Following the infamous State of the Union address, the White House and the Office of the Vice President sustain their rhetorical assaults on Iraq through the rest of winter, 2003, and of course into the spring. The rhetorical strategy with its hype about purported threat represented by Iraq, in early 2003, is eerily echoed five years later by similar hype about Iran in early 2008.
January 29-31, 2003:

 

Jan. 29, 2003 – Bush comments on Iraq in a speech in Grand Rapids, Michigan:

“See, the role of the inspectors are not to play "gotcha." He's better at playing "gotcha," obviously -- for 12 years he's played "gotcha." The role of the inspectors are to watch Iraq disarm. That's the role of the inspectors. They're to report back and say, gosh, he's started getting rid of all his mustard gas or sarin gas. He started getting rid of these weapons of mass destruction. He's now getting rid of the biological laboratories. That's the role of the inspectors.”

 

Jan. 30, 2003 – Cheney gives a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference:

“Saddam Hussein's pursuit of weapons of mass destruction poses a grave danger -- not only to his neighbors, but also to the United States. His regime aids and protects terrorists, including members of al Qaeda. He could decide secretly to provide weapons of mass destruction to terrorists for use against us. And as the President said on Tuesday night, it would take just one vial, one canister, one crate to bring a day of horror to our nation unlike any we have ever known.”

 
Jan. 30, 2003 – Bush comments on Iraq in a joint photo op appearance with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi:
 

“THE PRESIDENT: First, let me echo the comments of my National Security Advisor, who the other day in commenting about this process said this is a matter of weeks, not months. In other words, for the sake of peace, this issue must be resolved. Hopefully, it can be done peacefully. Hopefully the pressure of the free world will convince Mr. Saddam Hussein to relinquish power. And should he choose to leave the country, along with a lot of the other henchmen who have tortured the Iraqi people, we would welcome that, of course.”

 
A few weeks later, Bush reneges on this apparent offer to allow Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq. As the world will learn, the administration ultimately determines to invade even if Saddam leaves.

 

Jan. 31, 2003 – Cheney gives a speech to the Republican National Committee:

“Inspectors were sent to Iraq not to determine whether Saddam has weapons of mass destruction, but simply to confirm that Iraq truly is disarming.”

 

In other words, the U.N. inspectors must return with a report in line with the administration objective—to produce visible evidence of WMD.

 

“Saddam Hussein's pursuit of weapons of mass destruction poses a grave danger -- not only to his neighbors, but also to the United States. His regime aids and protects terrorists, including members of al Qaeda. He could decide secretly to provide weapons of mass destruction to terrorists for their use against us. And as the President said on Tuesday night, it would take just one vial, one canister, one crate to bring a day of horror to our nation unlike any we have ever known.”

 

And thus closes one of the most dismal Januarys in the history of the United States of America.