Weapons of Mass Destruction
Did President Bush Lie?
Some claim that President Bush lied in his 2003 State of the Union Address when he declared that Saddam Hussein possessed chemical and biological weapons, was seeking nuclear weapons and was, therefore a threat to the US, it's interest, it's allies and peace in the region. By absolute definition lying is the act of making a statement that one knows is false. Is it possible the President wasn't lying and actually believed that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction? Let's assume (at least until we get to the bottom of this page) that the President did indeed believe that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. Was he alone in this belief? Was he being stupid, and if so, where did he get this stupid idea?
"Some have said we must not act until the threat is imminent. Since when have terrorists and tyrants announced their intentions, politely putting us on notice before they strike? If this threat is permitted to fully and suddenly emerge, all actions, all words and all recriminations would come too late. Trusting in the sanity and restraint of Saddam Hussein is not a strategy, and it is not an option." President George W. Bush, January 2003 State of the Union Address whitehouse.gov
"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, though there is apparently no evidence of his involvement in the terrible events of September 11, 2001. 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. Should he succeed in that endeavor, he could alter the political and security landscape of the Middle East, which as we know all too well affects American security." Hillary Clinton, October 2002 clinton.senate.gov
"Moreover, if we quickly succeed in a war against the weakened and depleted fourth rate military of Iraq and then quickly abandon that nation as President Bush has abandoned Afghanistan after quickly defeating a fifth rate military there, the resulting chaos could easily pose a far greater danger to the United States than we presently face from Saddam. We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country." Al Gore, September 2002 The Commonwealth Club of California gwu.edu
"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." Nancy Pelosi, December 1998 house.gov/pelosi
"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. And that may happen sooner if he can obtain access to enriched uranium from foreign sources - something that is not that difficult in the current world. We also should remember we have always underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction." Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, October 2002 senate joint resolution 46 authorizing military force against Iraq. senate.gov/rockefeller
"The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein retained 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." Senator Robert Byrd, October 2002 senate joint resolution 46 authorizing military force against Iraq. byrd.senate.gov
"When I vote to give the President of the United States the authority to use force, if necessary, to disarm Saddam Hussein, it is because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a threat, and a grave threat, to our security and that of our allies in the Persian Gulf region." Senator John Kerry, October 2002 senate joint resolution 46 authorizing military force against Iraq. kerry.senate.gov
"Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime. We all know the litany of his offenses. He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation. He miscalculated an eight-year war with Iran. He miscalculated the invasion of Kuwait. He miscalculated America's response to that act of naked aggression. He miscalculated the result of setting oil rigs on fire. He miscalculated the impact of sending scuds into Israel and trying to assassinate an American President. He miscalculated his own military strength. He miscalculated the Arab world's response to his misconduct. And now he is miscalculating America's response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction. That is why the world, through the United Nations Security Council, has spoken with one voice, demanding that Iraq disclose its weapons programs and disarm." Senator John Kerry, January 2003 Georgetown University kerry.senate.gov
"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction. Our intelligence community is also deeply concerned about the acquisition of such weapons by Iran, North Korea, Libya, Syria and other nations." Senator Edward Kennedy, September 2002 Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies kennedy.senate.gov
All of the quotes above have links to their full, original documents. These links go directly to the quoted parties own websites. I have included only the portion of the statement that expresses that individuals opinion on whether or not Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, except for President Clinton's February 1998 Statement on Iraq to the Joint Chiefs of Staff which appears in whole...
