Leading To War - The Complete Film

mr. speaker the President of the United States Iraq continues to flaunt as hostility toward America and to support terror the Iraqi regime has plotted to develop anthrax and nerve gas and nuclear weapons for over a decade this is a regime that has already used poison gas to murder thousands of its own citizens leaving the bodies of mothers huddled over their dead children states like these and their terrorist allies constitute an axis of evil arming to threaten the peace of the world by seeking weapons of mass destruction these regimes pose a grave and growing danger they could provide these arms to terrorists giving them the means to match their hatred they could attack our allies or attempt to blackmail the United States in any of these cases the price of indifference would be catastrophic will be deliberate yet time is not on our side I will not wait on events while dangers gathered I will not stand by as peril draws closer and closer the United States of America will not permit the world's most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world's most destructive weapons action imminent that's the real thing he was suggesting it would be military action he said exactly what he said he said it well he didn't suggest anything if there was anything about last night's speech it was that it had near perfect clarity your administration official after the speech said he didn't necessarily mean to say military action but it could be another idea necessarily mean to say he didn't say he not only didn't necessarily say he did not say but he said exactly what he said he seemed to suggest and therefore perhaps it isn't that clear you see it was in perfect clarity it isn't clear isn't I think it is you made a speech last week and which you said quote the best in some cases the only defense is a good offense now that's a major change of US defense policy is it not have we ever taken a preemptory strike against another country without them first attacking us if you think about it there we have no choice a terrorist can attack at any time at any place using a range of techniques it is physically impossible to defend at every time in every location against every conceivable technique of terrorism therefore if your goal is to stop it you cannot stop it by defense you can only stop it by taking the battle to the terrorists where they are and going after them good morning thank you all for coming just had a breakfast with Vice President Cheney who as you all know is returned from a lengthy and successful trip to the Middle East with Vice President on Iraq he said we have a lot of allies out there but I haven't noticed any of the Arab states supporting strong action against Iraq they see to want diplomacy to be given a chance what kind of response did you get well I think I guess the way I would characterize it is that they are uniformly concerned about the situation in Iraq in particular about Saddam Hussein's failure to live up to the UN Security Council resolutions that said he'd get rid of all of his weapons of mass destruction I think one other point is Nessa stration that when we say we're going to do something we mean it that we are resolved to fight the war on terror this isn't a short-term strategy for us that we understand history has called us in action and we're not going to miss this opportunity to make the world more peaceful and more free vice-president Cheney came back from his trip he said that many Arab leaders could share the concern about weapons of mass destruction but did not share the u.s. desire to get rid of Saddam Hussein's that it would be causing stability in the region how do you read that I would not expect Saddam's neighbors to be the first people to raise their hands to say you've got to take tough action against them I think they look to the United States to lead and I think the president is leading very clearly the Arab League announced today that if they're meeting on Wednesday they will say the United States should not preemptively attack Iraq to take out any weapons of mass destruction reports from your trip around the Middle East that Arab country after Arab country said to you don't do that mr. vice president don't you dare attack Iraq that's not the way that I would describe first of all their opinions I had private confidential meetings that nearly every stop and those meetings obviously were need to remain confidential they're all very concerned about Iraq they live in the neighborhood they know Saddam Hussein better than we do many of them know that right after us they're high on his list of governments he'd like to do in did you leave that region feeling that Arab leaders would basically oppose an American action against Sodom Hussein no not at all what I came away with Bob is the sense that they share our concern I asked that because the public reaction was if one just read what those leaders said in public it was we're unified against any kind of action against Saddam Hussein is that a correct interpretation of the public reaction it was mixed I think in terms of their public reactions I'm your most recent trip to the region most of the moderate Arab leaders with whom you met we're not very enthusiastic about a u.s. strike against Iraq a King Abdullah of Jordan said to attack Baghdad now would be a disaster Crown Prince Abdullah said I do not believe it is in the United States's interests or the interests of the region or the world's interest to do so what I would say is that our friends in the region are equally concerned about the problems we see in Iraq specifically the development of weapons of mass destruction by Saddam Hussein this is a man of great evil as the president said and he is actively pursuing nuclear weapons at this time and we think that's cause for concern for us and for everybody in the region and I found during the course of my travels that it is indeed a problem of great concern general Myers Kenneth Adelman was written that if the United States would go into Iraq to remove Saddam Hussein militarily it would be a cakewalk is that the view here at the Pentagon when we put our young sons and daughters of this country in harm's way I don't think you can ever call that a cakewalk well what we know is that the situation since Desert Storm and today has changed dramatically both for us and coalition forces and for Iraqi forces the Iraqi armed forces is about 40% of in terms of numbers of what it was in the in the Gulf War in hindsight one might have wished that we had done more to anticipate a September 11th and prevented although if we'd gone to war against Afghanistan before September 11th people would have said we had no justification we can't wait for a nuclear chemical or biological attack go and find the people who did it is it fair