Posted on 01/26/2003 4:12:51 PM PST by kattracks
WASHINGTON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - The United States warned Iraq on Sunday it would use "any means necessary" to protect itself if President Saddam Hussein unleashed chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.
"Should Saddam Hussein have any thought that he would use a weapon of mass destruction, he should anticipate that the United States will use whatever means necessary to protect us and the world from a holocaust," White House chief of staff Andrew Card said on NBC's "Meet The Press."
Asked whether that included the option of nuclear weapons, Card replied: "I'm not going to put anything on the table or off the table, but we have a responsibility to make sure Saddam Hussein and his generals do not use weapons of mass destruction."
The United States has been massing military forces in the Gulf region for a possible war with Iraq. Washington says Baghdad has biological and chemical weapons and is pursuing a nuclear program and must disarm. Iraq denies having weapons of mass destruction.
White House Communications Director Dan Bartlett said on CNN's "Late Edition" that President George W. Bush had unequivocally sent a message that "if Saddam Hussein and his generals decide for one second to use weapons of mass destruction against allied forces of the United States of America and our allies, we will make sure it doesn't happen".
"But it's not my role to say what is ruled in or ruled out," Bartlett said. ((Reporting by Tabassum Zakaria; Edited by Anton Ferreira;
I'm not sure that it is possible to prevent their first use. Just as we were unable to prevent the Pearl Harbor attack. Of course, we know how America answered that. I wonder if Saddam remembers his world history....
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