AFTER 14 YEARS, KERRY CHANGES STORY ON WMDSKerry Attacks President On Threat Posed By Iraq, Does He Not Believe His Own Words?
___________________________________________________________________
Posted on 02/08/2004 1:31:49 PM PST by PhiKapMom
Febuary 8, 2004
AFTER 14 YEARS, KERRY CHANGES STORY ON WMDS
Kerry Attacks President On Threat Posed By Iraq, Does He Not Believe His Own Words?
___________________________________________________________________
SINCE 1990, KERRY HAS TOLD AMERICA
OF SADDAM’S WMD THREAT
Kerry Said “It Would Be Irresponsible … To Draw Conclusions” That Suggest President Misled On WMD. ABC’S GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: “I know you said you’re agnostic about whether or not he misled the public on weapons of mass destruction. But do you have a hunch on whether you think they hyped the intelligence?” KERRY: “George, again, I think it would be irresponsible of me at this point to draw conclusions prior to all the evidence being on the table.” (ABC’s “This Week,” 6/15/03)
As War Began, Kerry Said Saddam Chose “To Make Military Force The Ultimate Weapons Inspections Enforcement Mechanism.” “Senator John F. Kerry … had lambasted Bush’s diplomatic efforts, despite voting last fall in support of a congressional resolution authorizing military action to disarm Iraq of any weapons of mass destruction. ‘It appears that with the deadline for exile come and gone, Saddam Hussein has chosen to make military force the ultimate weapons inspections enforcement mechanism,’ Kerry said.” (Glen Johnson, “Critics Of Bush Voice Support For The Troops,” The Boston Globe, 3/20/03)
Kerry Said Saddam Hussein’s WMD “Are A Threat.” “I think Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction are a threat, and that’s why I voted to hold him accountable and to make certain that we disarm him. I think we need to …” (NPR’s “All Things Considered,” 3/19/03)
Kerry Said Leaving Saddam Hussein “Unfettered With Nuclear Weapons Or Weapons Of Mass Destruction Is Unacceptable.” (Jill Lawrence, “War Issue Challenges Democratic Candidates,” USA Today, 2/12/03)
Kerry Described Secretary Of State Colin Powell’s Evidence Of WMD In Iraq As “Real And Compelling.” “[Kerry] said the Bush administration has taken too long to make its case for military action, ‘but nonetheless I am glad we’ve reached this moment in our diplomacy.’ Kerry added: ‘Convincing evidence of Saddam Hussein’s possession of weapons of mass destruction should trigger, I believe, a final ultimatum from the United Nations for a full, complete, immediate disarmament of those weapons by Iraq. Over the next hours, I will work with my colleagues in the Senate to fully examine the evidence offered by the secretary for a complete and close reading. But, on its face, the evidence against Saddam Hussein appears real and compelling.’” (Wayne Washington, “Kennedy, Others Question Timing Of Attack But Presidential Hopefuls Back War With Iraq,” The Boston Globe, 2/6/03)
Kerry Said, “If You Don’t Believe Saddam Hussein Is A Threat With Nuclear Weapons, Then You Shouldn’t Vote For Me.” (Ronald Brownstein, “On Iraq, Kerry Appears Either Torn Or Shrewd,” Los Angeles Times, 1/31/03)
Kerry Described Threat Of Saddam Hussein With WMD As Real, But Not New. “[W]e 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.” (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks At Georgetown University, Washington, DC, 1/23/03)
“Mr. Kerry … Said Iraq’s Weapons Of Mass Destruction Posed ‘A Real And Grave Threat’ To The United States.” (Dave Boyer, “Key Senators Of Both Parties Back Bush On Iraq War,” The Washington Times, 10/10/02)
Kerry Questioned Saddam’s Actions With Respect To His WMD Capability. “Why is Saddam Hussein pursuing weapons that most nations have agreed to limit or give up? Why is Saddam Hussein guilty of breaking his own cease-fire agreement with the international community? Why is Saddam Hussein attempting to develop nuclear weapons when most nations don’t even try, and responsible nations that have them attempt to limit their potential for disaster? Why did Saddam Hussein threaten and provoke? Why does he develop missiles that exceed allowable limits? Why did Saddam Hussein lie and deceive the inspection teams previously? Why did Saddam Hussein not account for all of the weapons of mass destruction which UNSCOM identified? Why is he seeking to develop unmanned airborne vehicles for delivery of biological agents? Does he do all of these things because he wants to live by international standards of behavior? Because he respects international law? Because he is a nice guy underneath it all and the world should trust him?” (Sen. John Kerry, Congressional Record, 10/9/02, p. S10171)
