Lots of folks did:
Now, let's imagine the future. What if he [Saddam Hussein] fails to
comply and we fail to act or we take some ambiguous third route
which gives him yet more opportunities to develop this program
of weapons of mass destruction? Well, he will conclude that the
international community has lost its will. He will then conclude
that he can go right on and do more to rebuild an arsenal of
devastating destruction. And someday, some way, I guarantee
you, he will use the arsenal.
--Bill (William Jefferson) Clinton (b. 1946)
_Meet the Press_ [17 February 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 (b. 1937)
Czech-born American who was the first woman to
become United States Secretary of State [1997--2001].
Town Hall Meeting, Ohio State University [18 February 1998]
He [Saddam Hussein] will use those weapons
of mass destruction again, as he has ten times
since 1983.
--Sandy Berger (b. 1945)
Clinton National Security Adviser to the Clinton Administration.
Remark of 18 February 1998, quoted in Norman Podhoretz
_World War IV: The Long Struggle Against Islamofascism_ [2007].
We 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.
--Closing paragraph of letter to President Clinton, signed by Senators
Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, et al., [9 October 1998].
-
Saddam (Hussein) must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors
or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons....
Along with Prime Minister (Tony) Blair of Great Britain, I made it
equally clear that if Saddam failed to cooperate fully we would be
prepared to act without delay, diplomacy or warning. ...
Instead of inspectors disarming Saddam, Saddam has disarmed the
inspectors. ... I gave Saddam a chance -- not a license. If we turn
our backs on his defiance, the credibility of U.S. power as a check
against Saddam will be destroyed. If Saddam can cripple the
weapons inspections system and get away with it, he would conclude
the international community, led by the United States, has simply lost
its will. He would surmise that he has free rein to rebuild his arsenal
of destruction.
The best way to end that threat once and for all is with a new Iraqi
government -- a government ready to live in peace with its neighbors,
a government that respects the rights of its people.
Saddam Hussein and the other enemies of peace may have thought
that the serious debate currently before the House of Representatives
would distract Americans or weaken our resolve to face him down.
But once more, the United States has proven that although we are
never eager to use force, when we must act in America's vital interests,
we will do so.
--Bill (William Jefferson) Clinton (b. 1946)
Announcing airstrikes against Iraq [16 December 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.
--Nancy Pelosi (b. 1940)
Speech [16 December 1998], quoted in Vincent Bzdek
_Woman of the House: The Rise of Nancy Pelosi_ [2008].
Hussein has ... chosen to spend his money on building
weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies.
--Madeline Albright (b. 1937)
Czech-born American who was the first woman to become
United States Secretary of State [1997-2001].
Remark of 10 November 1999, quoted in
Helen Cothran _Nuclear Security_ [2001].
The world's most wanted man, Osama bin Laden, has been
offered sanctuary in Iraq if his worldwide terrorist network
succeeds in carrying out a campaign of high-profile attacks
on the West.
--_The Herald_ (Glasgow, Scotland) [28 December 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.
--Bob Graham (b. 1936)
Letter to President Bush [6 December 2001].
-
The Security Council ...
1. Decides that Iraq has been and remains in
material breach of its obligations under relevant
resolutions ...
9. Demands ... that Iraq cooperate immediately,
unconditionally, and actively with UNMOVIC
and the IAEA [the United Nations Monitoring,
Verification and Inspection Commission and the
International Atomic Energy Agency] ...
13. Recalls ... that the Council has repeatedly
warned Iraq that it will face serious consequences as
a result of its continued violation of its obligations.
--United Nations Security Council Resolution 1441 [8 November 2002]
-
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 mandates of the United Nations and is
building weapons of mass destruction and the means of
delivering them.
--Carl Levin (b. 1934)
[19 September 2002]
Quoted in Stuart Croft _Culture, Crisis and America's War on Terror [2006].
-
Our national security requires Congress to send a clear message
to Iraq and the world: America is united in its determination to
eliminate forever the threat of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.
... Congress needs to act now to make clear to our U.N. allies and
to Iraq that the United States will not stand for the usual half-
measures or delaying tactics. ...
Here's what I believe the resolution should say. First and foremost,
it should clearly endorse the use of all necessary means to eliminate
the threat posed by Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction.
Second, the resolution should call for an effort to rally the international
community under a U.N. Security Council mandate. ... [but] we must
not tie our own hands by requiring Security Council action. Congress
should authorize the United States to act with whatever allies will join
us if the Security Council is prevented from supporting action to
enforce the more than 16 resolutions against Iraq. ...
Thousands of terrorist operatives around the world would pay
anything to get their hands on Saddam Hussein's arsenal and would
stop at nothing to use it against us. America must act, and Congress
must make clear to Hussein that he faces a united nation.
--John Edwards (b. 1953)
_Washington Post_ op-ed piece [19 September 2002], excerpt
as quoted in "Scrapbook", _The Weekly Standard_ [18 October 2004].
-
Iraq's search for weapons of mass destruction has proven
impossible to completely deter and we should assume that
it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power. We know
he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical
weapons throughout his country.
--Al Gore (b. 1948)
[23 September 2002].
We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is
seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction.
--Ted Kennedy (1932--2009)
[27 September 2002]
The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. 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 ...
--Robert Byrd (1917--2010)
[3 October 2002], quoted in Norman Podhoretz
_World War IV: The Long Struggle Against Islamofascism_ [2007].
