Larry Elder: The Lies of the "Bush Lies" Lobby

Can one make the case that President George W. Bush "lied" or "misled" or intentionally "mischaracterized" the intelligence on Iraq and WMD in order to lead us to war? Sure, if one possesses a visceral anti-Bush mindset coupled with a willingness to ignore powerful arguments in favor of the war:

-- Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski, during a press conference last week, said "Many months before (the) Iraqi action, I met (the) predecessor of (chief U.N. weapons inspector) Hans Blix in Warsaw. . . . He told me (a) very important thing: that Saddam had these weapons or is ready to produce these weapons. Because to have such (an) impression that he has mass destruction weapons is a part of his doctrine, to keep . . . power in Iraq and to be strong in the region. So I think it's very difficult today to judge how it was when he . . . decided to continue this project of mass destruction weapons. . . . Absolutely, Iraq is ready to produce if it's necessary to keep the power of and dictatorship of Saddam and to play such (an) important role in the region."

-- In October 2003, months after the Iraq war began, former President Bill Clinton visited Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso. Durao Barroso said, "When Clinton was here recently he told me he was absolutely convinced, given his years in the White House and the access to privileged information which he had, that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction until the end of the Saddam regime."

-- French President Jacques Chirac, in February 2003, spoke about "the probable possession of weapons of mass destruction by an uncontrollable country, Iraq," noting "the international community is right . . . in having decided that Iraq should be disarmed."

-- Former Clinton CIA director R. James Woolsey, in a Wall Street Journal article, made several points -- that Saddam possibly intentionally misled the world into thinking he still possessed WMD to keep his status as a power player in the region; that stockpiles of WMD possibly remained only to be destroyed at the last minute; that WMD-related material "probably" entered Syria months before the war; that Iraq admitted making 8,500 liters (8.5 tons) of anthrax, which if reduced to powder, could fill a dozen easily portable suitcases; and that "Iraq's ties with terrorist groups in the '90s are clear," with a decade worth of connections between Iraq and al Qaeda, "including training in poisons, gases, and explosives."

-- Weapons hunter David Kay, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that based on the pre-war intelligence, Saddam Hussein posed "a gathering, serious threat to the world." Hussein's scientists possibly misled the former dictator into believing Iraq possessed WMD, with the scientists possibly misappropriating funds. Kay also said that, based on his investigation, Iraq posed an even greater danger than previously thought.

-- Former President Bill Clinton on Dec. 16, 1998, stated, "Other countries possess weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles. With Saddam, there is one big difference: He has used them. Not once, but repeatedly. Unleashing chemical weapons against Iranian troops during a decade-long war. Not only against soldiers, but against civilians, firing Scud missiles at the citizens of Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Iran. And not only against a foreign enemy, but even against his own people, gassing Kurdish civilians in Northern Iraq. . . . I have no doubt today, that left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will use these terrible weapons again. . . . "

-- Former President Clinton, in an appearance on "Larry King Live" on July 22, 2003, said, " . . . (I)t is incontestable that on the day I left office, there were unaccounted for stocks of biological and chemical weapons. We might have destroyed them in '98. We tried to, but we sure as heck didn't know it because we never got to go back there."

The near pathological contempt so many hold for President Bush clouds their ability to put themselves in the commander-in-chief's shoes. On Sept. 11, in America, over 3,000 people lost their lives. Meanwhile, Saddam Hussein continued to defy United Nations Security Council resolutions to come clean. He flouted the U.N.-sponsored Oil-for-Food program, diverting the money from its intended purpose.

Critics quite properly accuse the U.S. intelligence community for failing to connect the dots and thus prevent 9/11. After the first Gulf War in 1991, the advanced nature of Saddam Hussein's nuclear weapons program shocked intelligence analysts. Nuclear bomb testing in India and Pakistan came as a surprise, as did the advanced nature of Iran's and Libya's WMD programs. By all means, the U.S. intelligence failures call for serious soul-searching, and possibly housekeeping to improve accuracy.

But, in the case of pre-war Iraq, the president's critics suggest the following: Cross your fingers, hope for the best, and run the risk of another attack on American soil, this time possibly with chemical or biological weapons. No, the president acted upon the best available information and properly discharged his responsibility as commander-in-chief.

"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.

-- Former President Bill Clinton on Dec. 16, 1998, stated, "Other countries possess weapons of

mass destruction and ballistic missiles. With Saddam, there is one big difference: He has used

them. Not once, but repeatedly. Unleashing chemical weapons against Iranian troops during a

decade-long war. Not only against soldiers, but against civilians, firing Scud missiles at the

citizens of Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Iran. And not only against a foreign enemy, but even

against his own people, gassing Kurdish civilians in Northern Iraq. . . . I have no doubt today,

that left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will use these terrible weapons again. . . . "

-- Former President Clinton, in an appearance on "Larry King Live" on July 22, 2003, said, " . . .