to say Saddam Hussein's days are numbered I would hope so is it fair to say so I think so there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of support among the Allies in Europe for another US military strike at Iraq with the aim of regime change or getting rid of Saddam Hussein can you go it alone I'm not gonna get into that you can be sure the United States isn't gonna do anything that it's not capable of doing and if we do something we'll be capable of doing it but it's not for me to make those judgments you saw the story in today's USA Today on the front page suggesting that your military chiefs are not enthusiastic about going after Iraq right now that the military might be stretched too thin already in Afghanistan I I meet with those folks all the time I have no reason to give credence to that for much of the last century America's defense relied on the Cold War doctrines of deterrence and containment in some cases those strategies still apply but new threats also require new thinking containment is not possible when unbalanced dictators with weapons of mass destruction can deliver those weapons on missiles or secretly provide them to terrorist allies we must take the battle to the enemy disrupt his plans and confront the worst threats before they emerge in the world we have entered the only path to safety is the path of action and this nation will act what do you make of the statement made by the Iraqi government yesterday that Iraq has no weapons of mass destruction and is not developing there lying next we continue see reports on the state of planning to get rid of Saddam Hussein in Iraq I know it's unlikely that you're sharing it details with this though we'd be delighted to hear them somebody else thinks they are but I wonder mr. president regardless of when or how is it your firm intention to get rid of Saddam Hussein in Iraq yes and how hard do you think it will be sustaining policy of this government to have regime change and it hasn't changed and we'll use all tools at our disposal to do so when Saddam Hussein violates his word that he gave when the Persian Gulf War ended by saying he would allow for unfettered inspection by international inspectors and does not keep his word that's a real cause of concern for the United States and for the nation but isn't a cause to go to war and kill a lot of people I'm not going to speculate about what the future may or may not hold is there evidence what kind of evidence is there that the government Iraq is in any way hosting supporting sponsoring al-qaeda or any other terrorists inside well I suppose it at some moment it may make sense to discuss that publicly and it doesn't today but what I have said is a fact that there are al-qaeda in a number of locations in Iraq and the suggestion that those people who are so attentive in denying human rights to their population aren't aware of where these folks are or what they're doing is ludicrous one thing that has to factor in is the growing number of US allies Russia Germany Bahrain now Canada who say that if you go to war with Saddam you're gonna go alone though so does the American military have the capability to prosecute this war well if you're asking are you asking about Iraq that when the subject didn't come up in this meeting and in but having said that where we take all threats seriously and we will continue to consult with our friends and allies I know there's this kind of intense speculation that seems to be going on and kind of a I don't know how you would describe it it's kind of a churning frenzy frenzy is how the secretary would describe it but the subject didn't come up the American people know my position and that we will look at all options and we will consider all technologies available to us and diplomacy and intelligence but one thing is for certain is that this administration agrees that Saddam Hussein is a threat 9/11 and it's aftermath awakened this nation to danger to the true ambitions of the global terror network and to the reality then weapons of mass destruction are being sought by determined enemies who would not hesitate to use them against us under the Bush Doctrine a regime that harbors or supports terrorists will be regarded as hostile to the United States as President Bush has said time is not on our side Saddam has perfected the game of cheat and retreat and is very skilled in the art of denial and deception a return of inspectors would provide no assurance whatsoever of his compliance with UN resolutions on the contrary there is a great danger that it would provide false comfort that Saddam was somehow back in his box armed with an arsenal of these weapons of terror and seeded a top 10% of the world's oil reserves Saddam Hussein could then be expected to seek domination of the entire Middle East and subject the United States or any other nation to nuclear blackmail simply stated there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction there is no doubt that he is amassing them to use against our friends against our allies and against us the Middle East expert professor Fuad ajami predicts that after liberation the streets in Basra and Baghdad are sure to erupt in joy and the same way throngs in Kabul greeted the Americans in vice president Cheney's speech so we can go today he said inspection was actually dangerous because it would create a false sense of comfort so which is a do we believe that inspection should go forward even though they are dangerous or are we supposed to believe that they are dangerous and therefore they shouldn't go the history of the inspections when they took place did lead to a lot of question marks that's why I said that inspections in and of themselves inspectors in and of themselves are not a guarantee that Saddam Hussein is not developing weapons of mass destruction does the president think inspectors should go into Iran or not president dust if Saddam does allow those inspectors in does he avoid regime change the policy of the United States is regime change whether without inspectors like Tareq Aziz said this morning characterized you and several other people in the Bush administration as war mongers as using the issue of inspections as a pretext to try to topple the regime and he said he is willing to sit down and talk about all of the issues involving Iraq well I've met with tar casis a number of times both in Baghdad and in Washington and elsewhere and clearly he does the bidding of his master Saddam Hussein they have over a good many years demonstrated wonderful talent and skill at manipulating the media and they and and international organizations and other countries they when it's the right moment to lean forward they lean forward but it's the right moment to lean back they lean back and it's it's a dance it's a it's a dance they engage in the