends and allies,
and international peace and security.
Passed the House of Representatives December 20, 2001.
Attest:
Clerk.
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. J. RES. 75
_______________________________________________________________________
JOINT RESOLUTION
Regarding inspection and monitoring to prevent the development of
weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
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