[Rhodes22-list] Politics: Today's Headlines

[brad haslett]

Report: Saddam Had No WMD, No Box Cutters 
(2004-10-06) -- Contradicting Bush administration
claims in the run-up to the Iraq war, the final report
of the chief U.S. weapons inspector reveals that
Saddam Hussein had no stockpiles of weapons of mass
destruction (WMD) such as chemical, biological or
nuclear bombs, or box cutters.

"The Bush administration believed that Saddam Hussein
had the ability to attack us again at home the way we
were attacked on 9/11," according to the report. "But
Saddam Hussein had no box-cutter manufacturing plants
or stockpiles. Therefore, he posed no real threat to
the United States or Iraq's neighbors."

Democrat presidential candidate John Forbes Kerry
seized upon the report's findings to attack President
George Bush's leadership and judgment.

"Mr. Bush ignored voices in the intelligence community
which doubted the evidence of box cutters in Iraq,"
said Mr. Kerry, who is also a U.S. Senator. "Instead
Mr. Bush focused on Saddam's refusal to comply with
U.N. sanctions, his funding of Palestinian terrorism
against Israel, the anti-aircraft fire he directed at
Coalition planes defending the no-fly zone and other
diplomatic trifles. Bottom line: If there were no box
cutters, there was no threat to America."

  __________________________________________

Kerry: Iraq Report Proves Saddam More Patient Than
Bush 
(2004-10-06) -- With today's release of the final
report on Iraq's pre-war weapons of mass destruction
(WMD) capabilities by chief U.S. weapons inspector
Charles Duelfer, John Forbes Kerry said he has the
tool he needs to "drive the final nail in the coffin
of the Bush administration."

"The Duelfer report demonstrates that Saddam Hussein
eagerly desired to produce more WMD, but was waiting
for the U.N. to lift sanctions first," said Mr. Kerry,
a professional Vietnam veteran who is also a U.S.
Senator. "This proves beyond a doubt that Saddam is a
more patient man than George W. Bush. While Mr. Bush
rushed to war--the wrong war at the wrong time--Mr.
Hussein calmly bided his time--making plans for WMD,
illegally financing procurement schemes through the
U.N.'s oil-for-food program, subverting sanctions and
building stronger financial ties with our
allies--China, Russia and France."

Mr. Kerry said America cannot afford an impatient
president who "jumps the gun and lacks the
statesmanship to let international processes reach
their logical conclusions. Saddam Hussein has more
understanding of the United Nations and global
diplomatic strategy than Mr. Bush does."

Drawing a sharp contrast between himself and Mr. Bush,
the Democrat presidential candidate said he is
"patient like Saddam."

"The right time to invade Iraq was not when Saddam was
still in the planning and procurement phase of his WMD
program," Mr. Kerry said. "The right time to invade
Iraq would have been after the U.N. sanctions were
lifted, and Saddam really had these weapons of mass
destruction. As president, that's the kind of war I
would lead. That's the kind of war our real allies
would support."






		
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