Kerry Called It “Naive To The Point Of Grave Danger” To Leave Saddam “To His Own Devices.” “It would be naive to the point of grave danger not to believe that, left to his own devices, Saddam Hussein will provoke, misjudge, or stumble into a future, more dangerous confrontation with the civilized world.” (Sen. John Kerry, Congressional Record, 10/9/02, p. S10171)
Kerry Said “Threat Of Saddam Hussein With Weapons Of Mass Destruction Is Real.” “The threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real, but as I said, it is not new. It has been with us since the end of that war, and particularly in the last 4 years we know after Operation Desert Fox failed to force him to reaccept them, that he has continued to build those weapons. He has had a free hand for 4 years to reconstitute these weapons, allowing the world, during the interval, to lose the focus we had on weapons of mass destruction and the issue of proliferation.” (Sen. John Kerry, Congressional Record, 10/9/02, p. S10171)
Kerry: “I Am Prepared To Hold Saddam Hussein Accountable And Destroy His Weapons Of Mass Destruction.” (Ronald Brownstein, “Democratic Presidential Hopefuls Differ On War In Iraq,” Los Angeles Times, 10/6/02)
Kerry Said “There Is Nothing More Destabilizing Or Threatening [To The World] Than Weapons Of Mass Destruction.” “I think all of us are deeply concerned about the degree to which certain countries seem to be contributing to the potential of instability in the world. Obviously, there is nothing more destabilizing or threatening than weapons of mass destruction. We have spent an enormous amount of time and energy focused on Iraq, on Iran, on Russia, on loose nukes, on nuclear materials, and of course on China and on the issue of the transfer of technology to Pakistan.” (Sen. John Kerry, Congressional Record, 9/11/00, p. S8321)
Kerry Defended Clinton’s 1998 Attacks Because Saddam “Is Pursuing … Weapons Of Mass Destruction.” “Americans need to really understand the gravity and legitimacy of what is happening with Saddam Hussein. He has been given every opportunity in the world to comply. The president does not control the schedule of UNSCOM. The president did not withdraw the UNSCOM inspectors. And the president did not, obviously, cut a deal with Saddam Hussein to do this at this moment. Saddam Hussein has not complied. Saddam Hussein is pursuing a program to build weapons of mass destruction.”(Sen. John Kerry, Press Conference, 12/16/98)
Kerry Said, “‘We’re Going To Have To Make Some Fundamental Decisions About Whether To Follow A Policy Of Containment Or Deprive Iraq Of Its Weapons Of Mass Destruction.” (Eric Schmitt, “U.N. Arms Inspector Who Quit Is Told He Can’t Make Policy,” The New York Times, 9/4/98)
Kerry Said Saddam Had Already Used WMD And Had Intent “To Do So” Again. “[T]here are set of principles here that are very large, larger in some measure than I think has been adequately conveyed, both internationally and certainly to the American people. Saddam Hussein has already used these weapons and has made it clear that he has the intent to continue to try, by virtue of his duplicity and secrecy, to continue to do so. That is a threat to the stability of the Middle East. It is a threat with respect to the potential of terrorist activities on a global basis. It is a threat even to regions near but not exactly in the Middle East.” (Sen. John Kerry, Press Conference, 2/23/98)
Kerry Said That If Saddam’s Weapon Capability Was Not Eliminated “We Will Be Called On To Send Our Ships And Our Troops At One Point In The Future Back To The Middle East.” “Saddam Hussein has violated … that standard [against using weapons of mass destruction] on several occasions previously and by most people's expectation, no matter what agreement we come up with, may well do so again. The greater likelihood is that we will be called on to send our ships and our troops at one point in the future back to the Middle East to stand up to the next crisis.” (Sen. John Kerry, Press Conference, 2/23/98)
Kerry Urged U.N. To Eliminate Iraq’s “Suspected Infrastructure For Developing And Manufacturing Weapons Of Mass Destruction.” “Democratic Senator John Kerry has said: ‘The Security Council should authorize a strong UN military response that will materially damage, if not totally destroy, as much as possible of the suspected infrastructure for developing and manufacturing weapons of mass destruction.’ He added that ‘Saddam Hussein has intentionally or inadvertently set up a test which the entire world will be watching, and if he gets away with this arrogant ploy, he will have terminated the most important multilateral effort to defuse a legitimate threat to global security.’” (“US Lawmakers Threaten Military Action Against Iraq,” Agence France Presse, 12/12/97)