(I)t is incontestable that on the day I left office, there were unaccounted for stocks of biological

and chemical weapons. We might have destroyed them in '98. We tried to, but we sure as heck

didn't know it because we never got to go back there."

"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

"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

"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

"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 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

"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

"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

"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.

-- Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski, during a press conference last week, said "Many

months before (the) Iraqi action, I met (the) predecessor of (chief U.N. weapons inspector) Hans

Blix in Warsaw. . . . He told me (a) very important thing: that Saddam had these weapons or is

ready to produce these weapons. Because to have such (an) impression that he has mass

destruction weapons is a part of his doctrine, to keep . . . power in Iraq and to be strong in the

region. So I think it's very difficult today to judge how it was when he . . . decided to continue

this project of mass destruction weapons. . . . Absolutely, Iraq is ready to produce if it's

necessary to keep the power of and dictatorship of Saddam and to play such (an) important role

in the region."

-- In October 2003, months after the Iraq war began, former President Bill Clinton visited

Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso. Durao Barroso said, "When Clinton was

here recently he told me he was absolutely convinced, given his years in the White House and the

access to privileged information which he had, that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction

until the end of the Saddam regime."

-- French President Jacques Chirac, in February 2003, spoke about "the probable possession of

weapons of mass destruction by an uncontrollable country, Iraq," noting "the international

community is right . . . in having decided that Iraq should be disarmed."

-- Former Clinton CIA director R. James Woolsey, in a Wall Street Journal article, made several

points -- that Saddam possibly intentionally misled the world into thinking he still possessed

WMD to keep his status as a power player in the region; that stockpiles of WMD possibly

remained only to be destroyed at the last minute; that WMD-related material "probably" entered

Syria months before the war; that Iraq admitted making 8,500 liters (8.5 tons) of anthrax, which if

reduced to powder, could fill a dozen easily portable suitcases; and that "Iraq's ties with terrorist

groups in the '90s are clear," with a decade worth of connections between Iraq and al Qaeda, "

including training in poisons, gases, and explosives."

-- Weapons hunter David Kay, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that

based on the pre-war intelligence, Saddam Hussein posed "a gathering, serious threat to the

world." Hussein's scientists possibly misled the former dictator into believing Iraq possessed

WMD, with the scientists possibly misappropriating funds. Kay also said that, based on his

investigation, Iraq posed an even greater danger than previously thought.

REASONS FOR THE U.S. STRIKES

-- President Clinton, White House statement, August 20:

"Today I ordered our armed forces to strike at terrorist-related facilities in Afghanistan and Sudan

because of the imminent threat they presented to our national security....Our target was terror.

Our mission was clear: to strike at the network of radical groups affiliated with and funded by

Usama bin Ladin, perhaps the preeminent organizer and financier of international terrorism in the

world today....Bin Ladin publicly vowed to wage a terrorist war against America, saying -- and I

quote -- 'We do not differentiate between those dressed in military uniforms and civilians. They're

all targets.'

-- President Clinton, Radio Address to the Nation, August 22:

"The information now in our possession is convincing. Behind these attacks were the same hands

that killed American and Pakistani peacekeepers in Somalia, the same hands that targeted U.S.

airlines, and the same hands that plotted the assassinations of the Pope and President Mubarak of

Egypt. I'm referring to the bin Ladin network of radical groups -- probably the most dangerous,

non-state terrorist actor in the world today. We also had compelling evidence that the bin Ladin

network was poised to strike at us again, and soon....With that information and evidence, we

simply could not stand idly by. That is why I ordered our military strikes last Thursday (August

20). Our goals were to disrupt bin Ladin's terrorist network and destroy elements of its

infrastructure in Afghanistan and Sudan. And our goal was to destroy in Sudan the factory with

which bin Ladin's network is associated, which was producing an ingredient essential for nerve

gas."

-- President Clinton, letter to the leaders of Congress, August 20:

"These strikes were a necessary and proportionate response to the imminent threat of further

terrorist attacks against U.S. personnel and facilities. These strikes were intended to prevent and

deter additional attacks by a clearly identified terrorist threat. The targets were selected because

they served to facilitate directly the efforts of terrorists specifically identified with attacks on U.S.

personnel and facilities and posed a continuing threat to U.S. lives."

-- Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, interview on CNN's "Larry King Live," August 20:

"...when the United States is attacked, when our people are taken out, we will stand out

unilaterally in self-defense and really let the world know what we believe in."

