"My position is very clear: The time has come for decisive action to eliminate the threat posed by Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction. I'm a co-sponsor of the bipartisan Resolution that's presently under consideration in the Senate. Saddam Hussein's regime is a grave threat to America and our allies. We know that he has chemical and biological weapons today, that he's used them in the past, and that he's doing everything he can to build more. Every day he gets closer to his long-term goal of nuclear capability.
Democracy will not spring up by itself overnight in a multi-ethnic, complicated society that's suffered under one repressive regime after another for generations. The Iraqi people deserve and need our help to rebuild their lives and to create a prosperous, thriving, open society. All Iraqis, including Sunnis, Shia and Kurds, deserve to be represented. This is not just a moral imperative. It's a security imperative. It is in America's national interest to help build an Iraq at peace with itself and its neighbors, because a democratic, tolerant and accountable Iraq will be a peaceful regional partner, and such an Iraq could serve as a model for the entire Arab world." Senator John Edwards (Democrat, North Carolina) Speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies October 7, 2002 http://freedomagenda.com/iraq/wmd_quotes.html#bUn5mYtOga http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SSLn75x6Vs http://csis.org/component/option,com_csis_events/task,view/id,167/ |
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"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. Should he succeed in that endeavor, he could alter the political and security landscape of the Middle East, which as we know all too well, effects American security. This is a very difficult vote, this is probably the hardest decision I've ever had to make. Any vote that might lead to war should be hard, but I cast it with conviction." Senator Hillary Clinton (Democrat, New York) Addressing the US Senate October 10, 2002 http://freedomagenda.com/iraq/wmd_quotes.html#Ze0sYbagHe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkS9y5t0tR0 http://clinton.senate.gov/speeches/iraq_101002.html |
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Dan Rather, anchorman for CBS News, appears on The David Letterman Show shortly after 9-11. The show had been off the air for a week.
Below are transcript excerpts. RATHER: President Bush made what I think is his strongest statement yet when he went to the Pentagon this afternoon. He was Giuliani-esque -- I don't think he would mind me saying that, no. He looked the camera straight in the eye -- unblinking -- and said "Osama Dead or Alive."
RATHER: And with what we're dealing with here, which is not one man [Bin Laden], it's a hydra-headed operation that's in 55 countries around the world. Now granted, the focus is on, and we should understand, not just Afghanistan -- Afghanistan, Sudan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Libya. RATHER: They hate America. They hate us. This is one thing that makes this war different. They don't want territory, they don't want what we got -- they want to kill us and destroy us. It's a heavy statement, but it's true -- they seek to accomplish our death. Death as a people, as a society, and a culture. LETTERMAN: Why? RATHER: Who can explain madmen, and who can explain evil. RATHER: Saddam Hussein, if he isn't connect to this, he's connected to any other things. He's part of this 'Hate America' thing. You have to understand, Saddam Hussein is somebody I have sat this close, eye to eye. LETTERMAN: The other day, Dick Cheney -- who to me seemed like the real deal -- Dick Cheney was talking about how counter-intelligence and espionage is dirty business, and maybe now we were going to have to get down in the mud with these people, and I thought well Holy God wasn't that the way it was supposed to be? RATHER: This [war] will be long, the casualties will be greater. Let's face it, we've already had more casualties, I mean five thousand of our fellow Americans have been killed already. When we talk about casualties, we've suffered casualties, but there will be more. When we send out sons and daughters into this kind of war, into this Twilight Zone that they're going, there will be great casualties. Now, it remains to be seen whether we have the staying power, that's basically up to you, and me, and everybody in the audience, and every American, whether we have the staying power, whether we have the will to stay with it, is the big question. But you say 'Will it do anything?' I certainly think it can, but what would we think of ourselves if we didn't try. RATHER: This will take years, this may very well take another four, eight, ten years. The world's view of us, in many places with many people, is we just don't have the stomach to stick anything out. Well, we were great during World War II, but this is a new generation, they're all spoiled. Dan Rather, CBS News Anchor Interview on "The David Letterman Show" September 17, 2001 http://freedomagenda.com/iraq/wmd_quotes.html#Uzt8ha4DsW https://www.liveleak.com/view?t=99SQn_1535090225 |
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"There is a very easy way to prevent anyone from being put into harm's way, and that is for Saddam Hussein to disarm, and I have absolutely no belief that he will. I have to say that this is something I have followed for more than a decade.