Kerry Warned U.S. Senate Of Saddam’s WMD Capabilities. “It is not possible to overstate the ominous implications for the Middle East if Saddam were to develop and successfully militarize and deploy potent biological weapons. We can all imagine the consequences. Extremely small quantities of several known biological weapons have the capability to exterminate the entire population of cities the size of Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. These could be delivered by ballistic missile, but they also could be delivered by much more pedestrian means; aerosol applicators on commercial trucks easily could suffice. If Saddam were to develop and then deploy usable atomic weapons, the same holds true.” (Sen. John Kerry, Congressional Record, 11/9/97, pp. S12254 -S12255)
Kerry Acknowledged Saddam Working Toward Development Of WMD “For Years.” “If we go to war in the next few days, it will not be because our immediate vital interests are so threatened and we have no other choice. It is not because of nuclear, chemical, biological weapons when, after all, Saddam Hussein had all those abilities or was working toward them for years ....” (Sen. John Kerry, Congressional Record, 1/12/91, p. S369)
Kerry Said “Iraq Has Developed A Chemical Weapons Capability.” “Today, we are confronted by a regional power, Iraq, which has attacked a weaker state, Kuwait. ... The crisis is even more threatening by virtue of the fact that Iraq has developed a chemical weapons capability, and is pursuing a nuclear weapons development program. And Saddam Hussein has demonstrated a willingness to use such weapons of mass destruction in the past, whether in his war against Iran or against his own Kurdish population.” (Sen. John Kerry, Congressional Record, 10/2/90, p. S14330)
Thanks. We'll be posting it often ...
"...Senator John Kerry (D-MA) likes to pretend he remained unconvinced that Saddam Hussein’s regime posed a threat to the American people, but back on January 28, 1998, he co-sponsored concurrent resolution #71. After listing multiple grievances committed by Iraq, and detailing its flagrant defiance of numerous United Nations resolutions, Mr. Kerry and 45 other members of the Senate, affirmed that:
“Whereas Iraq's continuing weapons of mass destruction programs threaten vital United States interests and international peace and security; and
Whereas the United States has existing authority to defend United States interests in the Persian Gulf region: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That
Congress--
(1) condemns in the strongest possible terms the continued threat to international peace and security posed by Iraq's refusal to meet its international obligations and end its weapons of mass destruction programs;
(2) urges the President to take all necessary and appropriate actions to respond to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs; and
(3) urges the President to work with Congress in furthering a long-term policy aimed at definitively ending the threat to international peace and security posed by the government of Iraq and its weapons of mass destruction programs.”
Too bad Senator Kerry shot his mouth off. On March 12, 1998, he also co-sponsored concurrent resolution #78, relating to the indictment and prosecution of Saddam Hussein for war crimes and other crimes against humanity, specifically:
“Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That the President should--
(1) call for the creation of a commission under the auspices of the United Nations to establish an international record of the criminal culpability of Saddam Hussein and other Iraqi officials;
(2) call for the United Nations to form an international criminal tribunal for the purpose of indicting, prosecuting, and imprisoning Saddam Hussein and any other Iraqi officials who may be found responsible for crimes against humanity, genocide, and other violations of international humanitarian law; and
(3) upon the creation of a commission and international criminal tribunal, take steps necessary, including the reprogramming of funds, to ensure United States support for efforts to bring Saddam Hussein and other Iraqi officials to justice.”
...
"A PLAN FOR SADDAM," NEWSWEEK, NOV 16
Newsweek, November 16, 1998
The White House months ago cooked up a new strategy for crippling Iraq.
Will it work?
