IV 

107TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 473

Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the importance of the 

United States working through the United Nations to assure Iraq’s 

compliance with United Nations Security Council resolutions and advance 

peace and security in the Persian Gulf region. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 19, 2002

Ms. LEE (for herself, Mrs. CLAYTON, Ms. RIVERS, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. KUCINICH, Ms. MCKINNEY, Mr. 

OWENS, Ms. KILPATRICK, Ms. WATSON of California, Mr. RUSH, Mrs. 

CHRISTENSEN, Mr. HILLIARD, Mr. CLAY, Mr. STARK, Mr. FARR of California, Ms. KAPTUR, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. FILNER, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. 

CLYBURN, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Mr. SERRANO, 

Ms. SOLIS, and Mr. CONYERS) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the importance of the United States working through the United 

Nations to assure Iraq’s compliance with United Nations 

Security Council resolutions and advance peace and security in the Persian Gulf region.

Whereas on April 6, 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, Iraq 

accepted the provisions of United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 (April 3, 1991) bringing a formal 

cease-fire into effect; 
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•HCON 473 IH 

Whereas, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 

687, Iraq unconditionally accepted the destruction, removal, or rendering harmless of ‘‘all chemical and biological weapons and all stocks of agents and all related subsystems and components and all research, development, 

support and manufacturing facilities related thereto’’, 

and ‘‘all ballistic missiles with a range greater than one 

hundred and fifty kilometers, and related major parts 

and repair and production facilities’’; 

Whereas, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 

687, Iraq unconditionally agreed not to acquire or develop any nuclear weapons, nuclear-weapons-usable material, nuclear-related subsystems or components, or nuclear-related research, development, support, or manufacturing facilities; 

Whereas Security Council Resolution 687 calls for the creation of a United Nations special commission to ‘‘carry 

out immediate on-site inspection of Iraq’s biological, 

chemical, and missile capabilities’’ and to assist and cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency in 

carrying out the ‘‘destruction, removal or rendering 

harmless’’ of all nuclear-related items and in developing 

a plan for the ongoing monitoring and verification of 

Iraq’s compliance; 

Whereas United Nations weapons inspectors (UNSCOM) between 1991 and 1998 successfully uncovered and destroyed large stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons and production facilities, nuclear weapons research 

and development facilities, and Scud missiles, despite the 

fact that the Government of Iraq sought to obstruct their 

work in numerous ways; 
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•HCON 473 IH 

Whereas in 1998, UNSCOM weapons inspectors were withdrawn from Iraq and have not returned since; 

Whereas Iraq is not in compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 687, United Nations Security 

Council Resolution 1154, and additional United Nations 

resolutions on inspections, and this noncompliance violates international law and Iraq’s ceasefire obligations 

and potentially endangers United States and regional security interests; 

Whereas the true extent of Iraq’s continued development of 

weapons of mass destruction and the threat posed by 

such development to the United States and allies in the 

region are unknown and cannot be known without inspections; 

Whereas the United Nations was established for the purpose 

of preventing war and resolving disputes between nations 

through peaceful means, including ‘‘by negotiation, 

enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, resort to regional arrangements, or other peaceful means’’; 

Whereas the United Nations remains seized of this matter; 

Whereas the President has called upon the United Nations to 

take responsibility to assure that Iraq fulfills its obligations to the United Nations under existing United Nations Security Council resolutions; 

Whereas war with Iraq would place the lives of tens of thousands of people at risk, including members of the United 

States armed forces, Iraqi civilian non-combatants, and 

civilian populations in neighboring countries; 

Whereas unilateral United States military action against Iraq 

may undermine cooperative international efforts to re-
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•HCON 473 IH 

duce international terrorism and to bring to justice those 

responsible for the attacks of September 11, 2001; 

Whereas unilateral United States military action against Iraq 

may also undermine United States diplomatic relations 

with countries throughout the Arab and Muslim world 

and with many other allies; 

Whereas a preemptive unilateral United States first strike 

could both set a dangerous international precedent and 

significantly weaken the United Nations as an institution; 

and 

Whereas the short-term and long-term costs of unilateral 

United States military action against Iraq and subsequent occupation may be significant in terms of United 

States casualties, the cost to the United States treasury, 

and harm to United States diplomatic relations with 

other countries: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That the United States should work through 

3 the United Nations to seek to resolve the matter of ensur4 ing that Iraq is not developing weapons of mass destruc5 tion, through mechanisms such as the resumption of weap6 ons inspections, negotiation, enquiry, mediation, regional 

7 arrangements, and other peaceful means.

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