*Republicans* were wrong on Iraq? Let's see...
"One way or another, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to
develop WMD and the missiles to deliver them."
-- BILL 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 my Iraq's WMD
program."
-- BILL CLINTON FEB 17, 1998
"Let's imagine the future. What if [Saddam] fails to comply [with U.N.
sanctions], 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 and continue to press for the release of
the sanctions and continue to ignore the solemn commitments that he
made? 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 some day, some way, I guarantee you, he'll use the arsenal."
President Clinton's Feb. 17, 1998 speech on Iraq
"He will use those WMD again, as he has ten times since 1993."
-- SANDY BERGER (Clinton Nat Sec Adv) FEB 18, 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 we face."
-- MADELINE ALBRIGHT (Clinton Secretary of State) 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:
-- Democratic Senators Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and others, Oct. 9, 1998
"I think there is a disconnect between the depth of the threat that
Saddam Hussein presents to the world and what we are at the moment
talking about doing. ... (T)hen we have to be prepared to go the full
distance, which is to do everything possible to disrupt his regime and
to encourage the forces of democracy."
ABC'S COKIE ROBERTS: "And does that mean ground troops in Iraq?"
KERRY: "I am personally prepared, if that's what it meant."
-- Sen. John Kerry (D, MA) to ABC's "This Week," 2/22/98)
"Saddam has been engaged in the development of WMD 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 WMD 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......
LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUSH SIGNED BY
-- BOB GRAHAM (Democrat FL) DEC 5, 2001