By Michael Hirsh and John Barry
Maintaining sanctions is at the heart of the new U.S. strategy--and of the unpublicized plan to cripple Saddam. Newsweek has learned that the blueprint was developed last spring by the National Security Council, in response to a plea from national-security adviser Sandy Berger. During last February's standoff, a frustrated Berger called one senior official, Richard Clarke, in the middle of the night and complained, astonishingly (given all the war talk), that "we have no strategy on Iraq," an NSC source says. After an extensive study, an ad hoc group pulled together by Clarke concluded--in papers so sensitive they were never circulated below the deputy cabinet level--that, short of invasion, the United States had no good military options on Iraq. Air strikes were not going to topple Saddam or force him to give the United Nations unfettered access. And U.N. inspections were overrated: it was simply not feasible to track down all of Saddam's biochemical stash.
VOICE OF AMERICA
DATE=2/10/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-245352
TITLE=AFGHAN / BIN LADEN (L)
BYLINE=SCOTT ANGER
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT= VOICED AT:
U-S OFFICIALS REPORTEDLY HAVE BROADENED THEIR ANTI-TERRORIST OPERATION THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. U-S ANTI-TERRORISM COORDINATOR RICHARD CLARKE TOLD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, THE UNITED STATES MAY NOW CHOOSE TO RETALIATE AGAINST FACILITIES OF A COUNTRY SUSPECTED OF HARBORING TERRORISTS.
VOICE OF AMERICA
DATE= 02/14/99
TYPE= EDITORIAL
NUMBER= 0-08190
TITLE= EDITORIAL: ABU NIDAL IN IRAQ
CONTENT=THIS IS THE ONLY EDITORIAL BEING RELEASED FOR BROADCAST
02/14/99.
ACCORDING TO RECENT PRESS REPORTS, THE NOTORIOUS ABU NIDAL IS ONCE AGAIN ENJOYING THE HOSPITALITY OF IRAQI DICTATOR SADDAM HUSSEIN. IF THESE REPORTS ARE TRUE, IT MEANS THAT ABU NIDAL IS NOW BACK IN THE COUNTRY THAT HELPED GET HIM STARTED AS AN INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST.
ABU NIDAL, WHOSE REAL NAME IS BELIEVED TO BE SABRI AL-BANNA, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR TERRORIST ATTACKS IN TWENTY COUNTRIES THAT HAVE KILLED OR WOUNDED NEARLY NINE-HUNDRED MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN. THESE INCLUDE GRENADE AND MACHINE GUN ATTACKS ON THE ROME AND VIENNA AIRPORTS IN 1985; THE MURDER OF TWENTY-TWO WORSHIPPERS AT THE NEVE SHALOM SYNAGOGUE IN ISTANBUL AND THE HIJACKING OF PAN AMERICAN FLIGHT 73 IN KARACHI IN 1986; AND THE CITY OF POROS EXCURSION SHIP ATTACK IN GREECE IN 1988.
IN 1994, THE ABU NIDAL ORGANIZATION ASSASSINATED A JORDANIAN DIPLOMAT IN LEBANON. IT HAS ALSO BEEN LINKED TO THE KILLING OF THE P-L-O REPRESENTATIVE THERE. THIS IS MORE THAN A LITTLE IRONIC SINCE ABU NIDAL WAS THE P-L-O REPRESENTATIVE IN BAGHDAD IN THE EARLY 1970S. IN 1974, HE BROKE WITH THE P-L-O TO SET UP HIS OWN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION. THAT SAME YEAR, THE P-L-O SENTENCED HIM TO DEATH IN ABSENTIA.
AFTER THAT, ABU NIDAL RECEIVED EXTENSIVE HELP FROM IRAQI DICTATOR SADDAM HUSSEIN IN THE FORM OF TRAINING, WEAPONS, AND INTELLIENCE SUPPORT. IN NOVEMBER 1983, SADDAM'S PATRONAGE ENDED WHEN THE IRAQIS DISCOVERED THAT ABU NIDAL WAS WORKING WITH SYRIAN INTELLIGENCE.
RELOCATING IN SYRIA, ABU NIDAL CARRIED OUT TERRORIST ATTACKS ON ARABS AND JEWS. IN 1986, HE PROVIDED SYRIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE WITH THE SUITCASE BOMB USED IN AN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO BLOW UP AN EL AL AIRLINER IN LONDON. A YEAR LATER, HE MOVED HIS HEADQUARTERS TO LIBYA. THERE, HIS TERRORIST ORGANIZATION FELL INTO A SERIES OF BLOODY INTERNAL FEUDS WHICH LEFT HUNDREDS DEAD.