point that I would emphasize to you is that the threat from Saddam Hussein and weapons of mass destruction chemical biological potentially nuclear weapons capability that threat is real we only need to look at the report from the International Atomic Energy Agency this morning showing what has been going on at the former nuclear weapon sites to realize that and the policy of inaction is not a policy we can responsibly subscribe to we heard the Prime Minister talk about the new report I would remind you that when the inspectors first went into Iraq and were denied finally denied access a report came out of the atomic the entity of vvv IAEA that they were six months away from developing a weapon I don't know what more evidence we need is a rocks regime of President Saddam Hussein a clear and present danger to the United States there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein's regime is a danger to the United States and to its allies to our interest it is also a danger that is gathering momentum and it simply makes no sense to wait any longer to do something about the threat that is posed here as the president has said the one option that we do not have is to do nothing the president has I think put it exactly right he has said that the one choice we don't have is to do nothing because the president has said in his prime minister Blair said yesterday doing nothing is no longer an option he has aggressively sought to acquire chemical biological and nuclear weapons over the years this is a man who has attacked his neighbors twice who represses his own people used chemical weapons both against the courage and against the Iranians during the 1980s who is continuing to develop weapons of mass destruction is not disarmed he's launched ballistic missiles against four of his neighbors over the years who's tried to assassinate a former American president who pays twenty five thousand dollars to Hamas bombers by the way some of whom blew up Hebrew University and with it five Americans before the Gulf War back in 1990 we had reasonably then that he had established a program to try to produce a nuclear weapon we went in and were able to find out that they were within six months to a year of having a nuclear weapon history shows that you are always surprised about how quickly someone acquires a terrible weapon we were surprised that the Soviet program was as far along as it was we thought it would be 1955 it was 1949 we have to assume there's more there than we know what we know is just bits and pieces we gather through the intelligence system but we you never nobody ever mails you the entire plan our intelligence is always imperfect and we usually find out that that what we don't know is the most troublesome he now is trying through his illicit procurement network to acquire the equipment he needs to be able to enrich uranium eliminate two lumps specifically aluminum tubes there's a story in The New York Times this morning reporting just this morning that he is still trying to acquire for example some of the some of the specialized aluminum tubing one needs to develop centrifuges that would give you an enrichment capability Scott Ritter a former United Nations weapons inspector today addressed the Iraqi National Assembly and basically made the point that there are no problems as far as Iraq is concerned listen specifically to what he said the rhetoric of fear that is disseminated by my government and others has not to date and backed up by hard facts that substantiate any allegations that Iraq is today in possession of weapons of mass destruction or has links to terror groups responsible for attacking the United States we have facts not speculation of Scott isn't certainly entitled to his opinion but I'm afraid that I would not place the security of my nation of the security of our friends in the region on that kind of an assertion by somebody who's not in the intelligence chain any longer is there any hard evidence directly linking the Iraqi government to al-qaeda and the 9/11 terror attacks against the United States there are certainly there are certainly evidence that al-qaeda has people have been in Iraq we've seen in connection with the hijackers of course Mohamed Atta who was the lead hijacker did apparently traveled to Prague on a number of occasions and on at least one occasion we have reporting that places him in Prague with a senior Iraqi intelligence official a few months before the attack on the World Trade Centre it's just more of a picture that is emerging that there may well have been contact between al-qaeda and Saddam Hussein's regime there are others and we will be laying out the case again I want to separate out 9/11 from the other relationships between Iraq and the al-qaeda organization but there is a pattern of relationships going back many years one of the things we learn from September 11th was that the intent of the terrorists and those who would supply them with weapons of mass destruction is very very clear there to wipe out our way of life the problem here is that there will always be some uncertainty about how quickly he can acquire nuclear weapon but we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud our generation has now heard history's call and we will answer it America has entered a great struggle that tests our strength and even more our resolve our nation is patient and steadfast we continue to pursue the terrorists and cities and camps and caves across the earth we are joined by a great coalition of nations to rid the world of terror and we will not allow any terrorist or tyrant to threaten civilization with weapons of mass murder the conduct of the Iraqi regime is a threat to the authority of the United Nations and a threat to peace iraq has answered a decade of un demands with a decade of defiance if the Iraqi regime wishes peace it will immediately and unconditionally forswear disclose and remove or destroy all weapons of mass destruction if he rocks regime defies us again the world must move deliberately decisively to holy rock to account but the purposes of the United States should not be doubted the Security Council resolutions will be enforced the just a man's of peace and security will be met or action will be unavoidable mr. president a unison Congress proposed resolution today chosen for blank texture I am I am sending a suggested language for a resolution I've asked for Congress's support to enable the administration to keep the peace and we look forward to a good constructive debate in Congress I appreciate the fact that the leadership recognizes we've got to move before the elections and look forward to working with that'll be parlor resolution authorization to use force you want to keep the peace you've got to have the authorization to use force I didn't hear it I didn't