IAEA chief: should have "howled" louder on Iraq

Reuters ^ | 8/10/2009 | Tabassum Zakaria

[james500]

The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said he should have "howled harder" on Iraq and that the war was the most "dissatisfying moment" of his life.

Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in responding to 10 questions in Time magazine, also said the jury is out on whether Iran was developing nuclear weapons.

One of the main justifications for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 by the administration of President George W. Bush was the assertion that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. No such weapons were found in the years since the war began.

"The most dissatisfying moment of my life, of course, was when the Iraq war was launched. That hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives on the basis of fiction, not facts, makes me shudder," ElBaradei said.

...

"We are not sure that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons. The jury is still out," ElBaradei said.

[james500]

"Iran seeking nuclear weapons technology: ElBaradei"

Wed Jun 17, 2009 1:51pm EDT

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE55G21V20090617

Iran wants the ability to build nuclear weapons to gain the reputation of a major power in the Middle East, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said in a BBC interview broadcast on Wednesday.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

That statement alone identifies him as a lying hack whose opinion on the matter is of no value whatsoever.

[avacado]

"One of the main justifications for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 by the administration of President George W. Bush was the assertion that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction."

Actually is was about not honoring the surrender agreement. The MSM made the Iraq War into a single issue war.

[earlJam]

Iran, not Iraq, always was the greater threat to the US.

I wish we would have kept out powder dry for Iran. Unfortunately, we have fewer options today than what we had before Iraq II.

(not flaming President Bush)

[a fool in paradise]

One of the main justifications for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 by the administration of President George W. Bush was the assertion that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. No such weapons were found in the years since the war began.

There is evidence that Saddam was seeking such weapons.

A convicted felon out on parole seeking a firearm is still guilty of violating probation even if he doesn't acquire the gun.

Saddam resumed the first Gulf War when he violated the terms of the peace.

And there has not been anything to dispute the claims that weapons may have been smuggled out (to Syria) during the run up to the invasion date.

[Pete]

Actually is was about not honoring the surrender agreement. The MSM made the Iraq War into a single issue war.

That's exactly right. It is frustrating that everyone has allowed the MSM to erase their memories.

[AreaMan]

IAEA? Isn’t that the store that sells cheap, Chinese slave labor produced furniture you have to assemble yourself?

[Pete]

Actually is was about not honoring the surrender agreement. The MSM made the Iraq War into a single issue war.

That's exactly right. It is frustrating that everyone has allowed the MSM to erase their memories.

[james500]

“The MSM made the Iraq War into a single issue war.”

I’ve punched up UN Resolution 1441 on my cellphone a few times to remind people why we went to war and why it was passed 15-0 by the security council.

[penelopesire]

What do you mean we have fewer options now? WE HAVE IRAN SURROUNDED ON TWO SIDES...LOL. We just don’t have the political will to do anything and now that Obama the Apologizer wimp is in office..we won’t do anything anyway.

[bvw]

He’s a friggin a-hole liar.

The most reliable counts of deaths due the US invasion of Iraq but the figure around 100,000 — most were combatants.

How many did Saddam kill? At least 100,000 Kurds were killed or disappeared under Saddam’s rule. His total count — over 2 million, including the Iran-Iraq wars.

The US, George W. Bush in the lead, have saved the lives of the hundreds of thousands by taking out that genocidal tyrant.

[penelopesire]

Nope..that’s the UN group that has allowed 3 muslim countries that hate America and North Korea to get nuclear bombs and materials under their ‘watch’.

El Baradei should have been hung on a lampost years ago.

[roses of sharon]

Awww...Saddam and Son's defense team still bawling over their deaths?

So sad that these UN racists don't have Saddam's $$$$ to blow up Israeli kids in their school buses, restaurants, or clubs anymore.

[earlJam]

I realize we have a unilateral military options. And we have an option with Israel as our only ally. But I don’t think that is what we want to do.

I simply don’t think we have the clout or the goodwill to put together a coalition like we did in Iraq I.

[AreaMan]

Nope..that’s the UN group that has allowed 3 muslim countries that hate America and North Korea to get nuclear bombs and materials under their ‘watch’.

Hmm, sounds like the crappy Swedish furniture company could have done a better job of keeping nukes out of the hands of the bad guys.

and they could have offered them a Swedish meatball dinner for $4.95.

[fishtank]

We continue to send our best people to that crophale in Vienna to keep doing the idiot work under a badge of respectability..............

[Cheetahcat]

“That hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives on the basis of fiction, not facts, makes me shudder,” ElBaradei said.”

Yeah right I guess we should have tried him also having inside information.. If El-Idiot-oughto there took these numbers and applied them as the lives saved by killing Saddam he would be close on the very low side..

[marron]

ElBaradei is the guy who has never stopped anyone from getting a nuke. Ever.

His job, as he sees it, is not to stop them but rather just to document the process. He is a fairly useless man heading a fairly useless agency.

[roses of sharon]

JOINT RESOLUTION

To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq.

