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Title: I Was Am-Bushed On MSNBC Over Iraq
Source:
FNC
URL Source: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2010 ... snbc-karl-rove-book-bush-lied/
Published: Mar 12, 2010
Author: Bradley Blakeman
Post Date: 2010-03-12 10:05:03 by Badeye
Keywords: None
Views: 22871
Comments: 85
I Was Am-Bushed On MSNBC Over Iraq By Bradley Blakeman - FOXNews.com
The left distorts the facts with regard to the lead up to the Iraq war to fit their conspiratorial theory.
I was invited on MSNBC the other day to discuss Karl Rove’s book with anchor Davis Shuster and journalist David Corn of Mother Jones magazine and the author of “The Lies of George W. Bush” only to be am-BUSHED with the worn allegation by the left that President Bush lied his way into war with Iraq.
The left is consumed with charges that somehow Bush and his “gang” were able to bamboozle Congress, the U.N., and everyone else on the planet with regard to why it was necessary to remove Saddam Hussein from power and bring him to justice. Both Shuster and Corn ganged up on me charging that Bush lied and would not let me get a word in edge wise. They interrupted and would not let me finish a thought. In a desperate attempt to “prove” he was right, Corn offered to bet me $1,000.00 that he could “prove” Bush lied. And, who was going to be the judge? Yep, you guessed it, David Shuster. Does that not sound like an impartial and “fair and balanced” wager? I think not.
All this in light of the fact that just last month, Vice President Joe Biden went on Larry King and bragged that “Iraq could be one of the greatest achievements of this administration.” This from a man who as a US Senator was against the war and the surge and sided with many Democrats who declared in 2003 that the “war was lost.”
The left distorts the facts with regard to the lead up to the Iraq war to fit their conspiratorial theories. However here are the facts:
*November 1997: Hussein ordered all American weapons inspectors in Iraq to leave in violation of UN Security Council Resolution. *December 1998: President Bill Clinton orders “Operation Desert Fox” a robust four day aerial bombing mission by US and UK Air Forces. This operation was in retaliation for Iraq’s failure to obey UN Security Council Resolutions and their obstruction of UN Weapons Inspections.
Clinton’s Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said the following about the attack:
"I don't think we're pretending that we can get everything, so this is - I think - we are being very honest about what our ability is. We are lessening, degrading his ability to use this. The weapons of mass destruction are the threat of the future. I think the president explained very clearly to the American people that this is the threat of the 21st century. [. . .] [W]hat it means is that we know we can't get everything, but degrading is the right word."
*1998-2002: Saddam Hussein allowed no UN weapons inspections. *September 2002: President Bush Addresses the UN General Assembly and sets forth a long list of complaints against the Iraqi government with regard to their continued threat to the region, our allies and the world including but not limited to:
1. Support of terrorist organizations that directs violence against its neighbors and the West; 2. UN Commission on Human Rights finding in 2001 that Iraq was engaged in “extremely grave” human rights violations; 3. The failure to let UN weapons inspectors conduct their work to insure and prevent Iraq is not pursuing WMD in violation of UN Resolutions; 4. They used proceeds from the UN “oil for food” program to purchase weapons rather than to feed its people. *October 2002: After extensive debate, the US Congress overwhelmingly passes a Resolution giving President Bush the power and authority to use military force to enforce UN Security Council Resolution.
Here are some comments made by prominent Democrats at that time:
DICK GEPHARDT: HOUSE DEM LEADER "The issue is how to best protect America. And I believe this resolution does that."
TOM DASCHLE: SENATE MAJ. LEADER "I believe it is important for America to speak with one voice," said Daschle, D-S.D. "It is neither a Democratic resolution nor a Republican resolution. It is now a statement of American resolve and values."
SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON In the closing hours of debate, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., said the decision to back the resolution was "the hardest decision I've ever had to make, but I cast it with conviction. I want this president, or any future president, to be in the strongest possible position to lead our country, at the United Nations or at war."