hear it but I doubt you know there's done I let me guess uh the United States is guilty the world doesn't understand we don't have any weapons of mass destruction it's the same old song and dance that we've heard for 11 long years and the United Nations Security Council must show backbone must step up and hold this regime to account otherwise the United States and some of our friends will do so presently believe that Saddam Hussein is a bigger threat to the United States than al-qaeda uh that's a that is a interesting question uh uh I'm trying to think of something humorous to say but I can't when I think about al-qaeda and Saddam Hussein they're there they're both risks they're both dangerous now the difference of course is that al-qaeda likes to hijack governments Saddam Hussein is a dictator of a government al-qaeda hides Saddam who doesn't but the danger is is that they work in concert the danger is is that al-qaeda becomes an extension of Saddam's madness in his hatred and his capacity to extend weapons of mass destruction around the world both of them need to be dealt with the war on terrorism you can't distinguish between al-qaeda and Saddam when you talk about the war on terror secretary Rumsfeld in Europe today when asked if there was evidence tying a rock to al-qaeda said yes he did not elaborate are you prepared to elaborate several of the teenies in particular some high-ranking detainees have said that iraq provided some training to al-qaida in chemical weapons development so yes there are contacts between Iraq and al-qaeda we know that Saddam Hussein has a long history with terrorism in general and there are some al-qaeda personnel who found refuge in Baghdad no one is trying to make an argument at this point that Saddam Hussein somehow had operational control of what happened on September 11th so we don't want to push this too far but this is a story that is unfolding and it is getting clearer and we're learning more if inspections if an inspection team goes in now and finds nothing because perhaps Iraq is very good at hiding it or perhaps they have nothing but you all are of the belief that they have it if they find nothing does it make your job more difficult than trying to assemble in their national coalition goodness gracious that that is kind of like looking down the road for every conceivable pothole you can find and then driving into it I just don't I don't get up in the morning and ask myself that the we know they have weapons of mass destruction we know they have active programs there isn't any debate about it so so the idea that if you had an appropriate inspection regime that they'd come back and say you were wrong is is so far beyond anyone's imagination that it's not something I think about we've just concluded a really good meeting with members of the United States Congress to discuss our national security and discuss how best to keep the peace we are moving toward a strong resolution and all of us and many others in Congress are united in our determination to confront an urgent threat to America according to the British government Iraqi regime could launch a biological or chemical attack in as little as 45 minutes after the order were given is the us in any way exaggerating or misleading the American public in regard to the potential threat posed by Iraq is the US government you mean the senior members of the administration not to my knowledge and and if I knew of an instance I would certainly correct it Saddam Hussein is a homicidal dictator who is addicted to weapons of mass destruction we agree that the Iraqi dictator must not be permitted to threaten America in the world with horrible poisons and diseases and gases and atomic weapons we've also discovered through intelligence that Iraq has a growing fleet of manned and unmanned aerial vehicles that could be used to disperse chemical or biological weapons across broad areas we're concerned that Iraq is exploring ways of using these UAVs for missions targeting the United States Saddam Hussein has held numerous meetings with Iraqi nuclear scientists a group he calls his nuclear Mujahideen his nuclear holy warriors if the Iraqi regime is able to produce buy or steal an amount of highly enriched uranium a little larger than a single soft ball it could have a nuclear weapon in less than a year facing clear evidence of peril we cannot wait for the final proof The Smoking Gun that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud the dictator of Iraq is a student of Stalin using murder as a tool of terror and control within his own cabinet within his own army and even within his own family on Saddam Hussein's orders opponents have been decapitated wives and mothers of political opponents have been systematically raped as a method of intimidation and political prisoners have been forced to watch their own children being tortured failure to act would embolden other tyrants allow terrorists access to new weapons and new resources and make blackmail a permanent feature of world events later this week the United States Congress will vote on this matter I have asked Congress to authorize the use of America's military if it proves necessary to enforce UN Security Council demands I hope the United States Congress will act promptly on its resolution because that will show that America is united behind this effort and with that congressional resolution then I think our efforts to get a UN resolution are strengthened and I hope that this will all come about in the not-too-distant future within a matter of days or perhaps a week or two resolution I'm about to sign symbolizes the United purpose of our nation expresses the considered judgment of the Congress and marks an important event in the life of America the 107th Congress is one of the few called by history to authorize military action to defend our country and the cause of peace Congress has now authorized the use of force I have not ordered the use of force I hope the use of force will not become necessary yet confronting the threat posed by Iraq is necessary but whatever means that requires any resolution that comes out of the United Nations I'm sure will contain an indictment against Iraq which we asked for it will contain a new tough inspection regime and it will make clear that Iraq will face consequences if they frustrate and violate this new inspection regime you know I laid out a doctrine you just got to know it still stands it said either you're with us either you love freedom and with nations which embrace freedom or you're with the enemy there's no in-between and that doctrine still stands we get any kind of hint any evidence whatsoever that somebody might be thinking about doing something to America we're moving we're disrupting we're denying we're doing everything we can to protect a