Saddam Was Seen As A Threat Before Bush was Elected In 2000

There has been talk about this report and that showing that Hussein had no WMD and that the Bush Administration used half truths and other methods to lay a foundation for war with Iraq. There have been no WMD found in Iraq so the left is out with the Bush lied rhetoric and the oil for his buddies routine. If you listen to the left, they believe that the US gave Iraq the WMD and that we denied their use against the Kurds. They probably were reeled in by a phony cartoon by a leftist who deceives the public. The guy writes cartoons with a date from a long time ago to make it look like something happened then when it did not. People then believe that it was reported before.
As for WMD. I will not say they are not in Iraq. The Iraq government was able to hide a significant number of Soviet built fighter jets by burying them in the sand. We worked in that area for a number of weeks and did not know they were there. We only found them because one of the plane’s tail wings pushed through the surface of the sand. I know that if you can hide a few dozen planes in the sand you can hide a great number of chemical and biological weapons.

Of course, to listen to the left, the Bush Administration was the only group of people to recognize the threat of Iraq. The rest of the world and those in past administrations as well as other elected officials were well aware that Iraq was a safe and peaceful place where that character Hussein was being good. Or were they? These are some quotes, most from before the 2000 election.:

“One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line.”
President Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998.

“If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction program.”
President Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998.

“Iraq is a long way from [here], but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face.”
Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998.

“He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983.”
Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998

“[W]e urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq’s refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs.”
Letter to President Clinton, signed by Sens. Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and others Oct. 9, 1998.

“Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process.”
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998.

“Hussein has … chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies.”
Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999.

“There is no doubt that . Saddam Hussein has reinvigorated his weapons programs. Reports indicate that biological, chemical and nuclear programs continue apace and may be back to pre-Gulf War status. In addition, Saddam continues to redefine delivery systems and is doubtless using the cover of a licit missile program to develop longer-range missiles that will threaten the United States and our allies.”
Letter to President Bush, Signed by Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL,) and others, Dec, 5, 2001.

“We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandate of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and the means of delivering them.”
Sen. Carl Levin (d, MI), Sept. 19, 2002.

“We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country.”
Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002.

“Iraq’s search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power.”
Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002.

“We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seing and developing weapons of mass destruction.”
Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002.

“The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities. Intelligence reports indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons…”
Sen. Robert Byrd (D, WV), Oct. 3, 2002.

“I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force — if necessary — to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security.”
Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002.

“There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years . We also should remember we have alway s underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction.”
Sen. Jay Rockerfeller (D, WV), Oct 10, 2002,

“He has systematically violated, over the course of the past 11 years, every significant UN resolution that has demanded that he disarm and destroy his chemical and biological weapons, and any nuclear capacity. This he has refused to do.”
Rep. Henry Waxman (D, CA), Oct. 10, 2002.

“In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members. It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons.”
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002

“We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that Saddam Hussein has, and has had for a number of years, a developing capacity for the production and storage of weapons of mass destruction. “[W]ithout question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime … He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation. And now he has continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction … So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real …
Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan. 23. 2003.

This is from snopes and they point out that many of the above quotes are excerpts from larger items. This is true and in many cases the speaker is advocating a peaceful or diplomatic solution. In spite of that they are all acknowledging that Hussein had WMD and in a few cases are lamenting that war will likely be the only method to obtain compliance. For eight years they knew this and were commenting yet after eight months in office we are attacked and Bush is a so called liar because he did something that they were espousing when they were in office. You can bet that if Gore won and 9/11 happened and we went to war these very same people would be saying “I told you all along that there was a problem. Thank God Gore is here to handle it.” (see Gore’s quotes above)

I guess the reason Bush is so hated is because he is not a real politician. You see, real politicians say whatever is politically expedient at the time. they can change their story when they want and they can take both sides of any issue (think Kerry in 2004). They did it with Social Security as I pointed out here and they did it with the whole WMD/Iraq war issue. Bush on the other hand says something and sticks to it. He takes a decision and carries out the plan. Since he does not say one thing and do another, he is the liar. Go figure!

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