Weapons of Mass Destruction:
Who Said What When

CounterPunch Wire



Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has 
weapons of mass destruction. 

Dick Cheney August 26, 2002


Right now, Iraq is expanding and improving facilities that were used for 
the production of biological weapons. 

George W. Bush September 12, 2002


If he declares he has none, then we will know that Saddam Hussein is 
once again misleading the world. 

Ari Fleischer December 2, 2002


We know for a fact that there are weapons there.

Ari Fleischer January 9, 2003


Our intelligence officials estimate that Saddam Hussein had the 
materials to produce as much as 500 tons of sarin, mustard and VX 
nerve agent.

George W. Bush January 28, 2003


We know that Saddam Hussein is determined to keep his weapons of 
mass destruction, is determined to make more.

Colin Powell February 5, 2003


We have sources that tell us that Saddam Hussein recently authorized 
Iraqi field commanders to use chemical weapons -- the very weapons 
the dictator tells us he does not have.

George Bush February 8, 2003


So has the strategic decision been made to disarm Iraq of its weapons 
of mass destruction by the leadership in Baghdad? I think our judgment 
has to be clearly not.

Colin Powell March 8, 2003


Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt 
that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the 
most lethal weapons ever devised. 

George Bush March 17, 2003


Well, there is no question that we have evidence and information that 
Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, biological and chemical 
particularly . . . all this will be made clear in the course of the 
operation, for whatever duration it takes.

Ari Fleisher March 21, 2003


There is no doubt that the regime of Saddam Hussein possesses 
weapons of mass destruction. As this operation continues, those 
weapons will be identified, found, along with the people who have 
produced them and who guard them.

Gen. Tommy Franks March 22, 2003


I have no doubt we're going to find big stores of weapons of mass 
destruction.

Kenneth Adelman, Defense Policy Board , March 23, 2003


One of our top objectives is to find and destroy the WMD. There are a 
number of sites.

Pentagon Spokeswoman Victoria Clark March 22, 2003


We know where they are. They are in the area around Tikrit and 
Baghdad.

Donald Rumsfeld March 30, 2003


Obviously the administration intends to publicize all the weapons of 
mass destruction U.S. forces find -- and there will be plenty.

Neocon scholar Robert Kagan April 9, 2003


I think you have always heard, and you continue to hear from officials, a 
measure of high confidence that, indeed, the weapons of mass 
destruction will be found. 

Ari Fleischer April 10, 2003


We are learning more as we interrogate or have discussions with Iraqi 
scientists and people within the Iraqi structure, that perhaps he 
destroyed some, perhaps he dispersed some. And so we will find them.

George Bush April 24, 2003


There are people who in large measure have information that we need . . 
. so that we can track down the weapons of mass destruction in that 
country. 

Donald Rumsfeld April 25, 2003


We'll find them. It'll be a matter of time to do so.

George Bush May 3, 2003


I am confident that we will find evidence that makes it clear he had 
weapons of mass destruction.

Colin Powell May 4, 2003


I never believed that we'd just tumble over weapons of mass destruction 
in that country.

Donald Rumsfeld May 4, 2003


I'm not surprised if we begin to uncover the weapons program of 
Saddam Hussein -- because he had a weapons program.

George W. Bush May 6, 2003


U.S. officials never expected that "we were going to open garages and 
find" weapons of mass destruction. 

Condoleeza Rice May 12, 2003


I just don't know whether it was all destroyed years ago -- I mean, 
there's no question that there were chemical weapons years ago -- 
whether they were destroyed right before the war, (or) whether they're 
still hidden.

Maj. Gen. David Petraeus,
Commander 101st Airborne May 13, 2003


Before the war, there's no doubt in my mind that Saddam Hussein had 
weapons of mass destruction, biological and chemical. I expected them 
to be found. I still expect them to be found.

Gen. Michael Hagee,
Commandant of the Marine Corps May 21, 2003


Given time, given the number of prisoners now that we're interrogating, 
I'm confident that we're going to find weapons of mass destruction.

Gen. Richard Myers,
Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff May 26, 2003


They may have had time to destroy them, and I don't know the answer.

Donald Rumsfeld May 27, 2003


For bureaucratic reasons, we settled on one issue, weapons of mass 
destruction (as justification for invading Iraq) because it was the 
one reason everyone could agree on.

Paul Wolfowitz May 28, 2003


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Source: Counterpunch - http://www.counterpunch.org/wmd05292003.html


Cheers, Steve..

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