WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Senator Daniel K. Inouye stated, "I support President Clinton's decision to undertake military action against Saddam Hussein's regime. It was a decision which was triggered by Ambassador Richard Butler's report to the United Nations Security Council in which he clearly set forth Saddam Hussein's defiance of the Security Council's resolutions and his refusal to permit U.N. weapons inspectors to do their work, which was in clear violation of the U.N.'s directives.

"Since the end of Desert Storm, the United States has sought to contain and minimize the threat that Saddam Hussein has posed to the peace, stability and security of the Middle East and to our national security interests. Saddam Hussein has on every occasion broken his promises and his commitments to comply with U.N. resolutions. Instead of dismantling his weapons of mass destruction, he has continued to develop not only the weapons, but also their delivery systems.

"Our President had a narrow window of opportunity to respond to Saddam Hussein's intransigence and defiance of international commitments. To have delayed this military response until the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan would have most assuredly provided Saddam Hussein with the opportunity to carry on his defiant manufacturing of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems. This would most certainly have posed a dangerous threat to Saddam Hussein's neighbors and our national security interests.

"Any failure on our part to respond would have undermined and weakened our credibility in our relations with Saddam Hussein's neighbors and with our allies. The President could not afford to sit by and do nothing. The military response was necessary and inevitable.

"I wish to assure the men and women of the armed forces of the United States that members of Congress strongly support them as they stand in harm's way to undertake this vital mission."