-- Defense Secretary William Cohen, remarks at Pentagon briefing, August 20:

"In the wake of the tragic and treacherous attacks on our embassies in East Africa and in light of

the continuing patterns of specific threats against U.S. citizens and facilities, we've taken these

actions to reduce the ability of these terrorist organizations to train and equip their misguided

followers or to acquire weapons of mass destruction for their use in campaigns of terror....We

had information that led us to believe that Usama bin Ladin and his organization were indeed

trying to acquire chemical weapons and to utilize them in future activities."

-- Defense Secretary William Cohen, briefing for key members of Congress, August 21:

"We did not target, specifically, individuals; we targeted training facilities. This is a training camp

that is known as Terrorist University. We are determined to take down those facilities and disrupt

them to the extent that we can to help minimize the ability of these individuals to wreak their terror

upon innocent people. So striking the facilities in themselves is a worthy goal."

-- National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, White House briefing, August 20:

"We have convincing information from a variety of reliable intelligence sources and methods that

Usama bin Ladin, with the help of his terrorist allies, is responsible for the devastating bombings

on August 7 of the U.S. Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Rarely do

numerous sources converge so uniformly and persuasively as they did in the course of our

investigation into the responsibility for these terrorist acts. Based on this information, we have

high confidence that these bombings were planned, financed and carried out by the organization

bin Ladin leads."

-- National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, White House briefing, August 21:

"...I am absolutely certain that had we not done this (military strikes in Afghanistan and Sudan)

we would have been the victim of other terrorist attacks in the not too distant future."

-- Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Henry Shelton, interview on CBS-TV's "Face the

Nation" program, August 23:

"After the attack on the (U.S.) embassies on the seventh of August, we started getting very

convincing information from a variety of reliable sources that started quickly pointing toward the

Usama bin Ladin network of terrorist groups as being responsible for the attack on the two

embassies (in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam). Right after that we also got information that bin Ladin

might be planning a gathering of terrorists in his training camp....The combination of those two

things...immediately started us looking at military options that might be available to go after the

bin Ladin network on the 20th of August. That information continued to pour in, and in a matter

of days it became evident that bin Ladin's organization was responsible for it. And that's what

drove the attack on the network."

-- U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson, letter to UN General Assembly

President Danilo Turk, August 20:

"In accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter...the United States has exercised its

right of self-defense in responding to a series of armed attacks against U.S. Embassies and U.S.

nationals. My government has obtained convincing information from a variety of reliable sources

that the organization of Usama bin Ladin is responsible for the devastating bombings on August 7

of the U.S. Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania....The bin Ladin

organization maintains an extensive network of camps, arsenals, and training and supply facilities

in Afghanistan, and support facilities in Sudan, which have been and are being used to mount

terrorist attacks against American targets. These facilities include an installation at which chemical

weapons have been produced."

-- Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Pickering, U.S. Information Agency (

USIA) Foreign Press Center briefing, August 25:

"The main purpose of the strikes was not retaliation; it was to prevent further terrorist attacks

against American targets which we had reason to believe would take place....In this case, as the

United States made clear, it not only had convincing evidence of the linkage to the recent

bombings, but it had convincing evidence that there were to be other attacks planned by this

organization and its brother and sister organizations around the world to take action against the

United States. Those are the circumstances. They speak for themselves."

WHAT THE U.S. STRIKES ACCOMPLISHED

-- Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, interview on ABC-TV's "This Week with Sam

Donaldson and Cokie Roberts," August 23:

"We think that what we managed to do was to have some significant impact on the terrorist

planning activities in what is a major terrorist camp....The point here was to do something that

would disrupt Usama bin Ladin and his organization's ability to conduct additional terrorist

activities....We'll have to wait to see whom we got on this. But we did have very good intelligence

about the fact that there was going to be a meeting there with the various people that belong to

Usama bin Ladin's umbrella organization of terrorists. But the point here was to get at a lot of

their command and control and their structure in this camp that has been there for some time. We

had very good evidence that this was a very good time to go after the structure. And I think that

those raids have been successful."

-- Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, interview on CBS-TV Nightly News program, August

21:

"...we do know, as far as the pharmaceutical firm in Sudan is concerned, that is now non-

operational, as far as we've been told. That was a very significant hit."

-- National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, interview on CNN's Late Edition news program,

August 23:

"All six of these camps (in Afghanistan) -- these were training camps for terrorists; they've trained

thousands of terrorists over the past several years in these camps -- were heavily to moderately

damaged. There are six camps; severe damage was done, serious damage was done to all six.

The camps themselves have been, I think, rendered ineffective. Anybody who was there

obviously suffered some damage. And I think in addition we have made it very clear that those

who attack or target the United States cannot do so with impunity."