homeland doesn't matter how long it takes when it comes to the defense of our freedoms we will stay the course I believe I believe out of the evil done to America is going to come some incredible good I believe that we can achieve peace if we are strong and focused and diligent if we stay tough when we need to be tough say strong we need to be strong speak clearly about good and evil I know that if we remember our values remember that freedom is not an America's gift to the world freedom is a god-given gift to the world if we remember that values and that's why I went to the United Nations I said to that August body for the sake of keeping the peace we want you to be effective for the sake of keeping the world free we want you to be an effective body it's up to you however you can show the world whether you got the backbone necessary to enforce your edicts or whether you're going to turn out to be just like the League of Nations your choice to make and my message to Saddam Hussein is that for the sake of peace for the sake of freedom you must disarm like you said you would do but my message to you all and to the country is this for the sake of our future of freedoms and for the sake of world peace if the United Nations can't act and if Saddam Hussein won't act the United States will lead a coalition of nations to disarm Saddam Hussein and so the next step will be to put an inspection regime ended at after after all the declarations and after all the the preamble to inspections that he's got to show the world he's disarming and that's where we'll be next Oh Judy Thank You mr. president he said this afternoon that the UN Security Council vote tomorrow would bring the civilized world together against Iraq but broad opposition remains all over the world to your policy will you continue to turn build support if so how will you do that or do you think that a Security Council vote would be all the mandate you need yeah first of all I you know uh broad opposition around the world not in support of my policy on Iraq uh well I think most people around the world realize that Saddam Hussein is a threat and they no one likes war but they also don't like the idea of Saddam Hussein having a nuclear weapon imagine what would happen and by the way we don't know how close he is to a nuclear weapon right now know he wants one but we don't know as the president has said this is a fight to save the civilized world this is a struggle against evil against an enemy that rejoices in the murder of innocent unsuspecting human beings President Bush is often spoken of how America can keep the peace by redefining war on our Terms but for all the progress we've made in the war on terror one thing is abundantly clear our nation is still in danger there is also a grave danger that al-qaeda or other terrorists will join with outlaw regimes that have these weapons to attack their common enemy the United States of America that is why confronting the threat posed by Iraq is not a distraction from the war on terror it is absolutely crucial to winning the war on terror does the United States have the evidence to know when Iraq presents its declaration will you be able to look at that and tell whether they're telling the truth and your worth coming or we be able to tell right away that you're on a path to war with Iraq well the latter is of course a decision for the president the Security Council other countries to make judgments about it's not for me the United States knows that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction the UK knows that they have weapons of mass destruction any country on the face of the earth that with an active intelligence program knows that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction the president has said that Iraqi cooperation is not encouraging yesterday and Kofi Annan today says cooperation seems to be good by the Iraqis know is the glass half-empty Airport well I don't see me that's a big deal you don't know mr. secretary I mean they seem to be doing what is being asked of them by inspectors and by that coffee on and says cooperation seems to be good why is cooperation not - you have to ask the resident letting people in um maybe he's looking at intelligence that somebody else isn't seeing I don't know this government will continue to lead the world toward more peace and we hope to resolve all the situations in which we find ourselves in a peaceful way and so that's my commitment try to do so peacefully but I want to remind people that Saddam Hussein the choice is his to make as to whether or not the Iraqi situation resolved peacefully you said we're headed to war in Iraq I don't know why you say that I hope we're not hit at all in Iraq I'm the person who gets to decide not you and I'm I hope this can be done peacefully we've got a military presence there to remind Saddam Hussein however that when I say we will lead a Coalition of the Willing to disarm him if he chooses not to disarm I mean it the use of military force is this nation's last option yet if force becomes necessary to secure our country and to keep the peace America will act deliberately America will act decisively and America will prevail because we've got the finest military in the world as we begin the new year our military forces are poised around the world ready to meet any threat specific to the Persian Gulf the floral forces to the region continues you've seen a few units depart for the Gulf and can expect that that that deliberate force flow to continue and while there has been no decision about Iraq we want to ensure that we are prepared to provide the president as much flexibility as possible yesterday we saw tens of thousands of demonstrators converge on Washington they say we should not go to war against Iraq I would just like to ask you this morning what do you say to those people what I would say to them is that the president is trying every means not to go to war about the decision to go to wars in the hands of Sodom Hussein well mr. Blix has said that it may take several months more to make to come to some sort of definitive conclusion about whether he has disarmed it or not president chirac of France said yesterday and these are his words wisdom requires that we grant the inspectors request for more time we have to make a judgement on now is whether or not Sodom Hussein is serious about disarming and is he cooperating with the inspectors in that disarmament process so just to make sure I understand what you're saying you're saying a lack of cooperation would be reason enough to take military action what I'm saying is that Iraq has an obligation under 1441 and earlier resolutions to disarm and one way to demonstrate that they are disarmed or are going to disarm is to cooperate with the inspectors and help the inspectors do their job