WASHINGTON -- Voicing fear that a unilateral attack on Irag would
unleash a global wave of anti-Americanism, Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee
announced plans yesterday to oppose a broad grant of war-making
authority to President Bush -- the only Senate Republican to break with
the commander in chief.
"This is not a wise course of action at this time," Chafee said in an
interview hours before the Senate was expected to vote decisively for
the war-making approval the president sought.
Instead, Chafee cast the only Republican vote for a Democratic-sponsored
alternative -- which failed on nearly straight party-line votes -- that
would have required Mr. Bush to seek action from the United Nations
before returning to Congress for permission to invade Iraq.
Even with U.N. support, Chafee said he doubted the wisdom of military
action to disarm Saddam Hussein -- and has felt that way ever since Mr.
Bush's first suggestions that he was contemplating war.
"I just thought, why is the president taking on this challenge of Iraq
when the agenda is so full with what we are doing in Afghanistan,"
Chafee said.
Chafee, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he
supported the Democratic resolution, despite reservations, "mainly to
empower the United Nations to deal with the possibility of Hussein's
getting nuclear weapons, and to enforce their sanctions" against Iraq.
"My biggest fear is a rise in anti-Americanism. When you're at the top,
it's natural for people to want to take you down a peg," Chafee said.
"All the more reason for us to have a diplomacy that shows we've got
respect for all nations."
Pulling from his wallet a folded fragment of paper, Chafee read a 2000
campaign quotation from candidate George W. Bush: "If we are an arrogant
nation, they will resist us. If we are a humble nation, but strong, they
will welcome us."
"I couldn't agree more," Chafee said. "I think the American people are
angry after September 11, naturally, and I'm a little dismayed at the
inclination to tap into that anger," a reference to the administration's
push for military action against Iraq. "My preference would be for us to
conduct ourselves with more humility in foreign affairs."
Chafee also voiced the fear that U.S. aggressiveness will "actually
harden the resolve" of Iraqis to defend their nation. He reiterated his
longstanding view that the United States should pay attention to the
anti-war sentiments of many of our friends near Iraq: Turkey, Jordan,
Saudi Arabia "and even Kuwait" -- invaded by Iraq to trigger the Gulf
war 11 years ago.
Chafee said he disapproved of a recently issued administration doctrine
that in certain cases prescribes preemptive military action against
threatening nations. "It's a big change in our history," Chafee said,
noting that an invasion of Iraq would be different from the invasions of
Panama or Grenada. "It's such a volatile area of the world and of such
international consequence."
Chafee has stood in conspicuous opposition to the administration and his
Republican leadership before. He opposed Mr. Bush's tax cuts in 2001
and, last month, played the key role in helping Democrats stymie the
president on a labor question that ultimately stalled the bill to create
a new Homeland Security Department.
On the issue of war-versus-diplomacy on Iraq, Chafee noted wryly that
fellow Republicans did not strenuously seek his vote because "I wasn't
needed." It was plain that Mr. Bush's war resolution would succeed with
significant support from Democrats in the closely divided Senate -- as
it did yesterday afternoon in the House.
Chafee said he has felt no snubs or rancor from Republicans on the
emotional issue or war. Talk of Iraq was on the menu at Tuesday's weekly
Republican policy lunch in the Capitol, Chafee said, and Vice President
Dick Cheney showed no qualms about joining the table where Chafee was
seated.
"I don't worry so much about isolating myself" from Senate Republicans,
Chafee said. "I just want to do the right thing. That's hard. With this
decision comes a lot of stress. You spend a lot of time on it, trying to
think ahead, 5 years, 10 years, 30 years.
Rhode Island's other senator, Democrat Jack Reed, voted for the
Democratic alternative and planned to vote against the Bush resolution.
