Posted on 07/05/2008 6:00:55 PM PDT by Libloather
good quotes but all of those are after 9-11 and the moonbats just claim that they said that because Bush had lied to them
about Iraq that is why I prefer the pre-BUSH 43 pre 9-11 quotes
here is one of my favorites
http://www.cnn.com/US/9812/16/clinton.iraq.speech/
December 16, 1998
WASHINGTON (CNN) — From the Oval Office, President Clinton told the nation Wednesday evening why he ordered new military strikes against Iraq.
The president said Iraq’s refusal to cooperate with U.N. weapons inspectors presented a threat to the entire world.
“Saddam (Hussein) must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons,” Clinton said.
“Their mission is to attack Iraq’s nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and its military capacity to threaten its neighbors,” said Clinton.
Clinton also stated that, while other countries also had weapons of mass destruction, Hussein is in a different category because he has used such weapons against his own people and against his neighbors.
Timing was important, said the president, because without a strong inspection system in place, Iraq could rebuild its chemical, biological and nuclear programs in a matter of months, not years.
“If Saddam can cripple the weapons inspections system and get away with it, he would conclude the international community, led by the United States, has simply lost its will,” said Clinton. “He would surmise that he has free rein to rebuild his arsenal of destruction.”
“The best way to end that threat once and for all is with a new Iraqi government — a government ready to live in peace with its neighbors, a government that respects the rights of its people,” Clinton said.
What part of “observation” do you not understand?
The yellowcake stockpile at Tuwaitha was a site and stockpile openly DECLARED by Iraq. IAEA inspectors visited in January 2000 and again in 2001 to affirm the continued presence of the stockpile and the seals on the storage containers. .
Meanwhile do you not think that an entire array of national collection assets (US and other nations, plus those cooperating with UN taskings) was keeping Tuwaitha and other known and suspected sites “under observation”?
Under pressure, Saddam “allowed” nuc inspectors to return in November 2002. But quite obviously the UN never had Saddam's nuke program (nor any other nation's, as we see in North Korea, Iran and Libya) “under control”-
However, the Iraq-declared (To IAEA) status of Tuwaitha and IAEA’s history of annual inspections and verifications, did pretty much limit Iraqi ability to use the Tuwaitha yellowcake stockplie to make enriched fuel for any future program. Thus the logical need for Saddam, looking to a future program, to send emissaries shopping for another yellowcake deal, to eventually build another stockpile, elsewhere, surreptitiously. One that would not be “declared” and under IAEA observation.
This does confer a type of “control”. Under the IAEA mandate, the declared yellowcake stockpile at Tuwaitha was going nowhere and being used for nothing except an over-the-horizon threat if and when Saddam - or his successor- was free of constraints and able to resume nuc program goals. Now that we have removed that stockpile from Iraq (despite UN complaints) at least that over-the-horizon threat has been eliminated.
If Bush had stated this on a radio address, all the MSM would have immediately moved to refute it - and the Dems in Congress would have joined in the litany.
Let the MSM itself announce it - and the MSM will consequently defend it.
Bush, more than any President except Lincoln and perhaps Truman, has always done what is right - no matter what the polls and focus groups indicate.
And historians will agree that Bush has been one of the greatest U. S. Presidents - if you don't understand this, simply understand that he has kept your backside and that of your loved ones safe from thousands of planned attacks on the U. S. by Islamic terrorists.
OK, what kind of "observation" did the UN have after UNSCOM inspectors were removed from Iraq in 1998?
What part of "if not outright control" did you not mean? All of it? lol
Inspections resumed on 27 November 2002. UNMOVIC received greater cooperation from Iraq than had UNSCOM and made some progress, notably in destroying 72 Al Samoud 2 missiles that exceeded the permitted 150 km range. However, the inspections were short-lived. By 17 March 2003 differences in the Security Council over continuing Iraqi non-compliance reached a head. With no consensus on a second resolution to authorise the use of force to compel Iraq to fulfil its obligations, the US declared its intention to act unilaterally. On 17 March the US advised the UN that inspectors should leave Iraq. They were withdrawn the next day, signalling the end of the inspections.
“OK, what kind of “observation” did the UN have after UNSCOM inspectors were removed from Iraq in 1998? “
sigh.
The UN received constant intelligence about the activities at Tuwaitha.
From multiple sources.
From multiple platforms.
You keep posting that UNSCOM nuclear inspectors were kicked out in 1998. Ok. I get that. But UNSCOM was not the only agency that monitored, and controlled.
You must believe that inspections and observation and monitoring are done only by boots on the ground.
Not.
There are other ways.
Saddam’s CCD&D program made it difficult and even had some successes- but there are technical means that do not require inspectors on the ground to observe- and to control.
Concerning the DECLARED stockpile at Tuwaitha,
Saddam continued to comply with the IAEA protocol.
There were IAEA inspections beyond 1998.
IAEA inspectors visited Tuwaitha in January 2000.
And again in January 2001.
Part of the inspection and verification protocol is for the IAEA to verify the yellowcake stockpile,
they check number of drums
they inspect the seals for tampering.
Sometimes samples are taken.
I do not know if they did this part in 2000, and again in 2001.
Meanwhile Saddam was shopping for uranium in 1999.
His program needed additional yellowcake at another, undeclared unmonitored location.
This was because
of continuous monitoring
and OBSERVATION
of Iraqi clandestine sites
by technical means
and IAEA monitoring
of DECLARED sites
The IAEA monitoring of Tuwaitha rendered a clandestine program at this openly declared site - impossible.
Before and after 1998, Tuwaitha was under observation.
And by result, under IAEA control.
it may not have been the concept of control you seem fixated on, but it did deny Iraq the free use of the materiel stored onsite. If I deny the enemy an action,
I control him, at least for that action
Reportedly
After 1998 Saddam formed an axis with North Korea and libya (and others), and with advisory help from AQ Khan, moved nuke scientists and equipment to Libya, set up a new underground facility (a program the IAEA did not even know about until Qadaffi surrendered it to the US and Britain in 2003)
and started seeking another stockpile of yellowcake
Reportedly
After 1998
Saddam moved a major part of his nuclear weapons development program out of Iraq to a 3rd site.
Libya had/has a big stockpile of yellowcake and reportedly in the year 2000 (note timing)
Libya imported more - from Niger
(sacre bleu! impossible! French controlled mines?)
Paid for by? Purpose?
That is another story.
Fortunately in 2003, after the US invasion of Iraq
Qadaffi declared “his” surprise nuc weapon program (seemingly)
and we (US and Brits) removed at least some materiel in 2004.
The administration has not tied this program to Iraq.
Perhaps to avoid embarrassing several other “allied” governments that were involved
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