-- Defense Secretary William Cohen, remarks at Pentagon news briefing, August 20:

"Our plan was to attack these sites (in Afghanistan) with sufficient power to certainly disrupt

them, and, hopefully, destroy them....We believe given the targeting that was done, with the

capability that was unleashed, it would cause sufficient damage to disrupt them for some time."

-- U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson, interview on the "Fox News Sunday"

television program, August 23:

"But most importantly, what we did was send a very strong signal that no nation should provide

sanctuary or harbor terrorists. This was primarily the objective, besides protecting Americans and

making sure that bin Ladin and his forces did not attack us again, as we had evidence he would."

TIMING OF THE U.S. STRIKES

-- President Clinton, White House statement, August 20:

"With compelling evidence that the bid Ladin network of terrorist groups was planning to mount

further attacks against Americans and other freedom-loving people, I decided America must act

....We have reason to believe that a gathering of key terrorist leaders was to take place there

today, thus underscoring the urgency of our actions."

-- Defense Secretary William Cohen, interview on NBC-TV's "Meet the Press," August 23:

"...we had information that there may be a gathering of terrorists at that location in Afghanistan on

that particular date, and that certainly was a factor in our planning....We saw an increased level of

activity each day leading up to Thursday (August 20), and that again was convincing evidence to

us that the information was accurate....We did not know if he (Usama bin Ladin) would be there

or not. He was not our target as such. We were targeting his infrastructure and his network, and

we believe that that was a mission accomplished."

-- Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, interview on ABC-TV's "This Week with Sam

Donaldson and Cokie Roberts," August 23:

"The point here was to get at a lot of their command and control and their structure in this camp

that has been there for some time. We had very good evidence that this was a very good time to

go after the structure. I think that those raids have been successful."

-- Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Martin Indyk, remarks at a briefing for the

Middle East press at the Department of State, August 21:

"What we know is that Usama bin Ladin brought together a group of disparate terrorists and

organizations for a kind of meeting that had taken place that led to this announcement of this

World Islamic Front that appears to have been established back in February. And, as you may

have heard, the National Security Adviser said they had information that this group was meeting

again yesterday (near) Khost in Afghanistan, which was a reason for the timing of the attack."

POSSIBILITY OF FURTHER U.S. STRIKES

-- President Clinton, Radio Address to the Nation, August 22:

"Our efforts against terrorism cannot and will not end with this strike. We should have realistic

expectations about what a single action can achieve. And we must be prepared for a long battle.

But it's high time that those who traffic in terror learn they, too, are vulnerable."

-- Secretary of Defense William Cohen, remarks at press stakeout, U.S. Capitol, August 21:

"...(More U.S. attacks are) always a possibility. We have contingency plans that we are

developing, and there may be more in the future."

-- Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Pickering, USIA Foreign Press Center

briefing, August 25:

"We are engaged in a long-term struggle with terrorism. There are times when law enforcement

and diplomatic tools are simply not enough....We do not expect that these various initiatives will

in themselves end the terrorist threat, but they are important because they clearly show that we are

in this for the long haul. We will act unilaterally when we must in order to protect our citizens

against imminent threats, but we invite other nations of the world to stand with us in this struggle

because all nations are vulnerable to the threat of terrorism, and all citizens of other countries are

equally vulnerable, as the history of this particular event makes crystal clear."

-- Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Martin Indyk, remarks at a briefing for the

Middle East press at the Department of State, August 21:

"We fully expect that this will be an ongoing effort to counter the terrorists. We started fighting

them yesterday, and we certainly are not going to end our fight against them today....As far as

whether we're going to keep on conducting attacks, that will depend on the circumstances. In

some cases, as in the case of Libya, we seek to bring terrorist perpetrators to justice through

United Nations resolutions in an effort to get Qadhafi to give up two terrorist suspects for trial in

an American or Scottish court."

-- Ambassador Robert Pelletreau, former assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs,

during a USIA Worldnet "Global Exchange" program, August 24:

"The other aspect is going to be a much more assertive attitude toward terrorist organizations,

wherever they are in the world....They are going to have to realize that there is no place that they

can have shelter or asylum or can hide....This is not going to be a short-term process....I think

this is one of the big issues of the 21st century that we are going to have to face. And Americans

are often quite impatient, and they lose focus on a given issue -- they get distracted sometimes.

But in this case this has got to be a question of a campaign and an effort that is going to go on,

frankly, over many years."

EVIDENCE OF PRECURSOR CHEMICAL PRODUCTION AT KHARTOUM FACILITY

-- Defense Secretary William Cohen, remarks at a Pentagon briefing, August 20:

"What we do know is the facility that was targeted in Khartoum produced the precursor

chemicals that would allow the production of a type of VX nerve agent....We do know that he (

Usama bin Ladin)...had had an interest in acquiring chemical weapons...that this facility produces

the precursors that can result in the production of VX. That was a sufficient connection for us."

-- Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Henry Shelton, remarks at a Pentagon news briefing,

August 20:

"The intelligence community is confident that this facility is involved in the production of

chemical weapons agents, including precursor chemicals for deadly V series of nerve agents like,

for example, VX."

-- National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, remarks at a White House briefing, August 20:

"The so-called pharmaceutical plant is part of something in Sudan called the Military Industrial

Complex....We know that bin Ladin has been a substantial contributor to that enterprise. We

know that bin Ladin and his people have sought to obtain chemical weapons. We know that he

has had a particularly close relationship with the government of Sudan. And, therefore, when you

put those things together...there clearly is...no question that it was making this chemical that has a

name too long for me to pronounce (O-ethylmethylphosphonothioic acid). He (bin Ladin) was an

early financial contributor to the Sudanese overall military enterprise, of which this is a part."

-- National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, interview on CNN's Late Edition news program,

August 23:

"There's no question in our mind that that facility (in Sudan), that factory, was used to produce a

chemical that is used in the manufacture of VX nerve gas and has no other commercial

distribution as far as we understand. We have physical evidence of that fact....I can say that I

have no question. The intelligence community has no question that that factory was used to

manufacture a chemical used in making nerve gas."

-- U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson, interview on the "Fox News Sunday"

television program, August 23:

"We have credible, physical evidence that this was a chemical precursor plant (in Sudan). There

are some intelligence sources here that are very sensitive. We will not compromise those, but we

are ready to debate this issue with anybody."

-- Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Pickering, USIA Foreign Press Center

briefing, August 25:

"The physical evidence is a soil sample. Analysis of it shows the presence of a chemical whose

simple name is EMPTA, a known precursor for the nerve agent VX, and an indicator of a

potential to produce VX gas. The substance is not used in commercial applications. It doesn't

occur naturally in the environment, and it is not a by-product of another chemical process."

-- Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Martin Indyk, remarks at a briefing for the

Middle East press at the Department of State, August 21:

"The chemical factory in northeastern Khartoum was selected because of clear evidence we have

of its involvement in the production of chemical weapons -- physical evidence. The factory was

producing a precursor for VX nerve gas....If you think for a moment about the consequences of

Usama bin Ladin and his associates getting a hold of chemical weapons, I think you will

understand the importance of targeting this factory, as well as the terrorist training bases in

Afghanistan."

-- State Department Deputy Spokesman James Foley, State Department briefing, August 24:

"That facility may very well have been producing legitimate pharmaceuticals. That in no way

contradicts our assertion that that facility was also producing precursor CW -- chemical weapons

-- precursor elements. It is true that the facility was once approved by the Iraq sanctions

committee as a source of pharmaceuticals provided to Iraq under the oil-for-food program. But

again, that approval, which occurred in January of this year, in no way alters the fact that the

facility was also producing those precursor elements."

LEGAL BASIS FOR THE U.S. STRIKES

-- Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, interview on ABC-TV's "This Week with Sam

Donaldson and Cokie Roberts," August 23:

"We believe that we have a legal right to self-defense and that is what we have stated. Under

Article 51 of the UN Charter, we have a right to self-defense. As the United States of America,

we have the right to self-defense when our people have been killed and when others have been

maimed. And we see this as a long-term struggle with terrorism."

-- U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson, letter to the President of the UN

Security Council, August 20:

"In (carrying out these attacks), the United States has acted pursuant to the right of self-defense

confirmed by Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. The targets struck, and the timing and

method of attack used, were carefully designed to minimize risks of collateral damage to civilians

and to comply with international law, including the rules of necessity and proportionality."

-- U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson, interview on "Fox News Sunday,"

August 23:

"Under Article 51 of the United Nations (Charter), we have the right of self-defense to take this

action because our interests were being threatened and compromised."

-- Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Martin Indyk, State Department press

briefing, August 21:

"In bombing the terrorist camps in Afghanistan and the chemical weapons factory in Sudan, the

United States was exerting its right of self-defense under article 51 of the United Nations Charter.

We not only had conclusive evidence of Usama bin Ladin's associates' responsibility for the

bombings in Tanzania and Kenya, but we also had strong information from many sources of his

intentions to attack more U.S. Embassies and interests around the world."

LONG-TERM NATURE OF THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM

-- President Clinton, Radio Address to the Nation, August 22:

"Our efforts against terrorism cannot and will not end with this strike. We should have realistic

expectations about what a single action can achieve. And we must be prepared for a long battle.