We do know that Iraq has weaponized thousands of gallons of
anthrax and other deadly biological agents. We know that Iraq
maintains stockpiles of some of the world's deadliest chemical
weapons, including VX, sarin and mustard gas. We know that
Iraq is developing deadlier ways to deliver these horrible
weapons, including unmanned drones and long-range ballistic
missiles. And we know that Saddam Hussein is committed to
one day possessing nuclear weapons. If that should happen,
instead of simply bullying the Gulf region, he could dominate
it. Instead of threatening only his neighbors, he would become
a grave threat to U.S. security and to global security. The threat
posed by Saddam Hussein may not be imminent. But it is real.
It is growing. And it cannot be ignored.
--Tom Daschle (b. 1947)
Quoted in Congressional Record [10 October 2002].
I do not believe this is a rush to war. I believe
it is a march to peace and security. For two
decades Saddam Hussein has relentlessly
pursued weapons of mass destruction. There
is a broad agreement that he retains chemical
and biological weapons, the means to
manufacture those weapons and modified
Scud missiles.
--Joe Biden (b. 1942)
In Senate debate, October 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 should also
remember that we have always underestimated the progress
Saddam Hussein has made in development of weapons of
mass destruction.
[ . . . ]
But I also believe that after September 11th, the question is
increasingly outdated. It is in the nature of these weapons
and the way they are targeted against civilian populations, the
documented capability and demonstrated intent may be the
only warning we get. To insist on further evidence could put
some of our fellow Americans at risk. Can we afford to take
that chance? We cannot.
--Jay Rockefeller (b. 1937)
Speech [10 October 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.
--Bob Graham (b. 1936)
[8 December 2002]
Without 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 is miscalculating America's response
to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for
weapons of mass destruction ... So the threat of
Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction
is real ...
--John F. Kerry (b. 1943)
[23 January 2003]
-
Commentary in the _Wall Street Journal_
[30 January 2003]
[...]
The Iraqi regime and its weapons of mass destruction represent a
clear threat to world security. This danger has been explicitly
recognized by the U.N. All of us are bound by Security Council
Resolution 1441, which was adopted unanimously. We Europeans
have since reiterated our backing for Resolution 1441, our wish to
pursue the U.N. route, and our support for the Security Council at
the Prague NATO Summit and the Copenhagen European Council.
[...]
The combination of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism is
a threat of incalculable consequences. It is one at which all of us
should feel concerned. Resolution 1441 is Saddam Hussein's last
chance to disarm using peaceful means. The opportunity to
avoid greater confrontation rests with him. Sadly this week the U.N.
weapons inspectors have confirmed that his long-established pattern
of deception, denial and non-compliance with U.N. Security Council
resolutions is continuing.
Europe has no quarrel with the Iraqi people. Indeed, they are the
first victims of Iraq's current brutal regime. Our goal is to
safeguard world peace and security by ensuring that this regime
gives up its weapons of mass destruction. Our governments have
a common responsibility to face this threat. Failure to do so would
be nothing less than negligent to our own citizens and to the wider
world.
The U.N. Charter charges the Security Council with the task of
preserving international peace and security. To do so, the Security
Council must maintain its credibility by ensuring full compliance
with its resolutions. We cannot allow a dictator to systematically
violate those resolutions. If they are not complied with, the
Security Council will lose its credibility and world peace will
suffer as a result. We are confident that the Security Council
will face up to its responsibilities.
Messrs. Aznar, Durao Barroso, Berlusconi, Blair, Medgyessy, Miller and Fogh Rasmussen are, respectively, the prime ministers of Spain, Portugal, Italy, the U.K., Hungary, Poland and Denmark. Mr. Havel is the Czech president.
-
I think all of our governments believe that Iraq has produced
weapons of mass destruction and that we have to assume
that they continue to have weapons of mass destruction.
--Wolfgang Ischinger
German ambassador to the U.S..
In an interview with Katie Couric on the
"Today" show [26 February 2003.]
-
The director of a top American spy agency said Tuesday that he believed that
material from Iraq's illicit weapons program had been transported into Syria
and perhaps other countries as part of an effort by the Iraqis to disperse and
destroy evidence immediately before the recent war.
The official, James R. Clapper Jr., a retired lieutenant general, said satellite
imagery showing a heavy flow of traffic from Iraq into Syria, just before the
American invasion in March, led him to believe that illicit weapons material
"unquestionably" had been moved out of Iraq.
"I think people below the Saddam Hussein-and-his-sons level saw what was
coming and decided the best thing to do was to destroy and disperse,"
General Clapper, who leads the National Imagery and Mapping Agency, said
at a breakfast with reporters.
--Douglas Jehl
"The Struggle for Iraq: Weapon's Search; Iraqis Removed Arms Material,
U.S. Aide Says" [29 October 2003] in _The New York Times_.
(James R. Clapper, Jr. (b. 1941) was a Lieutenant general in the U.S. Air Force
and was appointed Director of National Intelligence in 2010 by Barack Obama.)
& note:
[...] foreign leaders like Egypt's Hosni Mubarak had predicted mass death
for any invaders who challenged Saddam's WMD arsenal. ("General Franks,
you must be very, very careful. We have spoken with Saddam Hussein. He
is a madman. He has WMD -- biologicals, actually -- and he will use them
on your troops.")
Franks recounts a meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan in January 2003.
Abdullah told Franks, "General, from reliable intelligence sources, I believe
the Iraqis are hiding chemical and biological weapons."
--Rich Lowry
Reviewing Tommy Franks _American Soldier_ [2004].
k