*November 2002: The UN Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 1441. The Resolution stated that Iraq was in material breach of the terms of UN Resolution 687, which prevented Iraq from developing WMD as well as other prohibited arms, and the failure to compensate Kuwait for the looting that took place during the illegal 1991 invasion and occupation. The Resolution called for a new round on inspections and demanded that Iraq prove to the UN’s satisfaction that it has surrendered its WMD efforts will disarm as well as account for all weapons existing, destroyed and missing within 30 days of the Resolution being passed. Iraq refuses to comply with Resolution 1441. *March 6, 2003: In his March 6, 2003, report to the U.N. Security Council, Hans Blix reported that the declared stocks of anthrax and VX remained unaccounted for. In the last chance given to Iraq by Resolution 1441, Iraq had failed to provide answers. As Blix reported again in May 2003, "little progress was made in the solution of outstanding issues.... the long list of proscribed items unaccounted for and as such resulting in unresolved disarmament issues was not shortened either by the inspections or by Iraqi declarations and documentation." *March 20, 2003: The Iraq War begins.
Here is what former president Bill Clinton said on July 22, 2003 about the danger Iraq faced to the world: "When I left office, there was a substantial amount of biological and chemical material unaccounted for. That is, at the end of the first Gulf War, we knew what he had. We knew what was destroyed in all the inspection processes and that was a lot. And then we bombed with the British for four days in 1998. We might have gotten it all; we might have gotten half of it; we might have gotten none of it. But we didn't know. So I thought it was prudent for the president to go to the U.N. and for the U.N. to say you got to let these inspectors in, and this time if you don't cooperate the penalty could be regime change, not just continued sanctions."
The fact that the U.S. never found WMD does not mean Saddam did not have it or that he did not desire the ability to amass it whenever he saw the need. Let us not forget that Hussein used WMD against his own people, killing thousands of Kurds.
Saddam Hussein was interrogated while detained in Iraq by FBI agent George Piro and this is what agent Piro had to said in an interview with Scott Pelley for “60 Minutes”:
"He told me that most of the WMD had been destroyed by the U.N. inspectors in the '90s. And those that hadn't been destroyed by the inspectors were unilaterally destroyed by Iraq," Piro says.
"So why keep the secret? Why put your nation at risk, why put your own life at risk to maintain this charade?" Pelley asks.
"It was very important for him to project that because that was what kept him, in his mind, in power. That capability kept the Iranians away. It kept them from reinvading Iraq," Piro says.
Before his wars with America, Saddam had fought a ruinous eight-year war with Iran and it was Iran he still feared the most.
"He believed that he couldn't survive without the perception that he had weapons of mass destruction?" Pelley asks.
He told me he initially miscalculated President Bush and President Bush's intentions. He thought the United States would retaliate with the same type of attack as we did in 1998 under Operation Desert Fox. Which was a four-day aerial attack. So you expected that initially," Piro says.
Piro says Saddam expected some kind of an air campaign and that he could he survive that. "He survived that once. And then he was willing to accept that type of attack. That type of damage," he says.
"Saddam didn't believe that the United States would invade," Pelley remarks.
Bush did NOT lie. President Bush acted in the best interests of the United States. Was our intelligence faulty? Yes. Did that change the fact that Saddam should be removed? No.
The truth will never be accepted by those who refuse to accept it. However, I will continue to fight for the truth even if it means being “am-BUSHED” on MSNBC.
Bradley A. Blakeman served as deputy assistant to President George W. Bush from 2001-04. He is currently a professor of Politics and Public Policy at Georgetown University and a frequent contributor to the Fox Forum.
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Bush did NOT lie. President Bush acted in the best interests of the United States. Was our intelligence faulty? Yes. Did that change the fact that Saddam should be removed? No.
Bill Clinton: 'My greatest fear was our troops would be hit with WMD's as they approached Baghdad.'
Every ticket for the Democrats related to running for President from 1992 forward included nominees that stated catagorically Saddam Hussein's Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction.
The governments of almost every nation on the planet stated the same thing. Every single nation with a common border to Iraq pre invasion stated this, except for Syria.
Egypt, Saudi Arabia, IRAN which was hit with Iraq's WMD's during their war, the UAE, Kuwait, Jordan, Israel...all said the same thing, Iraq has WMD's.
France under Chirac stated Iraq had WMD's. Germany as well. Britian, Russia, Japn...the list is endless. They all agreed on this.
We're they all wrong? None were found.
But there is a huge difference between being wrong and 'being lied too'.
Rational people know this. Kooks don't.
my anti groupie can't get through life without me.
#2. To: Boofer (#1) (Edited)
And every adult tells their children that there is a Santa Claus.
It's over Boofer...citing liars to buttress liars isn't a valid argument. They had several sources telling them there were no WMD's. Hell...when they assumed office they said that Saddam was no longer a threat.