But it's high time that those who traffic in terror learn they, too, are vulnerable....As we close

ranks against international threats, we must remember this: America will never give up the

openness, the freedom and the tolerance that define us. For the ultimate target of these terrorist

attacks is our ideals, and they must be defended at any cost."

-- Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, interview at U.S. Capitol, August 21:

"I think what we really have to understand now is that the terrorist threat is a longer-term one and

it's a global one. We will maintain, along with other civilized countries in the world, a sustained

effort to deal with what is an increasing terrorist threat....This is, unfortunately, the war of the

future. We're all dedicated to making sure that Americans, whether they are at home or abroad, as

well as other innocent people in other countries, do not have to live their lives under the threat of

those who believe that taking down innocent people is some form of political expression."

-- Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, interview on ABC-TV's "This Week with Sam

Donaldson and Cokie Roberts," August 23:

"We see this as a long-term struggle with terrorism. I think unfortunately...this is something that

we're going to be dealing with at the end of the century and into the next one. We need to have a

lot of cooperation from others. But as we made very clear this week, we will take unilateral action

when we think that our national interest has been threatened."

-- Defense Secretary William Cohen, interview on NBC TV's "Meet the Press" program, August

23:

"...the American people...can be sure that if we are attacked, they certainly are going to see a

response....this is not a one-time event, as President Clinton and Secretary Albright have

indicated. This is a long-term engagement. We intend to take down that terror network to do what

we can to ensure that the American people and our friends are safe from the threat of terrorism."

-- National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, interview on CNN's Late Edition news program,

August 23:

"We have been after bin Ladin and his network for a number of years, in a number of ways.

Some of his associates, Ramzi Yousef, for example, who was affiliated with the World Trade

Center (bombing), we finally arrested; brought back to justice; (he) was convicted....I think that it

is important to see this as a long term effort, a long term struggle. We have knowledge, we know

that these groups essentially have declared war on the United States. It is going to take a

sustained, determined, systematic effort for us to go after these groups, and we intend to do that.

DISRUPTING BIN LADIN'S FINANCIAL NETWORK

-- President Clinton, Radio Address to the Nation, August 22:

"I'm determined to use all the tools at our disposal. That is why I have just signed an executive

order directing the Treasury to block all financial transactions between the bin Ladin terrorist

group and American persons and companies. We'll urge other governments to do the same. We

must not allow sanctuary for terrorism -- not for terrorists or for their money. It takes money --

lots of it -- to build the network bin Ladin has. We'll do our best to see that he has less of it."

-- Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Pickering, briefing at the Washington

Foreign Press Center, August 25:

"We intended to pursue our anti-terror policy using all the tools and all of the resources at our

command. On the same day as our military strikes, the president signed an executive order

directing the Treasury Department to block all financial transactions between Usama bin Ladin's

terrorist network and American persons and companies, and he urged other governments to do

the same. And yesterday, Secretary Albright announced a new United States-United Kingdom

plan to go forward with a trial in the Netherlands, before Scottish judges and applying Scottish

law, of the two Libyans suspected of bombing Pam Am Flight 103 nearly 10 years ago."

-- U.S. Ambassador Robert Pelletreau, former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern

Affairs, interview on USIA Worldnet Global Exchange, August 24:

"If you have, as you understand Mr. bin Laden has, investments in a number of countries, and the

ability to mobilize large financial resources in support of some terrorist action, that is one of the

areas that we have to go after. And we have to start doing it at home. We have to start by making

sure that our own laws and our own framework will do the maximum possible to prevent this

from happening in our country, and him making use of facilities available in our country. Then we

have to go out and expand this cooperation internationally...and I believe that we will see this

happening over the months ahead."

U.S. RECORD OF BRINGING TERRORISTS TO JUSTICE

-- President Clinton, White House statement, August 20:

"America has battled terrorism for many years. Where possible, we've used law enforcement and

diplomatic tools to wage the fight. The long arm of American law has reached out around the

world and brought to trial those guilty of attacks in New York, in Virginia, and in the Pacific. We

have quietly disrupted terrorist groups and foiled their plots. We have isolated countries that

practice terrorism. We've worked to build an international coalition against terror. But there have

been and will be times when law enforcement and diplomatic tools are simply not enough, when

our very national security is challenged, and when we must take extraordinary steps to protect the

safety of our citizens."

-- President Clinton, Radio Address to the Nation, August 8:

"In recent years we have captured major terrorists in the far corners of the world and brought

them to America to answer for their crimes -- sometimes years after they were committed. They

include the man who murdered two CIA employees outside its headquarters. Four years later we

apprehended him halfway around the world, and a Virginia jury sentenced him to death. The

mastermind of the World Trade Center bombing who fled far from America -- two years later, we

brought him back for trial in New York. And the terrorist responsible for bombing a Pan Am jet

bound for Hawaii from Japan in 1982, we pursued him for 16 years. This June we caught him....

