If the United States took military action against Iraq, it would be a long process, U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback predicted Wednesday.

But once Saddam Hussein was overthrown, Iraq would grow, prosper and be “a strong beacon of liberty, of democracy, of human rights, of pluralism and of religious freedom in that region of the world,” the Kansas senator said.

Brownback’s remarks came during a telephone conference with members of the Kansas media.

President Bush made a case Monday that the world could no longer ignore actions of the Iraqi dictator, Brownback said.

“I’m hopeful the Senate is going to move through this week and pass a resolution providing the president with the authority to use military action, if necessary, against Saddam Hussein to remove him from power,” Brownback said.

Brownback said he was frustrated that France and some other European allies were reluctant to join the United States and other countries to overthrow Saddam.

“The problem with Saddam Hussein is that the problem doesn’t get better with time. It’s like cancer. It just gets worse with time if you don’t deal with it,” he said. “I think this is an extended operation and one that we should be able to do over a period of time.”

Brownback said there were a number of people operating inside Iraq who would help to overthrow Saddam.

“This is a war of liberation, and that will make it easier as well, but it will be a difficult operation,” he said.

Earlier Wednesday, Brownback had a press conference featuring Iraqis whose family members had been persecuted, tortured or killed by Saddam’s regime.

“One even stated that people in southern Iraq are standing on the roof on a regular basis, looking for the Americans to come and liberate them from Saddam Hussein,” Brownback said.

One of those Iraqis is a cardiologist now living in Houston who has been an outspoken opponent of Saddam. Of the 14 family members the cardiologist left behind in Iraq, 13 have been tortured and killed, Brownback said.

Brownback said the cardiologist recently was called on the phone in Houston and forced to listen to his last surviving relative, who is 94 years old, being tortured.