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For Immediate Release Contact: Amanda Molk, 202-225-5256 Napolitano Responds to Secretary Powell’s Speech to the U.N. “I have no doubt that Saddam Hussein is untrustworthy, ruthless, and may well have weapons of mass destruction in his arsenal. However, Secretary of State Powell has not convinced me that our only response at this point is war with Iraq in order to remove the threat. The weapons inspectors must be given additional time and more direct information from our intelligence sources in order to complete their job,” responded Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (D-CA38). Secretary Powell presented evidence which demonstrated that Iraq has purposefully evaded the weapons inspectors, hid weapons and weapon materials and refused to cooperate with the inspectors. “I have no doubt that Hussein has not cooperated fully with weapons inspectors, nor has he complied with the U.N. resolution. However, we cannot abandon diplomacy. A costly war that could result in numerous innocent casualties on both sides must be our very last resort,” stated Napolitano. Many U.N. Security Council Members, including France, Russia and China, were not convinced by Secretary Powell of the need to immediately go to war. “We must continue to act in concert with the U.N. and our allies to find a peaceful solution to this situation that puts so many American lives in danger,” noted the Congresswoman. “Many of our allies oppose military action at this point and want to continue with weapons inspections. France has suggested that we increase the number of inspectors in Iraq as a way to ensure greater compliance, and this idea deserves consideration. We must fully exhaust all diplomatic possibilities before going to war,” she concluded.
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