Some serious acts of terror remain unresolved, including the attack on our military personnel at

Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia; the bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland; and

now, these horrible bombings in Africa. No matter how long it takes or where it takes us, we will

pursue terrorists until the cases are solved and justice is done."

-- National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, White House press briefing, August 20:

"We have strengthened a number of our laws with respect to terrorist organizations. We have

intensified our intelligence capability, our counterterrorism capabilities in other areas. In the last

five years we have apprehended about 40 terrorists that were around the world and brought them

to justice -- some after periods as long as 12 years. So we will continue that effort and continue

to carry on this battle against the scourge of terrorism."

-- Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Pickering, State Department press

briefing, August 21:

"We have fought this threat for many years and in many ways, including diplomacy, the rule of

law and serious actions such as we have taken yesterday. We have also had several successes --

some are published, some are not -- apprehending terrorists wherever possible and putting them

on trial, thwarting planned attacks and isolating state sponsors of terrorism. But as the President

said yesterday, there are times when law enforcement and diplomatic tools are simply not enough

."

SUPPORT FROM CONGRESS FOR THE U.S. STRIKES

-- Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (Republican, Georgia), August 20:

"We have not yet gotten assessments of the damage, but I hope that it's been very decisive and I

think it's very important that we sent the signal to countries like Sudan and Afghanistan that if you

house a terrorist, you become a target."

-- Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (Republican, Mississippi), August 20:

"Based on intelligence provided to me Wednesday, the Administration has very reliable

information linking the terrorist Usama bin Ladin and his bases to the cowardly attacks on our

embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Our response appears to be appropriate and just. As I said in

my State of the Union response in January: 'Despite any current controversy, this Congress will

vigorously support the President in full defense of America's interests throughout the world.'"

-- Representative Lee Hamilton (Democrat, Indiana), senior Democrat on House International

Relations Committee, August 20:

"I support the action that the President took earlier today. I think the target of terrorism is

America and Americans, and this represents a new phase in our effort against terrorism. We must

take steps that we have not taken in the past....We are not attacking Islamic countries, we are

attacking Islamic extremists who murder people. This should in no way be seen as an attack

against Islam."

-- Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jesse Helms (Republican, North Carolina),

August 20:

"Today's U.S. military actions in Sudan and Afghanistan were clearly designed to strike at the

heart of a terrorist network that has the blood of American citizens on its hands, and which was

planning further attacks on U.S. nationals. It is my strong hope that these operations have been

successful....There must be no refuge for terrorists who murder innocent American citizens.

Sooner or later, terrorists around the world will realize that America's differences end at the

water's edge, and that the United States' political leadership always has, and always will, stand

united in the face of international terrorism."

-- Senator John McCain (Republican, Arizona), August 20:

"Today's military action against Usama bin Ladin's terrorist infrastructure in Afghanistan and

Sudan is a welcome response to the August 7 terrorist attacks against the American Embassies in

Kenya and Tanzania. I know I speak for all Americans in supporting the U.S. service members

who took part in this operation, and in hoping that the strikes clearly signal our will to retaliate

against terrorists who target American citizens abroad.

"Foreign terrorists must not doubt that political differences at home do not weaken our resolve to

use all means at our disposal to defend our national security interests. We must attack terrorism at

its source in order to deter it from our own shores...."

-- Senator Sam Brownback (Republican, Kansas), August 20:

"The United States will not be intimidated by terrorist activities and threats. Terrorists must know

that if they attack U.S. citizens, we will respond with deadly force. Those who would harm the

security of the United States and its citizens have no place to hide."

-- Senator Chuck Hagel (Republican, Nebraska), August 20:

"I support the President's actions. Terrorism is the scourge of our time and we must deal with it

swiftly, forcefully, and without mercy. Today's military strikes were a response to the killing of

hundreds of innocent civilians in the bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, and to the continued

threats against U.S. Embassies around the world. While today's strikes sent a clear message to

the world's terrorists and those who harbor them, they will not end this threat. We must prepare

ourselves for a long fight against terrorism.

"Those who wish America ill and who would resort to cowardly and despicable acts against

American citizens must know that we will hunt them down. We will take the necessary actions to

protect our citizens and preserve our civilization."

-- Senator Alfonse D'Amato (Republican, New York), August 20:

"If people think the Congress is not going to be totally supportive of the commander-in-chief,

they're just mistaken. This may serve notice that, whatever our local disagreements, we stand with

our commander-in-chief, and he was absolutely proper and forceful."

