By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
U.S. Sen Tim Hutchinson said Wednesday that he supports the idea of removing Saddam Hussein as leader of Iraq, but said President Bush has a selling job to do to the American people first.
Hutchinson, a member of the Armed Services Committee, was speaking to a joint meeting of the Forrest City Kiwanis, Rotary and Lions clubs.
He said he has been asked before if he is a "hawk" or a "dove" on that issue.
"I guess if I have to put in those terms, I'm a hawk on it, but let me tell you why," said Hutchinson. "Saddam Hussein, I think is an international outlaw and a madman. I've read biographies, I've studied his life, I've watched what he's done in the past. He not only has biological weapons and chemical weapons. He has used chemical weapons on his own people."
Iraq is also working on nuclear weapons, Hutchinson said.
"I am of the conviction that we, as a country, have to deal with Saddam Hussein," he said. "You cannot wage a war on terror and terrorism and not deal with one of the greatest international terrorists."
At the same time, he said he knows it is controversial.
"It's not like going into Afghanistan. It's not going to be near as easy. It's going to be much more costly. The American people's opinion is much more divided, Congress' opinion is much more divided," said Hutchinson.
He said Bush has good advisers on Iraq.
"I think the president has got to go to the American people, though. He's got to do a better job of telling the American people why there has to be a regime change...so we can be united when we go into this."
He also spoke about some leaks concerning plans on Iraq.
"There have been some outrageous leaks to the media on war plans which I think -- I don't want to say traitorous -- but it's unconscionable."
Hutchinson is being challenged by Mark Pryor in November.
On local issues, he said he has been a supporter of the Federal Correctional Institution at Forrest City, which is now in its third phase of construction.
"I am committed also, as we look toward a maximum security, fourth phase out there," he said. "I think it means an awful lot to St. Francis County an awful lot to Arkansas."
He said that this year, the funding for the Bureau of Prisons is taking a cut but that will not affect the construction in Forrest City.
"And as we look at the next round, as the Bureau of Prisons makes that decision on the maximum security phase, we're going to be there to fight for that."
He also congratulated County Judge Carl Cisco on his plans for the transportation mall, "for having a vision for economic development."
On the national level, he said a lot of work had been done on the Farm Bill, and said it should have been passed sooner.
"The good news is, we have a Farm Bill," he said.
St. Francis County is one of 21 counties in Arkansas which will receive a share of $1 million from the state to help fight the West Nile virus.
The announcement was made Wednesday by the office of Gov. Mike Huckabee.
The 21 counties are those in which dead birds have tested positive for the virus. So far, four have been found in St. Francis County.
Speaking this morning, County Judge Carl Cisco said he was aware of the $1 million, but didn't know yet how much would be coming to the county.
"St. Francis County is one of the counties being involved in it," Cisco said. "We don't have any of the details yet. I imagine most of it would be spent in spraying and then trying to eliminate spots that breed mosquitoes close to populated areas."
The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management and the Arkansas Department of Health will be working together to help cities and counties, the governor said in a press release.
"There is cause for concern, but we do not have a crisis," Huckabee said. "We are mobilizing to alert people, but there is not reason to alarm the public."
According to the release, Dr. Fay Boozman, director of the ADH, said, "We want to thank Arkansans for their excellent response in submitting over 300 birds to local health units as part of our surveillance efforts for West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne illnesses. The Health Department forwards these birds to the Arkansas Poultry and Livestock Commission for testing."
The press release said 27 birds tested positive and, 10 were sent to the Centers for Disease Control for confirmation. Those 10 birds were confirmed to have the virus.
Besides St. Francis, counties on the list include Arkansas, Chicot, Craighead, Crawford, Crittenden, Cross, Franklin, Independence, Jefferson, Lee, Lonoke, Mississippi, Phillips, Poinsett, Pulaski, Sebastian, Union, Van Buren, Washington and Woodruff.
One man in Union County has tested positive for the virus and will be confirmed later.