Posted on 07/10/2003 7:15:20 PM PDT by tomball
WASHINGTON, July 10, 2003 - President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld stand firm in their conviction that Saddam Hussein's regime posed a threat to world peace.
Speaking in South Africa July 9, Bush said he is "absolutely confident" removing Saddam Hussein from power was the "right thing" to do. Countering charges that he misled the public regarding Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program, the president said he is confident the Iraqi dictator had a WMD program.
"In 1991, I will remind you, we underestimated how close he was to having a nuclear weapon," he told reporters. "Imagine a world in which this tyrant had a nuclear weapon. In 1998, my predecessor raided Iraq, based upon the very same intelligence."
Now that the Iraqi dictator is gone, Bush said, "the world is a much more peaceful and secure place."
Appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee later in the day, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said one of the challenges facing the coalition is the "sizable and complex" task of finding Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.
"The Iraqi regime had 12 years to conceal its programs, to move materials, hide documents, disperse equipment, develop mobile production facilities and sanitize known WMD sites, including four years with no U.N. weapons inspectors on the ground," Rumsfeld told the committee.
"Needless to say," he said, "uncovering those programs will take time." He then reminded committee members that "major combat operations ended less than 10 weeks ago."
The United States did not go to war in Iraq because of "new, dramatic evidence of Iraq's pursuit of weapons of mass murder," Rumsfeld added. "The objective in the global war on terror is to prevent another terrorist attack like Sept. 11th -- or a biological, nuclear or chemical attack that would be worse -- before it happens," he said. "We can say with confidence that the world is a better place today because the United States led a coalition of forces into action in Iraq."
The United States took action against Saddam's regime, he explained, "because we saw the existing evidence in a new light, through the prism of our experience on Sept. 11. On that day, we saw thousands of innocent men, women and children killed by terrorists, and that experience changed our appreciation of our vulnerability and the risks the U.S. faces from terrorist states and terrorist networks armed with powerful weapons."
Saddam Hussein chose war, Rumsfeld stressed, not the United States. For 12 years, the secretary noted, the Iraqi dictator violated 17 U.N. resolutions "without cost or consequence. His regime had an international obligation to destroy its weapons of mass destruction and to prove to the world that they had done so. He refused to do so."
Saddam had the opportunity to prove his weapons of mass destruction program had ended and his weapons were destroyed, Rumsfeld said. "Had he done so, war would have been avoided."
Instead, Hussein continued to lie and obstruct U.N. inspectors. "The logical conclusion is that he did so because he wanted to keep his weapons, and he believed that he could continue to outwit the international community for another 12 years, just as he had for the past 12," Rumsfeld said
Good advice. And, in particular, never trust a Democrat politician. He'll steal your wallet and screw your family. Every time.
And, usually, they are identifiable by their escort of slimey trolls...
May already have. Read National Review's article today entitled "Left Turn" (most likely already posted on FR). What NR stops short of saying is that the Iraq war is the reason for much of the leftward drift by Bush.
Actually, I believe that shoe fits you Dougy my man.
I asked you about 6 substantive questions on the other thread and you failed to answer a one but lo and behold I find you here selling the same crap.
But you did get Burkeman to buy in so your trolling wasn't a total lost cause.
Sage advice you need to take before you wrap yourself around Lee Rodgers in support of what he has to say. The thing came apart very quickly and its the democratic cause that was hurt for decades to come.
See, we had Bin Laden served up on a golden platter. At the time we had leadership that was a failure out of the gates (hint- definition of "is" is?). During Gulf War I (my war), We had leadership that could have finished bizz, but did not.
Were making things right. And I'm sorry you can't see the fact that War is a risky business. A lot of things can come apart. And, for what it's worth, I think it will. Before 04? I dunno, Before '08? I believe so 100%. Bottom line, were in a war. Politics and the ruthless doctrine of winning a war do not mix.
With that said, I'm glad we (right) now have a President that is steps ahead of the "politic-ing" (sp?) of typical Washington. You will recall, Preisdent Bush made numerous references to brining a new tone to Washington?
Guess many have foregotten already....Just my $0.02
I can agree with that. Unfortunately, we went about it in a manner which I find extemely troubling.
Richard W.
Great points.
It's disgusting how they are almost gleeful in their gloating over our own dead soldiers. What makes far more sense is to fine tune methods of identifying, preventing and destroying snipers.
I've wondered why we haven't heard about the Army deploying snipers, or spec ops, or a few 'sucker' convoys with snipers, M2's and 40mm granade launchers under the tarps, or heavy vehicle transporters with manned Bradleys sitting on them?
I hope it's because they don't want to reveal this to the enemy. Another thing to realize is every time we bust a door down at 2:00 in the morning it's because some Iraqi's ratted out some Baathists. These are not random searches.
True-- think about the fact that the press is trying to whip this up as a political cataclysm for Bush. So what does he do? Does he stay in DC to give more credence to their twaddle by responding to it directly? Does he massage some White House photo ops, maybe a press dinner (those whores will sell themselves for a ribeye)? NO. He flies off on safari... LOL!
Ted Rall in a nutshell. The only time the Left ever gives a rat's a-- about any American soldier or the whole class of white, black, brown, yellow and red Americans who serve in our armed forces is when they're being zipped up in a body bag.
Dear Lord, how I wish they would emigrate to Canada or some EUnuch state.
LOL...
I was questioning how I should take you..Twaddle put that to rest..Have a good evening..
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