time is running out what should the public know right now about what a war with Iraq would look like and what the cost would be cost in dollars or cost dollars and human costs well the lesser important is the cost in dollars a human life is is a treasure Office of Management and Budget estimated it would be something under fifty billion dollars o its side estimates say up to 300 billion baloney almost three months ago the United Nations Security Council gave Saddam Hussein his final chance to disarm he has shown instead utter contempt for the United Nations and for the opinion of the world the 108 UN inspectors were sent to conduct were not sent to conduct a scavenger hunt for hidden materials across a country the size of California the job of the inspectors is to verify that ear ax regime is disarming it is up to Iraq to show exactly where it is hiding it's banned weapons lay those weapons out for the world to see and destroy them as directed nothing like this has happened the United Nations concluded in 1999 that Saddam Hussein had biological weapons sufficient to produce over 25,000 litres of anthrax enough doses to kill several million people the United Nations concluded that Saddam Hussein had materials sufficient to produce more than 38,000 liters a botulinum toxin enough to subject millions of people to death by respiratory failure the British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa our intelligence sources tell us that he has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes suitable for nuclear weapons production the dictator of Iraq is not disarming to the contrary he is deceiving intelligence sources indicate that Saddam Hussein has ordered that scientists and cooperate with UN inspectors in disarming Iraq will be killed along with their families international human rights groups have catalogued other methods used in the torture chambers of RAK electric shock burning with hot irons dripping acid on the skin mutilation with electric drills cutting out tongues and rape if this is not evil then evil has no meaning before September the 11th many in the world believe that Saddam Hussein could be contained but chemical agents lethal viruses and shadowy terrorist networks are not easily contained imagine those 19 hijackers with other weapons and other plans this time armed by Saddam Hussein take one while one canister went crate slipped into this country to bring a day of horror like none we have ever known we will do everything in our power to make sure that that day never comes one of the most worrisome things that emerges from the thick intelligence file we have on Iraq's biological weapons is the existence of mobile production facilities used to make biological agents we have diagrammed what our sources reported about these mobile facilities here you see both truck and rail car mounted mobile factories as these drawings based on their description show we know what the fermenters look like we know what the tanks pumps compressors and other parts look like we know how they fit together we know how they work and we know a great deal about the platforms on which they are mounted we know from Iraq's past admissions that it has successfully weaponized not only anthrax but also other biological agents including botulinum toxin aflatoxin and ricin Sodom Hussein has investigated dozens of biological agents causing diseases such as gas gangrene plague typhus tetanus cholera camel pox and hemorrhagic fever and he also has the wherewithal to develop smallpox in May 2002 our satellites photographed the unusual activity in this picture here we see cargo vehicles accompanied by a decontamination vehicle associated with biological or chemical weapons activity this photograph of the site taken two months later in July shows that this previous site as well as all of the other sites around the site have been fully bulldozed and graded in order to conceal chemical weapons evidence that would be there from years of chemical weapons activity Sodom Hussein is determined to get his hands on a nuclear bomb he is so determined that he has made repeated covert attempts to acquire high specification aluminum tubes from 11 different countries even after inspections resumed it goes on and on and on clearly Sodom Hussein and his regime will stop at nothing until something stops him iraq has developed spray devices that could be used on unmanned aerial vehicles with ranges far beyond what is permitted by the Security Council a UAV launched from a vessel off the American coast could reach hundreds of miles inland and we have sources that tell us that Saddam Hussein recently authorized Iraqi field commanders to use chemical weapons the very weapons The Dictator tells the world he does not have after conferring this morning with the Homeland Security Council the decision has been made to increase the threat condition designation currently classified at elevated risk to increase that threat condition designation to the high-risk category this decision for an increased threat condition designation is based on specific intelligence received and analyzed by the full intelligence community the Germans and the French have a proposal which they talked about again today which would put United Nations troops in Iraq triple a number of inspectors and give inspections a longer time could you accept that proposal the issue is not more inspectors the issue is compliance in the part of Sodom Hussein if he complies if he does what he's supposed to do and tells us where the anthrax went where did the botulinum toxin go where did all the missiles go where is the mustard gas where where all of the documents you've been hiding if he complies then that can be done with a handful of inspectors but if he is not complying tripling the numbers of inspectors doesn't deal with the issue as you remember in 1991 the Persian Gulf War the Kuwaiti ambassador the us's daughter came forward with a fake story there were suggestions of satellite photos showing 250,000 Iraqi troops in the Saudi border which the st. Petersburg Times demonstrated was not correct and now this headline about Britain's intelligence to AH CA Britain admits that much of its report on Iraq came from magazines are you concerned that there's a sloppiness with evidence in a rush to war no I don't think so I think Britain stands behind its document they have acknowledged that they use other sources that they didn't acknowledge or attribute but I think the document stands stands up well because it describes a pattern of deceit on the part of the Iraqis that is not just a pattern of deceit that exists today but has existed for many years in the event that force is used and after the dust settles and the world press and others can go in and assess the situation is that your judgment that there will be