WASHINGTON Ñ Democratic leaders in Congress are urging the Bush
administration to destroy the Al Qaida insurgency network before new targets
are determined in the U.S.-led war against terrorism.
The Democrats expressed concern that Saudi fugitive Osama Bin Laden and
his aides will succeed in attacking U.S. interests in both the Middle
East and other areas while the administration plans an attack on Iraq as
well as military deployment in such areas as Georgia, Philippines and Yemen.
They said this would derail the entire effort against the Islamic insurgency
network that includes the Taliban.
"We've got to find [Taliban leader] Mohammad Omar," Sen. Tom Daschle, a
Democrat and majority leader, said. "We've got to find Osama Bin Laden, and
we've got to find other key leaders of the Al Qaida network, or we will have
failed. We're not safe until we have broken the back of Al Qaida, and we
haven't done that yet."
Daschle and other Democrats questioned the administration's strategy
amid its request for an increase in the defense budget. President George
Bush has requested a $379 billion defense budget for fiscal 2003, an
increase of $48 billion.
"If we expect to kill every terrorist in the world, that's going to keep
us going beyond doomsday," Sen. Robert Byrd, a Democrat from W. Virginia,
said.
The Democratic opposition comes as the administration appears set to
focus on Iraq. Later this month, the London-based Iraqi National Congress
will convene the biggest meeting of former Iraqi military officers to
discuss a strategy to topple the regime of President Saddam Hussein.
Richard Perle, chairman of the Defense Policy Board, linked Iraq with
Al Qaida. In an address last week to the Hoover Institution, Perle, regarded
as a key adviser of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, said destroying the
Saddam regime is the key to the U.S. war against terrorism.
"This is a case where an ounce of prevention seems to be called for,"
Perle said. "He has the potential today to distribute anthrax, which he has
in quantities, to Al Qaida terrorists."
