Gore calls for fall of Saddam Hussein

[UPI]

WASHINGTON (UPI) -- Vice President Al Gore said Monday the Cruise
missile attack on an Iraqi intelligence center in response to an
assassination plot against George Bush sends a clear message to the
people of Iraq -- it is time for the regime of Saddam Hussein to fall.
``The suffering inside Iraq can come to an end when Saddam's regime
is replaced,'' Gore said.
President Clinton said he regretted that three of the 1,000 pound
warhead missiles missed their targets and slammed into residential areas
in Baghdad, killing about six civilians. But he said the terrorist bomb
U.S. intelligence said was targeted against Bush during a visit to
Kuwait would have killed hundreds of civilians as well.
``It's clear that it was a success,'' Clinton said of the weekend
attack of 23 Tomahawk Cruise missiles launched by a U.S. destroyer in
the Red Sea and a cruiser in the Persian Gulf against the Iraqi
intelligence headquarters.
Clinton said he acted after ``compelling evidence'' showed Saddam
plotted to assassinate Bush during the former president's visit to
Kuwait in April that honored his leadership of the allied effort to oust
Iraqi forces from the oil-rich nation in the 1990-91 Persian Gulf War.
Iraqi officials said at least six people were killed and many more
wounded, and that claims of a plot against Bush were ``baseless.''
Gore, interviewed at the White House by the Cable News Network, said
the United States acted to defend its sovereignty and that Iraq won't
suffer such attacks if it leaves American officials and interests alone.
``Don't do this kind of thing,'' he said of the plot against Bush.
``We will respond when something like this is tried.''
But Gore, using blunt language, said the troubles of the Iraqi people
-- who live in a police state and suffer the effects of an economic
embargo as a result of the Persian Gulf war -- could well end if they got
rid of Saddam.
``I hope and most of the world community hopes this regime that is
based on terrorism and atrocities against its own people will be
replaced,'' Gore said. ``Over time we hope to achieve that result.
``The suffering inside Iraq will come to an end when the regime is
replaced.''
Gore, in another interview on CBS-TV, said in addition to the
military reprisal, their political impact was clear.
``This was designed to send a powerful message, that the kind of
action the Iraqi's attempted is simply unacceptable,'' Gore said.
And he warned Saddam not to respond.
``It would be unwise for Saddam to retaliate in any capacity, because
that would receive a response,'' Gore said.
Lawrence Eagleburger, secretary of state in the final months of the
Bush administration, said Americans should realize that they, too, are
at risk of terrorism, such as the World Trade Center bombing and the
arrests of suspects last week in another apparent bombing plot in New
Yorkl.
``We have to understand there will continue to be attempts to bring
this home to the American people domestically,'' Eagleburger said.
Eagleburger did not go as far as Gore in calling for Saddam's ouster,
but said there is another way.
Eagleburger said the United States and its allies must ``stand fast''
on the economic sanctions that have depressed the Iraqi economy.
``Over time those sanctions will have a very severe effect on Iraq,''
Eagleburger said. ``They already have.
``As long as the sanctions continue, Saddam Hussein will be an
irritant, but he will not be a serious threat,'' Eagleburger said.
Clinton said he was pleased with the results of the raid that he
announced to the nation Saturday evening, but expressed regret Sunday
about the loss of civilian lives.
``But I would remind you that the reason the mission was carried out
at the time it was and in the way it was, was to try to minimize the
loss of life,'' he said of the attack that came early Sunday while the
streets of Baghdad were lighty traveled.
``Almost all of the missiles landed within the intelligence compound,
'' Clinton said. ``I'm always sorry when there is a loss of life. But
also remember that we were trying to avoid killing civilians while still
expressing our conviction about an Iraqi-planned attack, the purpose of
which was to blow up a bomb that had a 400-yard radius in the middle of
downtown Kuwait City, which would have killed hundreds and hundreds of
civilians.
``I think we had minimal loss of life and we sent the message we
needed to send,'' Clinton said.