Tom DeLay, October 10, 2002

Americans have always had to summon the courage to disregard the timid counsel of those who would mortgage our security to the false promises of wishful thinking and appeasement.

The perils of complacency were driven home to us last September. We saw in tragic detail that evil is far more than an abstract concept.

No longer should America allow dangers to gather and multiply. No longer should we stand idle as terrorists and tyrannical regimes plot to murder our citizens.

As a free society, we have to defeat dangers before they ripen. The War on Terrorism will be fought here at home unless we summon the will to confront evil before it attacks.

President Bush understands this imperative for action.

The President is demonstrating the strong moral leadership to find and defeat threats to the United States before they strike.

Because once a madman like Saddam Hussein is able to deliver his arsenal, whether it is chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons, there`s no telling when an American city will be attacked at his direction or with his support.

A nuclear-armed Iraq would soon become the world`s largest safe-haven and refuge for the world`s terrorist organizations.

Waiting to act until after Saddam has nuclear weapons will leave free nations with an awful dilemma. Will they risk nuclear annihilation by confronting terrorists in Iraq or will they give in to fear by failing to confront these terrorist groups?

For that reason, regime change in Iraq is a central goal of the War-on-Terror.

It`s vital because a war on terrorism that leaves the world`s leading purveyor and practitioner of terror in power would be a bald failure.

Some call Hussein a diversion. But far from being a diversion, confronting Saddam Hussein is a defining measure of whether we will wage the War-on-Terror fully and effectively. It`s the difference between aggressive pre-emption and misguided passivity.

The question we face today is not whether to go to war, for war was thrust upon us. Our only choice is between victory and defeat.

And let`s be clear, in the War-on-Terror, victory cannot be secured at the bargaining table.

Iraq`s vile dictator is a central power in the Axis of Evil. President Bush and this Congress are committed to removing the threat from Saddam Hussein`s terror state.

Only regime change in Iraq can accomplish that objective. Only regime change can remove the danger from Saddam`s weapons of mass destruction.

Only by taking them out of his hands and destroying them can we be certain that terror weapons won`t wind up in the hands of terrorists.

Saddam Hussein is seeking the means to murder millions in a single moment. He is trying to spread the grip of fear beyond his own borders. And he is consumed with hatred for America.

In the wicked litany of crimes against humanity, Saddam Hussein has composed a crimson chapter of terror.

Our only responsible option is to confront this threat before more Americans die. Time works to the advantage of our enemies--not ours

Under our Constitution, America speaks through the United States Congress and our resolution is clear: The enemies of free and moral people will find no safe harbor in the world.

Today the free world chooses strength over temporizing and timidity. Terrorists and tyrants will see that the fruits of their evil will be certain destruction by the forces of democracy.

We seek broad support. But fighting the War on Terrorism by committee is a certain prescription for failure.

We`ll defend our country by defeating terrorists wherever they flee.

None of us view the gravity of this vote and its ramifications lightly. But history informs us that the dangers of complacency and inaction far outweigh the calculated risks of confronting evil.

In the fullness of time, Americans will be proud that, in our hour of testing, we chose the bold path of action, not the hollow comfort of appeasement.

The forces of freedom are on the march and terrorists will find no safe harbor in the world.

Tom Delay (R-TX) is the Majority Whip in the U.S. House of Representatives.