Day 19 of Packrat refusing to register here. Day 17 of Boofer The One Eyed Wonder Bot refusing to answer: When is Blackwell going to have the recount? Jan 30, 2006 ... by saveliberty (Proud to be Head Snowflake, Bushbot...
#3. To: Badeye (#1) (Edited)
Egypt, Saudi Arabia, IRAN which was hit with Iraq's WMD's during their war, the UAE, Kuwait, Jordan,...all said the same thing, Iraq has WMD's.
Challenge and on the Germany too...
Day 19 of Packrat refusing to register here. Day 17 of Boofer The One Eyed Wonder Bot refusing to answer: When is Blackwell going to have the recount? Jan 30, 2006 ... by saveliberty (Proud to be Head Snowflake, Bushbot...
#4. To: Badeye (#1)
I thought Bush was wrong on Iraq until my lord and savior continued Bush's policies, so Bush must have been right if the King of Kings is continuing his policies.
#5. To: obama is my overlord (#4)
(chuckle)
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#6. To: obama is my overlord (#4)
I thought Bush was wrong on Iraq until my lord and savior continued Bush's policies, so Bush must have been right if the King of Kings is continuing his policies.
Excellent, sir!
Too bad the zombies on this forum won't "get it."
Obammy sez it
I believes it
an' that settles it!
#7. To: obama is my overlord (#4)
I thought Bush was wrong on Iraq until my lord and savior continued Bush's policies, so Bush must have been right if the King of Kings is continuing his policies.
You saw what happened when a past president went rogue and made noises that he wouldn't pursue Israel's interests.
#8. To: Get Outta Dodge! (#6)
You seem to be posting to yourself.
#9. To: Get Outta Dodge! (#6)
Being a Democrat means ignoring reality, as we've seen for the past two decades.
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#10. To: mininggold (#8)
You seem to be posting to yourself.
The same could be said about you, war, bartcrap, freddy, and brain dead s.
Obammy sez it
I believes it
an' that settles it!
#11. To: Get Outta Dodge! (#10)
Anything to distract from the facts noted above. Thats the only tactic being employed here.
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#12. To: All (#0)
"One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line." --President Bill Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998"If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program." --President Bill Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998
"Iraq is a long way from [here], but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face." --Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998
"He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983." --Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998
"[W]e urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs." Letter to President Clinton, signed by: -- Democratic Senators Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and others, Oct. 9, 1998
"Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process." -Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998
"Hussein has ... chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies." -- Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999
"There is no doubt that ... Saddam Hussein has reinvigorated his weapons programs. Reports indicate that biological, chemical and nuclear programs continue apace and may be back to pre-Gulf War status. In addition, Saddam continues to redefine delivery systems and is doubtless using the cover of a licit missile program to develop longer-range missiles that will threaten the United States and our allies." Letter to President Bush, Signed by: -- Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL), and others, Dec 5, 2001
"We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandate of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and th! e means of delivering them." -- Sen. Carl Levin (D, MI), Sept. 19, 2002
"We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country." -- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
"Iraq's search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power." -- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction." -- Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002
"The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities. Intelligence reports indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons..." -- Sen. Robert Byrd (D, WV), Oct. 3, 2002
"I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force -- if necessary -- to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security." -- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002
"There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years ... We also should remember we have always underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction." -- Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D, WV), Oct 10, 2002
"He has systematically violated, over the course of the past 11 years, every significant UN resolution that has demanded that he disarm and destroy his chemical and biological weapons, and any nuclear capacity. This he has refused to do" -- Rep. Henry Waxman (D, CA), Oct. 10, 2002
"In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members ... It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons." -- Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002
"We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that Saddam Hussein has, and has had for a number of years, a developing capacity for the production and storage of weapons of mass destruction." -- Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL), Dec. 8, 2002
"Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime ... He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation ... And now he is miscalculating America's response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction ... So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real..." -- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan. 23. 2003
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#13. To: All (#12)
http://www.snopes.com/politics/war/wmdquotes.asp
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#14. To: Badeye (#13)
www.snopes.com/politics/war/wmdquotes.asp
Use the Preview w/Auto Link button next time...so your link is an active one...like so.
