Vice President Dick Cheney, launching the U.S. government’s public push for war with Iraq, Aug. 26, 2002: “Simply stated, there’s no doubt that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction.”
National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, Sept. 8, 2002: “Saddam Hussein is actively pursuing a nuclear weapon. We do know that there have been shipments into Iraq of aluminum tubes that really are only suited to nuclear weapons programs.”
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Sept. 19, 2002, said that Iraq has “amassed large, clandestine stockpiles of chemical weapons, including VX, sarin, and mustard gas.”
British government report claimed Saddam Hussein *“has existing and active military plans for the use of chemical and biological weapons, which could be activated within forty-five minutes.” *(Sept. 2002)
Bush said, Sept. 28, 2002: “The danger to our country is grave and growing. The Iraqi regime possesses biological and chemical weapons, is rebuilding the facilities to make more and, according to the British government, could launch a biological or chemical attack in as little as 45 minutes.”
As Congress was debating war powers, the National Intelligence Council published a briefing document given to Congress. This “National Intelligence Estimate” said (Oct. 4, 2002): "Baghdad has chemical and biological weapons… including mustard, sarin, cyclosarin and VX…Most analysts assess Iraq is reconstituting its nuclear weapons program.‘’
George Bush, Oct. 7, 2002, said Iraq *“possesses and produces chemical and biological weapons.” *Asked about the evidence, spokesman Ari Fleischer said: “The president’s description of the complete picture resulted from an interagency process in which every statement was vetted and approved by each agency.”
George Bush, Jan. 7, 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 … upward of 30,000 munitions capable of delivering chemical agents…materials sufficient to produce more than 38,000 liters of botulinum toxin.”
Secretary of State Colin Powell at UN, Feb. 5, 2003: “Our conservative estimate is that Iraq today has a stockpile of between 100 and 500 tons of chemical weapons agent… My colleagues, every statement I make today is backed up by sources, solid sources. These are not assertions. What we’re giving you are facts and conclusions based on solid intelligence.”
On March 17, Bush delivered his war ultimatum to Iraq and said: “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.”
British Prime Minister Tony Blair, March 18, said any suggestion that Iraq had already destroyed its weapons were “palpably absurd.”
On March 30, in the first week of the war, Donald Rumsfeld said: *“We know where [the WMD] are. They’re in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat.” *(Interpress Service, June 3, 2003)
-much more-
http://rwor.org/a/1204/liespart3.htm