CB, GWB himself said the Iraq threat was "urgent", at least twice. Rumsfeld said it was "imminent". In addition, the Iraq threat was repeatedly characterized as "imminent" by Bush representatives, including his own press secretary. Direct quotes, with dates:
"Absolutely."
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer answering whether Iraq was an "imminent threat," 5/7/03
"This is about imminent threat."
White House spokesman Scott McClellan, 2/10/03
"Well, of course he is."
White House Communications Director Dan Bartlett, responding to the question "is Saddam an imminent threat to U.S. interests, either in that part of the world or to Americans right here at home?" 1/26/03
"The world is also uniting to answer the unique and urgent threat posed by Iraq whose dictator has already used weapons of mass destruction to kill thousands."
President Bush, 11/23/02
"The Iraqi regime is a threat of unique urgency."
President Bush, 10/2/02
"No terrorist state poses a greater or more immediate threat to the security of our people and the stability of the world than the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq."
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, 9/19/02
And they DID say that Iraq _had_ WMD. They didn't restrain themselves, as you assert, to the claim that there were mere "programs". Direct quotes, with dates:
"In the case of Saddam Hussein, we've got a dictator who is clearly pursuing and already possesses some of these weapons.."
Vice President Cheney, 6/20/02
"Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction."
Vice President Cheney, 8/26/02
"The Iraqi regime . . . possesses and produces chemical and biological weapons. It is seeking nuclear weapons. We know that the regime has produced thousands of tons of chemical agents, including mustard gas, sarin nerve gas, VX nerve gas."
President Bush, 10/7/02
"After eleven years during which we have tried containment, sanctions, inspections, even selected military action, the end result is that Saddam Hussein still has chemical and biological weapons and is increasing his capabilities to make more."
President Bush, 10/7/02
"It has rebuilt its civilian chemical infrastructure and renewed production of chemical warfare agents, probably including mustard, sarin, and VX"
John Bolton, 11/1/02
"The president of the United States and the secretary of defense would not assert as plainly and bluntly as they have that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction if it was not true, and if they did not have a solid basis for saying it"
Ari Fleischer, 12/4/02
"Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised."
President Bush, 3/17/03
There's a saying, I know you're familiar with it, res ipsa loquitur. Look at their statements themselves, don't spin them after the fact.
You just can't square these unambiguous public pronouncements with your assertion that <<neither Bush nor Blair claimed that Iraq posed a "clear, present and imminent threat on the basis of existing weapons of mass destruction.">>
They most certainly did.
John |