#15. To: All (#13)
"People can quarrel with whether we should have more troops in Afghanistan or internationalize Iraq or whatever, but it is incontestable that on the day I left office, there were unaccounted for stocks of biological and chemical weapons."Former President Clinton During an interview on CNN's "Larry King Live" July 22, 2003
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#16. To: All (#15)
"Imagine the consequences if Saddam fails to comply and we fail to act. Saddam will be emboldened, believing the international community has lost its will. He will rebuild his arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. And some day, some way, I am certain, he will use that arsenal again, as he has ten times since 1983."Sandy Berger, President Clinton's National Security Advisor Town Hall Meeting on Iraq at Ohio State University February 18, 1998
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#17. To: All (#16)
"No one has done what Saddam Hussein has done, or is thinking of doing. He is producing weapons of mass destruction, and he is qualitatively and quantitatively different from other dictators."Madeleine Albright, President Clinton's Secretary of State Town Hall Meeting on Iraq at Ohio State University February 18, 1998
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#18. To: All (#17)
There is now no incentive for Hussein to comply with the inspectors or to refrain from using weapons of mass destruction to defend himself if the United States comes after him. And he will use them; we should be under no illusion about that."Joseph Wilson, Advisor to John Kerry 2004 Presidential Campaign In a Los Angeles Times editorial: "A 'Big Cat' With Nothing to Lose" February 6, 2003; Page B17
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#19. To: All (#18)
BILL MOYERS: President Bush's recent speech to the American Enterprise Institute, he said, let me quote it to you. "The danger posed by Saddam Hussein and his weapons cannot be ignored or wished away." You agree with that?JOE WILSON: I agree with that. Sure.
BILL MOYERS: "The danger must be confronted." You agree with that? "We would hope that the Iraqi regime will meet the demands of the United Nations and disarm fully and peacefully. If it does not, we are prepared to disarm Iraq by force. Either way, this danger will be removed. The safety of the American people depends on ending this direct and growing threat." You agree with that?
JOE WILSON: I agree with that. Sure. The President goes on to say in that speech, as he did in the State of the Union Address, is we will liberate Iraq from a brutal dictator. All of which is true.
Joseph Wilson, Advisor to John Kerry 2004 Presidential Campaign During an interview with Bill Moyers February 28, 2003
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#20. To: All (#19)
The Washington Post January 23, 1999; Page A02Official Cites Gains Against Bin Laden
By Vernon Loeb
Richard A. Clarke, the Clinton administration's senior counterterrorism official, provided new information in defense of President Clinton's decision to fire Tomahawk cruise missiles at the El Shifa pharmaceutical plant in Khartoum, Sudan, in retaliation for Osama bin Laden's role in the Aug. 7 embassy bombings.
While U.S. intelligence officials disclosed shortly after the missile attack that they had obtained a soil sample from the El Shifa site that contained a precursor of VX nerve gas, Clarke said that the U.S. government is "sure" that Iraqi nerve gas experts actually produced a powdered VX-like substance at the plant that, when mixed with bleach and water, would have become fully active VX nerve gas.
Clarke said U.S. intelligence does not know how much of the substance was produced at El Shifa or what happened to it. But he said that intelligence exists linking bin Laden to El Shifa's current and past operators, the Iraqi nerve gas experts, and the National Islamic Front in Sudan.
Given the evidence presented to the White House before the airstrike, Clarke said, the president "would have been derelict in his duties if he didn't blow up the facility."
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#21. To: All (#20)
"As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, I am keenly aware that the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons is an issue of grave importance to all nations. Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process."Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (Democrat, California) Statement on US Led Military Strike Against Iraq December 16, 1998
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#22. To: All (#21)
"Saddam Hussein certainly has chemical and biological weapons. There's no question about that."Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (Democrat, California) During an interview on "Meet The Press" November 17, 2002
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#23. To: All (#22)
"I come to this debate, Mr. Speaker, as one at the end of 10 years in office on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where stopping the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction was one of my top priorities. I applaud the President on focusing on this issue and on taking the lead to disarm Saddam Hussein. ... Others have talked about this threat that is posed by Saddam Hussein. Yes, he has chemical weapons, he has biological weapons, he is trying to get nuclear weapons."Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (Democrat, California) Addressing the US House of Representatives October 10, 2002 Congressional Record, p. H7777
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#24. To: All (#23)
"We stopped the fighting [in 1991] on an agreement that Iraq would take steps to assure the world that it would not engage in further aggression and that it would destroy its weapons of mass destruction. It has refused to take those steps. That refusal constitutes a breach of the armistice which renders it void and justifies resumption of the armed conflict."Senator Harry Reid (Democrat, Nevada) Addressing the US Senate October 9, 2002 Congressional Record, p. S10145
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#25. To: All (#24)
"It is the duty of any president, in the final analysis, to defend this nation and dispel the security threat. Saddam Hussein has brought military action upon himself by refusing for 12 years to comply with the mandates of the United Nations. The brave and capable men and women of our armed forces and those who are with us will quickly, I know, remove him once and for all as a threat to his neighbors, to the world, and to his own people, and I support their doing so."Senator John Kerry (Democrat, Massachusetts) Statement on eve of military strikes against Iraq March 17, 2003
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#26. To: All (#25)
Wesley Clark, 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, discusses Saddam's WMD:WESLEY CLARK: He does have weapons of mass destruction.