clearly caches of weapons of mass destruction which will dispel any doubt that the United States and such other nations had joined in the use of force did the right thing at the right time sir I think we will find caches of weapons of mass destruction absolutely there's US military ready to go against Iraq yes are you planning are you and your folks planning for a ferocious war you know all-out defense by the Iraqi military the task of war planners is to plan for every conceivable contingency and they are doing that from the most pessimistic to the most optimistic America's interests in security and America's belief in Liberty both lead in the same direction to a free and peaceful Iraq a new regime in Iraq would serve as a dramatic and inspiring example of freedom for other nations in the region America will seize every opportunity in pursuit of peace and the end of the present regime in Iraq would create such an opportunity we will make this an age of progress and Liberty free people will set the course of history and free people will keep the peace of the world some of the higher end predictions that we have been hearing recently such as the notion that it will take several hundred thousand US troops to provide stability in post-saddam amount Iraq are wildly off the mark these are Arabs 23 million of the most educated people in the Arab world who are going to welcome us as liberators and when that message gets out to the whole Arab world it is going to be powerful counter to Osama bin Laden the question is not how much more time should be allowed for inspections the question is not how many more inspectors should be sent in the question simply is has Sodom Hussein made a strategic decision a political decision that he will give up these horrible weapons of mass destruction and stop what he's been doing for all these many years that's the question there is no other question everything else is secondary or tertiary that's the issue President Bush is about to meet with reporters in the East Room of the White House this is only the second time he scheduled a formal news conference in prime time and it comes as pre-invasion operations are underway by US military forces on the ground and in the air inside Iraq good evening I'm pleased to take your questions tonight and to discuss with the American people the serious matters facing our country in the world sir if you haven't already made the choice to go to war can you tell us what you're waiting to hear or see before you do make that decision and if I may during the recent demonstrations many of the protesters suggested that the US was a threat to peace which prompted you to wonder out loud why they didn't see saddam hussein as a threat to peace I wonder why you think so many people around the world had take a different view of the threat that saddam hussein poses than you and your allies i recognize there are people who don't like war I don't like war I I wish that Saddam Hussein had listened to the demands of the world and disarmed nobody likes war the only thing I can do is assure the loved ones of those who wear a uniform that if we have to go to war if war is upon us because Saddam Hussein has made that choice we will have the best equipment available for our troops the best plan available for victory and we will respect innocent life in Iraq mr. president you have your top advisors notably Secretary of State Powell have repeatedly said that we have shared with our allies all the current up-to-date intelligence information that proves the imminence of the threat we face from Saddam Hussein if all these nations all of them are normal allies have access to the same intelligence information why is it that they are reluctant to think that the threat is so real so imminent that we need to move to the brink of war now we do share a lot of intelligence with nations which may or may not agree with us in the Security Council as to how to deal with Saddam Hussein and his threats I think the threat is real I saw a lot of other people in my government but I meant what I said they this is the last phase of diplomacy the little bit more time so now I'm saying is at 12 years to disarm sir how would you answer your critics who say that they view they think this is somehow personal the senator Kennedy put it tonight he said your fixation with Saddam Hussein is making the world a more dangerous place my job is to protect America and that's exactly what I'm going to do people can ascribe all kinds of intentions I swore to protect and defend the Constitution that's all that's the war to do put my hand on the Bible and took that oath and that's exactly what I am gonna do in the past several weeks your policy on Iraq has generated opposition from the governments of France Russia China Germany Turkey the Arab League and many other countries open the rift at NATO and at the UN and drawn millions of ordinary citizens around the world into the streets and Eddie war protests ask what went wrong that so many governments and people's around the world now not only disagree with you very strongly but see the u.s. under your leadership as an arrogant count I think you'll see when it's all said and done if we have to use force a lot of nations will be with us Iraq will serve as a catalyst for change positive change so there's a lot more stake than just American security and the security of people close by Saddam Hussein freedom is at stake as well and I take that very seriously as president there are a lot of people in this country as much as half by polling standards who agreed that he should be disarmed who listen to you say that you have the evidence but who feel they haven't seen it and who still wonder why blood has to be shed if he hasn't attacked us if they believe he should be disarmed and he's not going to disarm there's only one way to disarm him and that happens to be my last choice the use of force mr. president millions of Americans can recall a time when leaders from both parties set this country on a mission of regime change in Vietnam 50,000 Americans died the regime is still there in Hanoi and hasn't harmed or threatened a single American in the 30 years since we're ended what can you say tonight sir to the sons and the daughters of the Americans who served in Vietnam to assure them that you will not lead this country down a similar path in Iraq hmm great question um our mission is clear in Iraq should we have to go in our mission is very clear disarmament in order to disarm it will mean regime change I'm confident we'll be able to achieve that objective in a way that minimizes the loss of life no doubt there's risks in any military operation I know that but it's very clear what we intend to do mr. president are you worried that the United States might be viewed as defiant of the United