IF ABU NIDAL IS NOW BACK IN IRAQ, IT WOULD HARDLY BE A SURPRISE. IRAQ ALREADY PROVIDES SAFEHAVEN TO A VARIETY OF TERRORISTS, INCLUDING THE ARAB LIBERATION FRONT, THE MUJAHEDIN-E KHALQ, AND ABU IBRAHIM, FORMER HEAD OF THE NOW DEFUNCT 15 MAY ORGANIZATION.
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE
Clinton Letter to Congress, 8 July 1996
Iraq remains out of compliance with numerous other requirements of the Security Council. Iraq continues to stall and obfuscate rather than work in good faith toward accounting for the hundreds of Kuwaitis and third-country nationals who disappeared at the hands of Iraqi authorities during the occupation. Iraq refuses to return all of Kuwaiti military equipment stolen during the occupation, as well as priceless Kuwaiti cultural and historical artifacts looted on instruction from Baghdad. Iraq continues to provide refuge for known terrorists.
13 November 1998
TRANSCRIPT: SECSTATE ALBRIGHT INTERVIEW WITH CHARLIE ROSE
(Says Saddam Hussein "needs no additional warnings") (6050)
"What Saddam wants to do are two things that are incompatible. He wants sanctions to be lifted and he wants to have the ability to retain his weapons of mass destruction. He can't have it both ways. Weapons of mass destruction are too threatening to his neighbors, to the stability of the region and to us."
Albright said Saddam needs to reverse his decision to cease cooperating with UNSCOM and "let the inspectors do their jobs – so that then the UN can do a comprehensive review of where the sanctions regime is."
The Secretary said that while a diplomatic option is preferable, if he does not comply "we are also prepared to use force."
"Also, we are saying -- making very clear -- that he needs no additional warnings," Albright stressed.
01 May 2000
Transcript: Sheehan Cites Efforts to Thwart Terrorism in the Middle East
(U.S. official says seven on list of state sponsors of terrorism)
(6020)
The seven nations that remain on the State Department's list of states sponsoring terrorism are: Cuba, Libya, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Sudan and Syria. Sheehan says the governments of those countries know what "they need to do" to get off that list.
Q: If I could follow up, Afghanistan, ever since the Soviet invasion, has been a known exporter of terrorism all over the Mid-East in various ways. Is it your contention that terrorism is sort of collapsing in on Afghanistan and concentrating there, or are they still exporting it just as much as they were. So where's the increase on their - you know, on the –
A: The way I would describe Afghanistan - it's in the report - as in the areas of Taliban control, although the Taliban I do not believe is hostile to the United States. In fact, they repeatedly tell me that they want good relations with the United States, and I believe that to be a sincere desire.
However, within the territory that they control, there are numerous terrorist organizations that directly threaten the United States, that directly undermine the security of the region and other parts of the world. And that is a problem, and it is an enormous problem for the Taliban that they have to address.
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY VETERANS DAY CEREMONY
The White House Briefing Room
November 11, 1998
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, VETERANS DAY CEREMONY
11:45 A.M. EST
THE WHITE HOUSE, Office of the Press Secretary, ________________________________________________________________ For Immediate Release November 11, 1998 REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
VETERANS DAY CEREMONY
Amphitheater
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington, Virginia
11:45 A.M. EST
But if the inspectors are not permitted to visit suspect sites or monitor compliance at known production facilities, they may as well be in Baltimore, not Baghdad. That would open a window of opportunity for Iraq to rebuild its arsenal of weapons and delivery systems in months -- I say again, in months -- not years. A failure to respond could embolden Saddam to act recklessly, signalling to him that he can with impunity develop these weapons of mass destruction or threaten his neighbors, and this is very important in an age when we look forward to weapons of mass destruction being a significant threat to civilized people everywhere. And it would permanently damage the credibility of the United Nations Security Council to act as a force for promoting international peace and security. We continue to hope, indeed pray, that Saddam will comply, but we must be prepared to act if he does not. (Applause.)
Sorry for the Caps, PKM. This is the way they downloaded from Voice of America when I was searching for them.
Not meant as shouting, thanks!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.