-- Representative Dan Burton (Republican, Indiana), August 20:

"I take the action for what it was -- to stop the terrorists and to make them pay for what they did.

And that was the right thing to do. That's coming from one of the president's severest critics."

-- Representative Ike Skelton (Democrat, Missouri), senior Democrat on House National Security

Committee, August 20:

"We just had to do it, we just had to....We're quite sure the attacks in Africa came from these two

places, and we had to strike back."

-- Senator Charles Robb (Democrat, Virginia), August 21:

"Anyone who provides safe harbor for terrorists ought to take a look at what happened this time

around....This is only Phase One of an operation that will continue."

WORLD LEADERS' STATEMENTS ON U.S. ACTIONS

Prime Minister Tony Blair (UK):

"The atrocities this month in Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, and Omagh have shown the pain and

suffering terrorism can bring to innocent people. I strongly support this American action against

international terrorists. Terrorists the world over much know that democratic governments will act

decisively to prevent their evil crimes."

Chancellor Helmut Kohl (Germany):

"The German Federal Government decisively condemns all forms of terrorism. Terrorism can

only be defeated through cooperation and consistent, determined actions by all states.

"The Federal Government therefore supports all measures to combat this scourge of the

international community. This applies especially to the US response against organizations in

Afghanistan and Sudan that have been linked to the terrorist attacks against U.S. Embassies in

Kenya and Tanzania.

"The Federal Government is united with President Clinton and the international community in the

determination that common actions to combat terrorist actions and attacks must be carried

forward with commitment and on the foundation of existing international conventions."

Prime Minister Lionel Jospin (France):

"We expressed our indignation and our compassion and our solidarity in the face of the

bombings in Dar es Salaam and in Nairobi. We said we took note of the fact that the American

authorities had hit a number of targets, citing the right of legitimate defense of nations which are

themselves attacked, by virtue of international law, and in fact I believe we also say clearly we

must give determined and firm responses against terrorists, wherever they hit from."

Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi (Japan):

"I believe firm measures should be taken against acts of terrorism following the bombings of two

American Embassies in Africa. Although details of the U.S. military operation are not yet fully

known, Washington's resolute stance toward terrorists is understandable."

Foreign Minister Wolfgang Schuessel (Austria):

"The EU, which considers the fight against international terrorist activities as its foremost

important political task, will use all its means available to effectively combat acts of terror

wherever they take place and whatever motives they are related to."

Foreign Minister Lena Hjelm-Wallen (Sweden):

"Terrorism is one of the world's great security challenges....Terrorism must be fought with

determination and around the world, and within the system of international law. This underlines

the need to intensify further international cooperation against terrorism."

Foreign Minister Van Aartsen (Netherlands):

"We do not yet know all the details, but from what Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said, I

am convinced that the United States had adequate reasons and sufficient evidence."

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu (Israel):

"We in Israel support the American action fully because...it really is an act of self-defense against

ruthless terrorists who need no pretext to kill people, as they did in Nairobi and Tanzania and will

do so again unless they are hit -- and hit conclusively and repeatedly."

Presidential Press Secretary Sergei Yyastrzhembskiy (Russia):

"Russia and the United States are in the same boat as far as combating global terrorism is

concerned. We will understand the grief being felt over the loss of American lives, primarily in

Kenya. There is no doubt that we have coordinated, and will continue to coordinate, the fight

against global terrorism."

Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit (Turkey):

"Terrorism is the gravest danger facing the world and humanity today. Turkey is one of the

countries that suffers most from terrorism, which has gained an international dimension. We must

view with understanding the sensitivity that the US administration has shown in response to the

attacks carried out against the US Missions and Embassy buildings which, according to

international law, have immunity in all respects."

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhu Bangzao (China):

"China's position of condemning all forms of terrorist activities is clear and specific. We stand

for handling the explosions in Kenya and Tanzania according to the United Nations Charter and

the guiding principles of international law. The international community should strengthen its

coordination and cooperation in rebuffing international terrorist activities so as to eliminate the

source that generates international terrorism and to safeguard world peace and stability."

Foreign Minister Jan Kavan (Czech Republic):

"International terrorism cannot be tolerated...it must be fought...international terrorists must know

that they are punishable."

President Yoweri Museveni (Uganda)

Museveni expressed his strong support for the U.S. actions against terrorism. He stated the one

reason why Uganda does not have diplomatic relations with Sudan is because of its terrorist

behavior -- as evidenced by the massacre of Atiak (Northern Uganda), the kidnap and defilement

of the Abuke Girls School (Northern Uganda), and the recent Kichwamba incident (Western

Uganda) where more than 30 students were incinerated and others kidnaped.

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