Whereas in 1990 in response to Iraq’s war of aggression against and illegal occupation of Kuwait, the United States forged a coalition of nations to liberate Kuwait and its people in order to defend the national security of the United States and enforce United Nations Security Council resolutions relating to Iraq;

Whereas after the liberation of Kuwait in 1991, Iraq entered into a United Nations sponsored cease-fire agreement pursuant to which Iraq unequivocally agreed, among other things, to eliminate its nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons programs and the means to deliver and develop them, and to end its support for international terrorism;

Whereas the efforts of international weapons inspectors, United States intelligence agencies, and Iraqi defectors led to the discovery that Iraq had large stockpiles of chemical weapons and a large scale biological weapons program, and that Iraq had an advanced nuclear weapons development program that was much closer to producing a nuclear weapon than intelligence reporting had previously indicated;

Whereas Iraq, in direct and flagrant violation of the cease-fire, attempted to thwart the efforts of weapons inspectors to identify and destroy Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction stockpiles and development capabilities, which finally resulted in the withdrawal of inspectors from Iraq on October 31, 1998;

Whereas in Public Law 105-235 (August 14, 1998), Congress concluded that Iraq’s continuing weapons of mass destruction programs threatened vital United States interests and international peace and security, declared Iraq to be in `material and unacceptable breach of its international obligations’ and urged the President `to take appropriate action, in accordance with the Constitution and relevant laws of the United States, to bring Iraq into compliance with its international obligations’;

Whereas Iraq both poses a continuing threat to the national security of the United States and international peace and security in the Persian Gulf region and remains in material and unacceptable breach of its international obligations by, among other things, continuing to possess and develop a significant chemical and biological weapons capability, actively seeking a nuclear weapons capability, and supporting and harboring terrorist organizations;

Whereas Iraq persists in violating resolution of the United Nations Security Council by continuing to engage in brutal repression of its civilian population thereby threatening international peace and security in the region, by refusing to release, repatriate, or account for non-Iraqi citizens wrongfully detained by Iraq, including an American serviceman, and by failing to return property wrongfully seized by Iraq from Kuwait;

Whereas the current Iraqi regime has demonstrated its capability and willingness to use weapons of mass destruction against other nations and its own people;

Whereas the current Iraqi regime has demonstrated its continuing hostility toward, and willingness to attack, the United States, including by attempting in 1993 to assassinate former President Bush and by firing on many thousands of occasions on United States and Coalition Armed Forces engaged in enforcing the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council;

Whereas members of al Qaida, an organization bearing responsibility for attacks on the United States, its citizens, and interests, including the attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, are known to be in Iraq;

Whereas Iraq continues to aid and harbor other international terrorist organizations, including organizations that threaten the lives and safety of United States citizens;

Whereas the attacks on the United States of September 11, 2001, underscored the gravity of the threat posed by the acquisition of weapons of mass destruction by international terrorist organizations;

Whereas Iraq’s demonstrated capability and willingness to use weapons of mass destruction, the risk that the current Iraqi regime will either employ those weapons to launch a surprise attack against the United States or its Armed Forces or provide them to international terrorists who would do so, and the extreme magnitude of harm that would result to the United States and its citizens from such an attack, combine to justify action by the United States to defend itself;

Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 678 (1990) authorizes the use of all necessary means to enforce United Nations Security Council Resolution 660 (1990) and subsequent relevant resolutions and to compel Iraq to cease certain activities that threaten international peace and security, including the development of weapons of mass destruction and refusal or obstruction of United Nations weapons inspections in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 (1991), repression of its civilian population in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 688 (1991), and threatening its neighbors or United Nations operations in Iraq in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 949 (1994);

Whereas in the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution (Public Law 102-1), Congress has authorized the President `to use United States Armed Forces pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 678 (1990) in order to achieve implementation of Security Council Resolution 660, 661, 662, 664, 665, 666, 667, 669, 670, 674, and 677’;

Whereas in December 1991, Congress expressed its sense that it `supports the use of all necessary means to achieve the goals of United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 as being consistent with the Authorization of Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution (Public Law 102-1),’ that Iraq’s repression of its civilian population violates United Nations Security Council Resolution 688 and `constitutes a continuing threat to the peace, security, and stability of the Persian Gulf region,’ and that Congress, `supports the use of all necessary means to achieve the goals of United Nations Security Council Resolution 688’;

Whereas the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-338) expressed the sense of Congress that it should be the policy of the United States to support efforts to remove from power the current Iraqi regime and promote the emergence of a democratic government to replace that regime;

Whereas on September 12, 2002, President Bush committed the United States to `work with the United Nations Security Council to meet our common challenge’ posed by Iraq and to `work for the necessary resolutions,’ while also making clear that `the Security Council resolutions will be enforced, and the just demands of peace and security will be met, or action will be unavoidable’;

Whereas the United States is determined to prosecute the war on terrorism and Iraq’s ongoing support for international terrorist groups combined with its development of weapons of mass destruction in direct violation of its obligations under the 1991 cease-fire and other United Nations Security Council resolutions make clear that it is in the national security interests of the United States and in furtherance of the war on terrorism that all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions be enforced, including through the use of force if necessary;

Whereas Congress has taken steps to pursue vigorously the war on terrorism through the provision of authorities and funding requested by the President to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations, or persons who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such persons or organizations;

Whereas the President and Congress are determined to continue to take all appropriate actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations, or persons who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such persons or organizations;

Whereas the President has authority under the Constitution to take action in order to deter and prevent acts of international terrorism against the United States, as Congress recognized in the joint resolution on Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107-40); and

Whereas it is in the national security interests of the United States to restore international peace and security to the Persian Gulf region: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

[marron]

"We are not sure that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons. The jury is still out," ElBaradei said.

Right. The jury is still out.

He still has more reports to file. Then when they pop off a nuke, he'll write up another report.

As I say, the guy and the agency are useless.