Story By: JO3 Jason L. Moore
email: pamoor52@cv62.navy.mil
Date: February 17, 1998
This afternoon, Independence and Carrier Air Wing FIVE, currently in the Arabian Gulf region, will host the Honorable Robert Torricelli, (D) U.S. Senator from N.J.
During the Senator’s overnight visit, he will be touring the Hard Rock Café on the after mess decks, the F/A-18 simulator, and the Tactical Flag Command Center. Torricelli will also be eating dinner with Sailors and Marines from his home state.
Torricelli serves on the Senate Judiciary, Governmental Affairs, and Rules Committees and as the Vice-Chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
In 1982, at the age of 31, the citizens of New Jersey’s 9th Congressional District elected Torricelli to the House of Representatives for the 98th Congress and for each successive Congress until 1996, when the people of New Jersey elected him to the United States Senate.
According to his biography, Torricelli was a strong supporter of the Persian Gulf War. Ten years ago, he went to Baghdad to try to end the brutal conflict between Iran and Iraq which consumed hundreds of thousands of lives.
"President Hussein knew little of the Western World, and profoundly misunderstood the United States," Torricelli said in a Nov. 13th briefing to the Senate. "Because we are a good and decent people willing to engage in dialog, it was interpreted as a lack of resolve; a failure of will."
In the years since U.S. military forces triumphed in the Persian Gulf war, Hussein has repeatedly violated the gulf war cease-fire terms.
"This government is clearly prepared to pay the price to maintain peace in the Middle East," Torricelli said. "Saddam Hussein will not be allowed to have weapons of mass destruction or wage war on his own people or regain great military capability because as a consequence of the Persian Gulf war and the invasion of Kuwait, the international community has decided to deny him that sovereign right of other nations to process certain weapons."
Torricelli added in his Nov. 13th speech that he is in prayerful hope that military confrontation is avoided.
In addition to his tour, Torricelli will observe the final evening flight operations recovery along with attending several meeting with the ship’s senior leaders.
Caption 1: Senator Robert Torricelli, is greeted aboard USS Independence (CV 62) by Rear Adm. Charles W. Moore, Jr.
Caption 2: Senator Robert Torricelli takes time out for a group photo.
Caption 3: Senator Robert Torricelli, Democrat from New Jersey.