MILES O'BRIEN: And you could say that categorically?
WESLEY CLARK: Absolutely.
MILES O'BRIEN: All right, well, where are, where is, they've been there a long time and thus far we've got 12 empty casings. Where are all these weapons?
WESLEY CLARK: There's a lot of stuff hidden in a lot of different places, Miles, and I'm not sure that we know where it all is. People in Iraq do. The scientists know some of it. Some of the military, the low ranking military; some of Saddam Hussein's security organizations. There's a big organization in place to cover and deceive and prevent anyone from knowing about this.
Wesley Clark, Democratic Presidential Candidate During an interview on CNN January 18, 2003
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#27. To: All (#26)
Senator John Edwards, when asked about "Axis of Evil" countries Iran, Iraq, and North Korea:"I mean, we have three different countries that, while they all present serious problems for the United States -- they're dictatorships, they're involved in the development and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction -- you know, the most imminent, clear and present threat to our country is not the same from those three countries. I think Iraq is the most serious and imminent threat to our country."
Senator John Edwards (Democrat, North Carolina) During an interview on CNN's "Late Edition" February 24, 2002
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#28. To: All (#27)
"Those who doubted whether Iraq or the world would be better off without Saddam Hussein, and those who believe today that we are not safer with his capture, don't have the judgment to be President, or the credibility to be elected President.No one can doubt or should doubt that we are safer -- and Iraq is better -- because Saddam Hussein is now behind bars."
Senator John Kerry (Democrat, Massachusetts) Speech at Drake University in Iowa December 16, 2003
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#29. To: All (#28)
"There is no doubt that Saddam Hussein's regime is a serious danger, that he is a tyrant, and that his pursuit of lethal weapons of mass destruction cannot be tolerated. He must be disarmed.We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction."
Senator Edward Kennedy (Democrat, Massachusetts) Speech at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies September 27, 2002
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#30. To: All (#29)
John Kerry, while voting YES to the Resolution authorizing US military force against Iraq:"I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force - if necessary - to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security."
Senator John Kerry (Democrat, Massachusetts) Addressing the US Senate October 9, 2002
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#31. To: All (#30)
"As a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I firmly believe that the issue of Iraq is not about politics. It's about national security. We know that for at least 20 years, Saddam Hussein has obsessively sought weapons of mass destruction through every means available. We know that he has chemical and biological weapons today. He has used them in the past, and he is doing everything he can to build more. Each day he inches closer to his longtime goal of nuclear capability -- a capability that could be less than a year away.The path of confronting Saddam is full of hazards. But the path of inaction is far more dangerous. This week, a week where we remember the sacrifice of thousands of innocent Americans made on 9-11, the choice could not be starker. Had we known that such attacks were imminent, we surely would have used every means at our disposal to prevent them and take out the plotters. We cannot wait for such a terrible event -- or, if weapons of mass destruction are used, one far worse -- to address the clear and present danger posed by Saddam Hussein's Iraq."
Senator John Edwards (Democrat, North Carolina) US Senate floor statement: "Iraqi Dictator Must Go" September 12, 2002
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#32. To: All (#31)
Congressman Gephardt links Saddam with the threat of terrorists nuking US cities:
BOB SCHIEFFER, Chief Washington Correspondent: And with us now is the Democratic presidential candidate Dick Gephardt. Congressman, you supported taking military action in Iraq. Do you think now it was the right thing to do?
REP. RICHARD GEPHARDT, D-MO, Democratic Presidential Candidate: I do. I base my determination on what I heard from the CIA. I went out there a couple of times and talked to everybody, including George Tenet. I talked to people in the Clinton administration.
SCHIEFFER: Well, let me just ask you, do you feel, Congressman, that you were misled?
GEPHARDT: I don't. I asked very direct questions of the top people in the CIA and people who'd served in the Clinton administration. And they said they believed that Saddam Hussein either had weapons or had the components of weapons or the ability to quickly make weapons of mass destruction. What we're worried about is an A-bomb in a Ryder truck in New York, in Washington and St. Louis. It cannot happen. We have to prevent it from happening. And it was on that basis that I voted to do this.