Nations if you went ahead with military action without specific and explicit authorization from the UN now I'm not worried about that when it comes to our security we really don't need anybody's permission mr. president as the nation is at odds over war with many organizations like the Congressional Black Caucus pushing for continued diplomacy through the UN how is your faith guiding you my faith sustains me because I pray daily I pray for guidance and wisdom and strength if we were to commit our troops if we were to commit our troops I would pray for their safety and I would pray for the safety of innocent Iraqi lives as well as you know not everyone shares your optimistic vision how this might play out do you ever worry maybe in the wee small hours that you might be wrong and they might be right in thinking that this could lead to more terrorism more anti-american sentiment more instability in the Middle East I think first of all it's hard to envision more terror on America than September the 11th 2001 we did nothing to provoke that terrorist attack it came upon us because there's an enemy which hates America they hate what we stand for we love freedom and we're not changing I think of the risks calculated the cost of inaction versus the cost of action and I'm firmly convinced if we have to we will act in the name of peace and in the name of freedom mr. president as you said the Security Council faces the vote next week on a resolution implicitly authorizing an attack on Iraq will you call for a vote on that resolution if even if you aren't sure you have the boat yes well first I don't think it basically says that he's in defiance in 1441 that's what the resolution says and it's hard to believe anybody saying he isn't in defiance of 1441 because 1441 said he must disarm and yes we'll call for a vote no matter what the whip count is we're calling for the vote we want to see people to stand up and say what their opinion is about Saddam Hussein in the utility of the United Nations Security Council and so uh you bet during the 2000 campaign you were on the program when we were talking about the Persian Gulf War and looking back and I asked whether he had any regrets about taking Saddam out at that time and you said no and then you added this and I want to talk about it let's watch conversations I had with leaders in the region afterwards they all supported the decision that was made not to go to Baghdad they were concerned that we not get into a position where we shifted instead of being the leader of an international coalition to rollback Iraqi aggression to one in which we were an imperialist power willy-nilly moving into capitals in that part of the world taking down government's imperialist power moving willy-nilly taking down governments is that how we're gonna be perceived this time well I hope not Tim and of course in 91 there was a general consensus that we'd gone as far as we should the we'd achieved our objectives when they liberated Kuwait if your analysis is not correct and we're not treated as liberators but as conquerors and the Iraqis begin to resist particularly in Baghdad do you think the American people are prepared for a long costly and bloody battle with a significant American casualties well I don't I don't think it's likely to unfold that way Tim because I really do believe we will be greeted as liberators why not just keep the pressure on keep the troops there keep the threat going and continue to let the inspectors destroy way because we know you can't keep the troops there or forever and land and right now without a strategic decision on the part of Sodom Hussein did comply I'm as sure as of anything I've ever been sure of if the pressure comes off he will go back to his old pattern of behavior have you effectively given up trying to get nine affirmative votes among the 15 members of the Security Council I know I rule out any option that might be available to us right now because this is what the leaders are discussing in the azores just afternoon so is it still possible there might yet be another UN Security Council vote it is it is the option one of the options that are available we've had a a really good discussion we concluded that tomorrow is a moment of truth for the world many nations have voiced a commitment to peace and security and now they must demonstrate that commitment to peace and security in the only effective way by supporting the immediate and unconditional disarmament of Saddam Hussein from the perspective of the security of the world we cannot simply go back to the Security Council for this discussion to be superseded by that discussion to be superseded by another discussion when you say tomorrow is a moment of truth does that mean tomorrow is the last day that the resolution can be voted up or down and at the end of the day tomorrow one way or another the diplomatic window has closed that's what I'm saying thank you sir earlier today Britain in the u.s. gave up their bid to win new authorization for action against Iraq rather than face defeat from the UN Security Council we now take you live to the White House for the president's address my fellow citizens events in Iraq have now reached the final days of decision the United Nations Security Council has not lived up to its responsibilities so we will rise to ours in recent days some governments in the Middle East have been doing their part they have delivered public and private messages urging the dictator to leave Iraq so that disarmament can proceed peacefully he has thus far refused all the decades of deceit and cruelty have now reached an end Saddam Hussein and his sons must leave Iraq within 48 hours their refusal to do so will result in military conflict commenced at a time of our choosing for their own safety all foreign nationals including journalists and inspectors should leave Iraq immediately my fellow citizens at this hour American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger on my orders coalition forces have began striking selected targets of military importance to undermine Saddam Hussein's ability to wage war these are opening stages of what will be a broad and concerted campaign you

Channel: LeadingToWarFeature

Views: 650,596

Keywords: George W. Bush, Osama bin Laden, Dick Cheney, evil, war, Iraq, terror, torture, Colin Powell, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Saddam Hussein, wmd, weapons of mass destruction, 9/11, Condoleezza Rice, Ari Fleischer, George Tenet, Scott Ritter, biological weapons, chemical weapons, nuclear weapons, inspectors, United Nations, al-Qaeda, Iraq war (Event), Leading to War, lies, axis of evil, UAV, John Ashcroft, Richard Myers, uranium, yellow cake, aluminum tubes, Barry J. Hershey

Id: a_cciUzoLwo

Length: 72min 16sec (4336 seconds)

Published: Tue Feb 28 2012