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Calling Saddam Hussein a "serious threat," US President George W. Bush vowed Wednesday to seek approval from US Congress before taking any military action to oust the Iraqi president.
"Saddam Hussein is a serious threat," Bush told reporters after meeting with US congressional leaders at the White House.
"At the appropriate time, this administration will go to the Congress to seek approval," Bush said.
"He is a significant problem and it's something the country must deal with. Doing nothing about that serious threat is not an option for the United States," he said.
US congressional leaders said Bush agreed to seek a resolution from Congress should he decide to take military action against Iraq.
"The president began to make his case to us today," said Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, a South Dakota Democrat, adding more "clarity" is needed.
Daschle said Congress could pass a resolution on US action toward Iraq within weeks, "We will have addressed this issue prior to the time we leave. That is a possibility."
The US congress will end its session October 5, giving lawmakers time to return to their home state for the November congressional elections.
US House Speaker Dennis Hastert, a Illinois Republican, also said that Bush told them he would seek a congressional resolution of support should he decide to strike Iraq.
"The president made it very clear that he wants to work with Congress on this issue," Hastert said.
US congressional leaders have said they want to know Bush's timetable for a military offensive, how many troops and how much money would be involved, the feasibility of pursuing such a strategy without support from a coalition of other nations.
Bush said during the meeting he will discuss the threat posed by Iraq with world leaders in the coming days and in an address to the United Nations General Assembly next week.
Bush will meet British Prime Minister Tony Blair Saturday at Camp David presidential retreat and Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien Monday in Detroit. He will also be on the phone to leaders of China, Russia and France.
Bush said he would call on the world to recognize that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is "stiffing the world" by developing weapons of mass destruction when he addresses the UN General Assembly on Sept. 11.
"This is a man who said he would not arm up. He told the world he would not harbor weapons of mass destruction. But I'll be discussing ways to make sure that is not the case," Bush said.
"I will first remind the Unite Nations that for 11 long years Saddam Hussein has sidestepped, crawfished, wheedled out of any agreement he made not to develop weapons of mass destruction," he said.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Wednesday that the congress would "draft the appropriate language in consultation with the White House for a vote that can include any number of things, including the option of military force."
The Bush administration's stated policy to seek regime change in Iraq and threat to use force if necessary have not only caused widespread concerns among the international community but also triggered a hectic debate in the United States.
Because a fresh war with Iraq will have far-reaching impact on US politics, economy and diplomacy as well as the world as a whole, the usual partisanship has given its way a basically open and frank debate on the issue which has largely reflected the different sentiments from various circles in the US.
A senior Bush administration official described Bush's meeting with the congressional leaders Wednesday as an answer to critics who say either that the president is in a rush toward a military confrontation or that the administration is sending confusing or conflicting signals about its policies and intentions.
"We believe a lot of this is media-driven and exaggerated," the official said. "But there is some confusion and a legitimate debate and over the next couple of weeks we think there is an opportunity to clarify some things."
(Xinhua News Agency September 5, 2002)
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