Nevada delegates take sides on war issue

Benjamin Grove

Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2003 | 10:26 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Iraq has not accounted for its past weapons programs and is not cooperating fully with United Nations inspectors, Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., said after a briefing Monday by the Pentagon's top officials.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Richard Myers and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld were among the leaders who met with House freshmen lawmakers for a wide-ranging discussion, including a question-and-answer session on Iraq and North Korea, Porter said. Porter said Rumsfeld is still "very, very concerned" that while Iraq is allowing inspectors access to weapons sites, it is not cooperating fully with efforts to account for weapons programs.

"The secretary and others reiterated frequently that the last thing they want is to go to war, but that the priority is disarmament," Porter said.

Nevada's lawmakers in Congress supported a resolution in October authorizing President Bush to use force in Iraq if it refuses to give up weapons.

But Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., on Monday joined ally and Democratic Leader Sen. Tom Daschle, D-Nev., in calling on Bush to make a better case for war. Echoing recent polls of U.S. citizens, Reid said Bush should offer more evidence of Iraqi weapons programs and articulate a clearer link between Iraq and terrorism.

"He should give us what he's got," Reid said.

Reid added that U.N. inspectors should be given more time, but said he didn't know "if that's months or weeks."

Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., said Iraq has had enough time.

"Saddam Hussein has not cooperated," Berkley said. "He has done everything he can to inhibit the ability of the weapons inspectors to do their job."

Much evidence that Iraq has not been truthful has already been made public, said Amy Spanbauer, spokeswoman for Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev. She pointed to the briefing paper, "A Decade of Deception and Defiance" prepared in September by the White House for the United Nations. The document outlines examples of Iraq's continuing weapons program.

Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., said chief inspector Hans Blix's report Monday was clear evidence that Iraq is not cooperating with inspectors and that the report "brings us that much closer to war." Ensign said he was convinced there is a link between Iraq and terrorism.

"He (Saddam) is probably the most imminent threat in the world," Ensign said. "And we are continuing to focus on terrorism around the world. This isn't taking away from that."