64th in continuing blog series on the administration push to war. White House statements about purported Iraqi weapons of mass destruction continue without cessation. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the White House and the Office of the Vice President search feverishly for any evidence, any at all, to back up their public assertions.
February 8-14, 2003:

 

Feb. 10, 2003 -- “On 10 February 2003, a US Defense Attache Officer reported that he had examined the warehouses [in the port of Cotonou, Benin, Africa], as described by the reporting in paragraph fifteen, and found they contained cotton rather than barrels of uranium bound for Iraq.” (Libby trial document DX64.9)

 

Highly reassuring–unless one starts wondering exactly why, and how, that convenient assertion about Niger uranium being found in Benin popped up in the first place, see earlier.

 

Feb. 10, 2003 – Former Iraqi ambassador to the Vatican Wissam al-Zahawie meets with U.N. weapons inspectors, five people from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in Baghdad. The inspectors ask in detail what al-Zahawie knows about contacts between Iraq and Niger. They also ask him whether he signed a letter in July 2000 regarding Niger uranium. He tells them absolutely not, and any such letter would be a forgery. (He later informs a British paper that when he leaves Rome, he leaves the Iraq embassy official seal with the Sudanese embassy.)

 

At this point, international weapons inspectors are still in Iraq. A favorite neocon canard as late as 2008--that Saddam kicked out the inspectors--is false: U.N. inspectors leave Iraq only shortly in advance of the U.S.-U.K. bombing and invasion, presumably to be out of the way when the bombs start falling.

 

Feb. 10, 2003 – Bush discusses Iraq in a joint photo op with Australian Prime Minister Howard:
 

“Q Iraq has agreed to allow U-2 flights and also private interviews with some scientists. Does this make it harder for you to argue that Saddam Hussein is not -- is not cooperating?

THE PRESIDENT: No, Iraq needs to disarm. And the reason why we even need to fly U-2 flights is because they're not disarming. We know what a disarmed country looks like. And Iraq doesn't look like that. This is a man who is trying to stall for time, trying to play a diplomatic game. He's been successful at it for 12 years. But, no, the question is, will he disarm.

I notice somebody said the other day, well, we need more inspectors. Well, a disarmed -- a country which is disarming really needs one or two inspectors to verify the fact that they're disarming. We're not playing hide-and-seek. That's what he wants to continue to play. And so, you know, Saddam's got to disarm. If he doesn't, we'll disarm him.”

 

Howard is one of Bush’s staunchest allies among the coalition of the willing to invade Iraq. Eventually, the Australian electorate ousts Howard.

 

Same day -- Bush discusses Iraq again:
 

“We face an outlaw regime in Iraq that hates our country. A regime that aids and harbors terrorists and is armed with weapons of mass murder. Before September the 11th, 2001, there's a lot of good folks who believe that Saddam Hussein can be contained. Before September the 11th, 2001, we thought oceans would protect us forever; that if we saw a gathering threat somewhere else in the world, we could respond to it if we chose -- so chose to do so. But that all changed on that fateful day.  

       Chemical agents, lethal viruses, and shadowy terrorist networks are not easily contained. Secretly, without fingerprints, Saddam Hussein could provide one of his hidden weapons to terrorists, or help them develop their own. Saddam Hussein is a threat. He's a threat to the United States of America. He's a threat to some of our closest friends and allies. We don't accept this threat. (Applause.)”

 

Same day -- Bush discusses Iraq at a “Congress of Tomorrow” reception:
 

“The issue facing our nation and the world is the extension of the war on terror to places like Iraq. Prior to September the 11th, there was apparently no connection between a place like Iraq and terror. Oh, sure, he had run some terrorist networks out of his country, and that was of concern to us. But it was very difficult to link a terrorist network and Saddam Hussein to the American soil. As a matter of fact, it was very difficult to link any attack on the American soil, because prior to September the 11th, we were confident that two oceans could protect us from harm.

    The world changed on September the 11th. Obviously, it changed for thousands of people's lives for whom we still mourn. But it changed for America, and it's very important that the American people understand the change. We are now a battle ground. We are vulnerable. Therefore, we cannot ignore gathering threats across the ocean. It used to be that we could pick or choose whether or not we would become involved. If we saw a threat, it may be a threat to a friend, in which case we would be involved, but never did we realize the threat could be directed at the American people.    

    And that changed. And therefore, when we hear of stories about weapons of mass destruction in the hands of a brutal dictator, who hates America, we need to take that seriously, and we are. And when we find out there's links between Baghdad and a killer who actually ordered the killing of one of our fellow citizens, we've got to realize the -- what that means to our future.”

 

Feb. 13, 2003 – Bush discusses Iraq in ‘presidential remarks’:
 

“Today the gravest danger in the war on terror -- the gravest danger facing America and the world -- is outlaw regimes that seek and possess nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. These regimes could use such weapons for blackmail, terror, mass murder. They could also give or sell those weapons to terrorist allies who would use them without the least bit of hesitation. That's the reality of the world we live in, and that's what we're going to use every ounce of our power to defeat . . .       

       America has laid out the facts for the world to see. Saddam Hussein has chemical weapons programs, and the means to use them. Saddam Hussein has a biological weapons program, and the means to deliver those weapons. He has secretly attempted to obtain materials needed to produce nuclear weapons. Saddam Hussein aids and protects terrorists, including members of al Qaeda. He harbors a senior al Qaeda leader who ordered the assassination of an American diplomat -- the same man who plotted against Spain and Italy in the Republic of Georgia, and Russia, and Great Britain, and France, and Germany. The Iraqi regime is engaged in a massive campaign to conceal its weapons of mass destruction, and its ties to terrorists. And that deception continues today.”