Gibbons, Berkley back invasion to oust Saddam

Benjamin Grove

Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2002 | 11:15 a.m.

America's military has the physical capability to launch an invasion that would successfully oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., said today. But it needs the logistical help, especially the military bases, of a number of European allies and Middle East nations, he said.

An invasion would not be likely for six months to a year, time enough to make a case for it at home and abroad and build a coalition of allies, Gibbons said.

Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., who also supports an invasion to oust Hussein, said the United States is paying a price for not removing Hussein during the Persian Gulf war.

"I am one of the people who 11 years ago thought we should have gone into Baghdad," Berkley said. "This nation will have to deal with Saddam Hussein sooner or later. I don't say this lightly. We need to do this strategically to protect future generations of Americans. ...

"This time, if we go in we go in to win."

Although both Nevada's members of the House of Representatives lined up to support Hussein's ouster, they both said the president should consult with Congress before making a move. The president's lawyers said he is not required by law to consult with Congress.

"This administration will have to collaborate closely with Congress," Berkley said.

Gibbons said Vice President Dick Cheney's outline of reasons for an Iraqi invasion Monday was overdue. Bush needs to make the case to Congress and the public that Hussein will use weapons of mass destruction against America and will continue to develop nuclear weapons.

"Once the president makes his case, not many -- if any -- members of Congress would oppose defending liberty and supporting our soldiers," Gibbons said.

Gibbons is optimistic that nations including Great Britain, Australia, Germany, Italy, Spain and Turkey will ultimately support an attack on Iraq.

"I'm not too confident about France," Gibbons said. He thinks the United States can gain European support by comparing Hussein to Hitler.

"I'm tremendously disappointed by the European reaction to this," he said. "These are European nations we have saved time and time again from the likes of Adolf Hitler. ... This is the same scenario, the same history lesson we saw in World War II."

Ousting Hussein should happen "sooner rather than later," Gibbons said.

"Every day we wait he develops greater capabilities," he said.

Gibbons, who flew missions over Iraq as an Air Force pilot in the Persian Gulf war, strongly backs another attack on the nation with a clear primary objective: to remove Hussein and his regime and insert a more pro-democracy, pro-Western government. Overseeing the transition won't be easy, he said.

"That's always tricky," Gibbons said. "You don't want to be seen as putting in a puppet government of the United States." The United States must find a strong leader who is well-respected outside Iraq as well as inside, as Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai is, Gibbons said.

Berkley and Gibbons said it was difficult to say how many ground troops would be needed, or how long the conflict might last.

"We need to stay long enough to ensure that there is a peaceful transition," Berkley said.

Nevada's senators, Harry Reid and John Ensign, were traveling out of the country and unavailable for comment this morning.

Sun reporters Stephen Curran and Erin Neff contributed to this story.