Congressman Richard Gephardt (Democrat, Montana) Interviewed on CBS News "Face the Nation" November 2, 2003
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#33. To: All (#32)
"[W]e have evidence of meetings between Iraqi officials and leaders of al Qaeda, and testimony that Iraqi agents helped train al Qaeda operatives to use chemical and biological weapons. We also know that al Qaeda leaders have been, and are now, harbored in Iraq.Having reached the conclusion I have about the clear and present danger Saddam represents to the U.S., I want to give the president a limited but strong mandate to act against Saddam."
Senator Joseph Lieberman (Democrat, Connecticut) In a Wall Street Journal editorial Lieberman authored titled: "Why Democrats Should Support the President on Iraq" October 7, 2002
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#34. To: All (#33)
"We have not reached parity with them. We have the right to kill 4 million Americans -- 2 million of them children -- and to exile twice as many and wound and cripple hundreds of thousands. Furthermore, it is our right to fight them with chemical and biological weapons, so as to afflict them with the fatal maladies that have afflicted the Muslims because of the [Americans'] chemical and biological weapons."Islamic terrorist group "Al Qaeda" June 12, 2002
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#35. To: All (#34)
"Dear Mr. President: ... We urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraq sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs."Sincerely,
John Kerry, Carl Levin, Joe Lieberman, Frank R. Lautenberg, Dick Lugar, Kit Bond, Jon Kyl, Chris Dodd, John McCain, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Alfonse D'Amato, Bob Kerrey, Pete V. Domenici, Dianne Feinstein, Barbara A. Mikulski, Thomas Daschle, John Breaux, Tim Johnson, Daniel K. Inouye, Arlen Specter, James Inhofe, Strom Thurmond, Mary L. Landrieu, Wendell Ford, Chuck Grassley, Jesse Helms, Rick Santorum.
Letter to President Clinton Signed by Senators Tom Daschle, John Kerry and others October 9, 1998
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#36. To: All (#35)
"Iraq's search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to completely deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power.We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country."
Al Gore, Former Clinton Vice-President Speech to San Francisco Commonwealth Club September 23, 2002
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#37. To: All (#36)
Al Gore said last night that the time had come for a "final reckoning" with Iraq, describing the country as a "virulent threat in a class by itself" and suggesting that the United States should consider ways to oust Saddam Hussein."Even if we give first priority to the destruction of terrorist networks, and even if we succeed, there are still governments that could bring us great harm. And there is a clear case that one of these governments in particular represents a virulent threat in a class by itself: Iraq. As far as I am concerned, a final reckoning with that government should be on the table."
The New York Times Gore, Championing Bush, Calls For a 'Final Reckoning' With Iraq February 13, 2002
my anti groupie can't get through life without me.
#38. To: All (#37)
The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein retained some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capability. Intelligence reports also indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons, but has not yet achieved nuclear capability."Robert C. Byrd Former Ku Klux Klan recruiter, currently a US Senator (Democrat, West Virginia) Addressing the US Senate October 3, 2002
my anti groupie can't get through life without me.
#39. To: All (#38)
"The nerve agent VX is one of the most toxic ever developed.13,000 chemical bombs were dropped by the Iraqi Air Force between 1983 and 1988, while Iraq has declared that 19,500 bombs were consumed during this period. Thus, there is a discrepancy of 6,500 bombs. The amount of chemical agent in these bombs would be in the order of about 1,000 tonnes."
Dr. Hans Blix, Chief UN Weapons Inspector Addressing the UN Security Council January 27, 2003
my anti groupie can't get through life without me.
#40. To: All (#39)
"I have mentioned the issue of anthrax to the Council on previous occasions and I come back to it as it is an important one.Iraq has declared that it produced about 8,500 litres of this biological warfare agent, which it states it unilaterally destroyed in the summer of 1991. Iraq has provided little evidence for this production and no convincing evidence for its destruction.
There are strong indications that Iraq produced more anthrax than it declared, and that at least some of this was retained after the declared destruction date. It might still exist. Either it should be found and be destroyed under UNMOVIC supervision or else convincing evidence should be produced to show that it was, indeed, destroyed in 1991."
Dr. Hans Blix, Chief UN Weapons Inspector Addressing the UN Security Council January 27, 2003
my anti groupie can't get through life without me.
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