NO WMD
Bush Lied
Thousands Died

That has been the refrain from the President’s opponents and the media for over two years.

Just what did President Bush “lie” about? Let’s look at the documented causi belli for the Iraq War. The Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq there are 21 separate reasons for going to war against Iraq. Among them are:

WMD programs.
WMD possession.
Support of terror groups.
Contact with terror groups.
Repeated continuing violations of UN sanctions.
Repeated continuing violations of the ’91 cease fire agreement.

Couple that with Saddam’s history of aggressive behavior, the invasions of Iran and Kuwait.

The opponents of the war primary focus in on one and only one of the 21 item resolution.

WMD.

Problem is that Saddam Hussein had WMD, Saddam used WMD, Saddam declared in the ’91 cease fire agreement that the had WMD, and most damning… WMD have been found in post war Iraq.

What is the chant again? “No WMD?” Who is lying?

SADDAM’S WMD PROGRAMS

Saddam had a well documented Chemical Weapons Program. This included but not limited to: Tabun, VX, Sarin and other “G” agents, Mustard Gas as well as various tearing agents which are not considered chemical weapons.

Biological weapons were also an area of interest to Saddam. Iraq’s Biological Weapons Program Gas was ongoing pre and post Gulf War I.

Iraq’s had a Nuclear Program. Ask a simple question, why would a energy rich nation, spend billions of dollars on a nuclear program? It certainly doesn’t make financial sense. Medical Isotopes don’t require large scale facilities. Couple that with Saddam’s aggressive tendencies then a nuclear weapons program is a logical conclusion.

The entire post Gulf War I UN inspections program was predicated on the established facts of Iraq’s WMD programs. The purpose of the UN Weapon Inspections was to dismantle Saddam’s WMD programs, discover and destroy any and all stockpiles of WMD.

Pre war the anti war advocates would keep repeating “let the inspections work.” The purpose of the inspections was Saddam’s WMD. “Letting the inspections work,” presupposes the existence of WMD. Without WMD the reason for inspections is moot. By arguing to continue inspection the very same people repeating the “No WMD” mantra agreed that Saddam's had weapons that needed to be dealt with.

SADDAM’S USE OF WMD

Saddam used Chemical weapons during the Iran Iraq War and against the Kurds.

During the Iran Iraq War, a war started by Saddam on September 22, 1980 by invading Iran. Iraq made early gains, which Iran repulsed, in later stages. By 1982 the war and developed in a static affair. Iraq used Chemical Weapons in every year of it’s war with Iran.

On March 16, 1988, Saddam Hussein order a Chemical Weapons attack on the Kurdish town of Hallabjah .

SADDAM’S DECLARATION

At the end of Gulf War I in which Iraq was removed from Kuwait part of the Cease Fire and UN Resolution 687. These agreements of which Iraq was a signatory required the dismantling, destruction and disclosure of all of Iraq’s WMD programs, stockpiles and documentation.

Surprising to many Saddam did not comply with UN resolution UNSCR 687 - April 3, 1991, or any of the following UN resolutions.
UNSCR 688 - April 5, 1991, or
UNSCR 707 - August 15, 1991, or
UNSCR 715 - October 11, 1991, or
UNSCR 949 - October 15, 1994, or
UNSCR 1051 - March 27, 1996, or
UNSCR 1060 - June 12, 1996, or
UNSCR 1115 - June 21, 1997, or
UNSCR 1134 - October 23, 1997, or
UNSCR 1137 - November 12, 1997, or
UNSCR 1154 - March 2, 1998, or
UNSCR 1194 - September 9, 1998, or
UNSCR 1205 - November 5, 1998, or
UNSCR 1284 - December 17, 1999.

They final resolution was UNSCR 1441 which called for the previous resolutions to be complied with and held the threat of "serious consequences" if compliance was not forthcoming. "Serious consequences" is diplo speak for war.

Saddam never did cooperate with the UN. The Iraq war followed.

WMD FOUND IN IRAQ

In post war Iraq WMD have been found as well as the infrastructure for the programs.

1.77 tons enriched uranium

1500 gallons chemical weapons

Roadside bomb with sarin gas

Cyclosarin

Nuclear program documents and parts

NO WMD?

So where does that leave us? The trail is clear for anyone willing to follow the crumbs. Saddam had developed, used and maintained for at least 2 decades a multi-pronged WMD program. Saddam failed to disclose the final disposition of his WMD.

The final Report on the disposition of the Iraqi WMD is mind numbingly detailed. The bottom line is not all of the WMD programs or weapons can be accounted for, that Saddam maintained consistent efforts in the area of WMD, and that these efforts were well concealed and compartmentalized.

There is a huge discrepancy between what is known that Saddam had and was developing in his WMD programs and what has been accounted for.

The bottom line is that Saddam had, used, produced, pursued, and maintained WMD programs. The evidence for the existence of Iraqi WMD is overwhelming and clear. What is not clear is the final disposition of the WMD.

Now tell me who is lying about WMD?

Next Saddam and Terror links.