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Ryan Supports President’s Resolve to Deal Swiftly with Threat of Hussein’s Regime in Iraq

JANESVILLE – Wisconsin’s First District Congressman Paul Ryan made the following statement after the President’s address tonight regarding Iraq:

“We have reached a turning point.  It is clear that Saddam Hussein has not disarmed, as the UN Security Council required in Resolution 1441 – and in many earlier resolutions over the past twelve years.  Tonight the President gave Hussein a final chance to secure peace by leaving Iraq.  The burden is, as it has always been, on Saddam Hussein to choose peace or war.”

“Time after time, the President has given Iraq’s leader opportunities to come clean and comply with his obligation to give up his chemical and biological weapons.  Time after time, President Bush has sought a peaceful solution.  I’ve supported the President’s exhaustive efforts to work with the international community and the UN to get Hussein to disarm peacefully, and I support tonight’s appeal for Hussein to step down.  But if he does not, we cannot afford to ignore the growing threat from Hussein’s Iraq.  Delay at this point will only make Hussein stronger and give him time to develop even more dangerous weapons.” 

“Unfortunately, one casualty of this has been the credibility of the UN, which now seems irrelevant in dealing with conflict resolution.”

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