Before anyone forgets, WMD's revisited...

[Japher]

All the proof I see presented has either been ignored or was questionable before the war began, and was something that was asked to have debunked and never was due to lack of due diligence by both the UN and Iraq.

Threats are not taken lightly by the US.

[GePap]

Threats are not taken lightly by the US.

And yet this is not a causus Belli. The admin. did state it had proof that Iraq HAD weapons, which is why a war in March was called for. The admin. DID NOT argue to the public that simply the possibility was enough for war, since they know that would have failed to garner enough public and congressional support to wage war.

At best, one can claim mebers of the admin. did believe Iraq had WMD's and were wilfuly blind to evidence to the contrary. That is not a encouraging thing, but it's the best the amdin. can do.

Pro-war people: drop the WMD stuff and stick to the liberation sotryline..that one is far more defensible.

[Sandman]

tehy did not give it up, as they did not use their opportunity under 1441 to give a detailed documentation of their destruction of WMD. As for the troops, they obviously thought any second resolution would be vetoed (they were right about that) and that in the absence of a resolution, that the US would not act (they were wrong, but so were alot of other people)

The Iraqis submitted a 12,000 page declaration. It was ntipicked to death, and was criticised on the grounds that it contained nothing new, as if it would help Iraq to have included details on new weapons!

To think that Saddam would risk his regime on the USA respecting the United Nations is laughable. Anybody with a gram of intelligence could see that they were going to invade regardless of the UN.

1. I suggest we allow Blix to clarify the timing he meant, rather than speculate.

'Over the years' certainly indicates a larger time period than the immediate run-up to war.

2. As for convincing "beware of dog sign" i presume he is referencing something he really does know about, or why mention it at all? Presumably actual interference in inspections, etc.

The 'interference' can be explained be a plethora of more likely reasons, for example, official petty-mindedness by Iraqi officials, genuine fears that the inspectors were gathering intelligence, communications failures and fears for the safety of Saddam.

This fanciful suggestion that Iraq was pretending to have WMDs to stop America invading, whilst all the time America was desperately searching for evidence, and found nothing requires that:

1. The Iraqis had a death wish, since it was blindingly obvious that America was just itching to invade.
2. That the Iraqis played an absurdly subtle game with the inspectors.
3. That despite wanting to appear to have WMDs, the Iraqis somehow managed to fail to fabricate enough evidence to convince the UN, but enough to convince the US and its client states.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Sandman
The Iraqis submitted a 12,000 page declaration

Which left the fate of numerous weapons completely unaccounted for.

[Nubclear]

Such as that big, honkin nuclear weapon he had.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
My understanding is that some experts have said they cant rule out that there might be a legitimate use for the alleged mobile weapons labs.

My understanding is that they were mobile vaccination labs.

[Whaleboy]

I own an amount of homemade mace, and have the ability and capacity to make more... yet I don't have the police knocking on my door saying that I should be taken out!

[Dr Strangelove]

Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat
That dog don't hunt.

They lied. So what?

Do you want to have us apologize and return the country to Hussein?

Wellllll..... That would smoke him out of hiding wouldn't it?

[Whaleboy]

On the cards, it says "Saddam Hussayn Al Tikriti"

What gives?

[Odin]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove

Wellllll..... That would smoke him out of hiding wouldn't it?

I wonder if that would really work.

Elijah, Many middle-eastern people use the name of the place they were born in thier full names, although they rarely use it. It is a tribal throwback.

[Dr Strangelove]

Judging by the caliber of his leadership it just might.

[Sandman]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Which left the fate of numerous weapons completely unaccounted for.

Yes, a single aluminium tube could kill a city the size of London.

[Dauphin]

Did I hear right on the news this morning. George Bush admitted that Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11, yet 70% of Americans still think he was a co-mastermind?

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Japher
Threats are not taken lightly by the US.

When did Saddam threaten the US?