For now nearly 20 years, the principal reason why women and children in Iraq have suffered, is because of Saddam's leadership. The very difficult question for all of us, is how does one bring about the disarmament of someone with such a proven track record of a commitment, if not an obsession, with weapons of mass destruction. I ended up voting for the Resolution after carefully reviewing the information and intelligence I had available, talking with people whose opinions I trusted, trying to discount political or other factors that I didn't believe should be in any way a part of this decision, and it is unfortunate that we are at the point of a potential military action to enforce the resolution. That is not my preference, it would be far preferable if we had legitimate cooperation from Saddam Hussein, and a willingness on his part to disarm, and to account for his chemical and biological storehouses. With respect to whose responsibility it is to disarm Saddam Hussein, I do not believe that given the attitudes of many people in the world community today that there would be a willingness to take on very difficult problems were it not for United States leadership. And I am talking specifically about what had to be done in Bosnia and Kosovo, where my husband could not get a Security Council resolution to save the Kosovar Albanians from ethnic cleansing. And we did it alone as the United States, and we had to do it alone. It would have been far preferable if the Russians and others had agreed to do it through the United Nations -- they would not. I'm happy that, in the face of such horrible suffering, we did act." Senator Hillary Clinton (Democrat, New York) During a meeting with "Code Pink" at the US Capitol March 6, 2003 http://freedomagenda.com/iraq/wmd_quotes.html#Cuf1SojhAy https://www.liveleak.com/view?t=uRnWk_1533800385 |
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John Edwards, while voting YES to the Resolution authorizing US military force against Iraq:
"Others argue that if even our allies support us, we should not support this resolution because confronting Iraq now would undermine the long-term fight against terrorist groups like Al Qaeda. Yet, I believe that this is not an either-or choice. Our national security requires us to do both, and we can." Senator John Edwards (Democrat, North Carolina) US Senate floor statement: "Authorization of the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq" October 10, 2002 http://freedomagenda.com/iraq/wmd_quotes.html#abE0myNkIg http://edwards.senate.gov/statements/20021010_iraq.html |
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John Kerry, while voting YES to the Resolution authorizing US military force against Iraq:
"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." Senator John Kerry (Democrat, Massachusetts) Addressing the US Senate October 9, 2002 http://freedomagenda.com/iraq/wmd_quotes.html#gAf8cHfIri http://www.johnkerry.com/news/speeches/spc_2002_1009.html |
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Full text of Resolution authorizing US military force against Iraq.
US Senators who voted YES to authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq:
http://freedomagenda.com/iraq/wmd_quotes.html#Li6mUSanCu |
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Full text of Resolution authorizing US military force against Iraq.
US Congressional Representatives who voted YES to authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq:
http://freedomagenda.com/iraq/wmd_quotes.html#lE6HardHSh |
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US Senators who voted YES to the "PATRIOT ACT" - October 25, 2001:
Measure Number: H.R. 3162 (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001 ) Measure Title: A bill to deter and punish terrorist acts in the United States and around the world, to enhance law enforcement investigatory tools, and for other purposes.
http://freedomagenda.com/iraq/wmd_quotes.html#wiD2SafdoE |
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US Senators who voted YES to reauthorize the "PATRIOT ACT" - March 2, 2006:
Measure Number: H.R. 3199 (USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005) Measure Title: A bill to extend and modify authorities needed to combat terrorism, and for other purposes.
http://freedomagenda.com/iraq/wmd_quotes.html#Ae3muFLaOb |
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Note: As some of these comments above are embarrassing, some of the specific web pages cited may mysteriously disappear. In some cases, multiple links have been provided to bypass such disappearances.
Links to the above cited web pages were all working and verified at the time of posting, and the original web pages and text have been archived in their entirety for historical purposes. All dates and citations provided are 100% accurate to facilitate further research. |