“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.” 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
“He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983.” Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Advisor, Feb. 18, 1998 (Ohio State University).
“Iraq is a long way from the U.S. 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 (Ohio State University).
“We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country.” 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, Sept. 27, 2002
“I will be voting to give the President of the U.S. 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 out country.” Sen. John Kerry, Oct. 9, 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 Qaida members. It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons.” Sen. Hillary Clinton, Oct. 10, 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 Kerry, Jan. 23, 2003 (Georgetown University).
“…bin Laden had been living [at the pharmaceutical plant in Sudan], that he had, in fact, money that he had put into this military industrial corporation, that the owner of the plant had traveled to Baghdad to meet with the father of the VX program.” William S. Cohen, Bill Clinton’s Defense Secretary. Mar. 2004 before the 911 Commission Hearings. He cited an al Qaida-Baghdad link as justification for bombing the pharmaceutical plant.
“I think Iraq is the most serious and imminent threat to our country. …time has come for decisive action.” Sen. John Edwards, Feb. 2002, prior to Congress even voting to authorize the war.
“…Almost no one disagrees with these basic facts; that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a menace; that he has weapons of mass destruction and that he is doing everything in his power to get nuclear weapons, that he has supported terrorists; that he is a grave threat to the region, …I believe this is not an either-or choice. Our national security requires us to do both, and we can.” John Edwards, Oct. 10, 2002.
“”No. I didn’t get misled…As you know, I serve on the Intelligence Committee. So it wasn’t just the Bush administration. I sat in meeting after meeting after meeting where we were told about the presence of weapons of mass destruction. There is clearly a disconnect between what we were told and what in fact, we found there…I think we couldn’t let those who could veto in the Security Council hold us hostage.” John Edwards, Oct. 13, 2003. (Hardball with Chris Matthews).
“…We all know of his [Saddam Hussein] announcement he can no longer permit U.S. citizens to participate in the U.N. inspection team searching for Iraq for violations of the U.N. requirement that Iraq not build or store weapons of mass destruction…While it is not certain, it is not unreasonable to assume that Saddam’s action may have been precipitated by the fear that the U.N. inspectors were getting uncomfortably close to discovering some caches of reprehensible weapons of mass destruction…long feared he is doing everything in his power to build, hide, and hoard…Plainly and simply, Saddam Hussein cannot be permitted to get away with his antics, or with this latest excuse for avoidance of international responsibility…In my judgment, the Security Council should authorize a strong U.N. military response that will materially damage, if not totally destroy, as much as possible of the suspected infrastructure for developing weapons of mass destruction, as well as key military command and control nodes. Saddam Hussein should pay a grave price, in a currency that he understands and values…This should not be a strike consisting only of a handful of cruise missiles hitting isolated targets primarily of presumed symbolic value…” John Kerry, Nov. 9, 1997. (Congressional Record)
And then, there are statements from Saddam Hussein and his state sponsored media:
“We will chase [Americans] to every corner at all times. No high tower of steel will protect them against the fire of truth.” Saddam Hussein, Feb. 8, 1991.
“What remains for Bush [Bush I] and his accomplices in crime is to understand that they are personally responsible for their crime. The Iraqi people will pursue them for this crime, [Operation Desert Storm] even if they leave office and disappear into oblivion. There is no doubt they will understand what we mean if they know what revenge means to the Arabs…[Saudi Arabian and Kuwaiti] will light torches, grow aromatic plants, and water the tree of freedom, resistance and victory.” Saddam Hussein, Jan. 26, 1999.
“What is required no is to deal strong blows to U.S. and British interests. These blows should be strong enough to make them feel that their interests are indeed threatened not only by words but also in deeds.” Al-Qadisiyah, Feb. 27, 1999 (State-controlled newspaper).
“Does [America] realize the meaning of every Iraqi becoming a missile that can cross to countries and cities?” Saddam Hussein, Sept. 29, 1994.
“When peoples reach the verge of collective death, they will be able to spread death to all…” Al-Qadisiyah, Oct. 6, 1994.(State controlled newspaper).
“One chemical weapon fired in a moment of despair could cause the deaths of hundreds of thousands.” Al-Quds al-Arabi, Oct. 12, 1994. (State controlled newspaper).
“The real perpetrators [Sept. 11] are within the collapsed buildings.” Alif-Ba, Sept. 11, 2002.
“If the attacks of September 11 cost the lives of 3,000 civilians, how much will the size of looses 50 states within 100 cities if it was attacked in the same way in which New York and Washington were. What would happen if hundreds of planes attacked American cities?” Al-Rafidayn, Sept. 11, 2002
“[The U.S.] should send more coffins to Saudi Arabia because no one can guess what the future has in store.” Saddam Hussein, June 27, 1996.
“The U.S. must get a taste of its own poison.” Babil, Oct. 8, 2001
“It is possible to turn to biological attack, where a small can, not bigger than the size of a hand, can be used to release viruses that affect everything…” Babil, Oct. 8, 2001.
Thank you! I was looking for this list of quotes earlier today.
"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 mandated of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and the means of delivering them." -Sen. Carl Levin (D, MI), Sept. 19, 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
"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
"What is at stake is how to answer the potential threat Iraq represents with the risk of proliferation of WMD. Baghdad's regime did use such weapons in the past. Today, a number of evidences may lead to think that, over the past four years, in the absence of international inspectors, this country has continued armament programs." -Jacques Chirac, October 16, 2002
"I am absolutely convinced that there are weapons...I saw evidence back in 1998 when we would see the inspectors being barred from gaining entry into a warehouse for three hours with trucks rolling up and then moving those trucks out." -Clinton's Secretary of Defense William Cohen in April of 2003
"Over the years, Iraq has worked to develop nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. During 1991 - 1994, despite Iraq's denials, U.N. inspectors discovered and dismantled a large network of nuclear facilities that Iraq was using to develop nuclear weapons. Various reports indicate that Iraq is still actively pursuing nuclear weapons capability. There is no reason to think otherwise. Beyond nuclear weapons, Iraq has actively pursued biological and chemical weapons.U.N. inspectors have said that Iraq's claims about biological weapons is neither credible nor verifiable. In 1986, Iraq used chemical weapons against Iran, and later, against its own Kurdish population. While weapons inspections have been successful in the past, there have been no inspections since the end of 1998. There can be no doubt that Iraq has continued to pursue its goal of obtaining weapons of mass destruction."- Senator Patty "Osama Mama" Murray, October 9, 2002
"Saddam’s existing biological and chemical weapons capabilities pose a very real threat to America, now. Saddam has used chemical weapons before, both against Iraq’s enemies and against his own people. He is working to develop delivery systems like missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles that could bring these deadly weapons against U.S. forces and U.S. facilities in the Middle East." -John Rockefeller, Oct 10, 2002
Speaking about the WMD's, "The consensus was the same, from the Clinton administration to the Bush administration, It was the same intelligence belief that our allies and friends around the world shared." -Senator Hillary Clinton, April 20, 2004 on Larry King Live
Thanks..I just sent a copy to everybody I could think of.
BTW..I think Bush is going to eat Kerry alive on Friday.