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For Immediate Release
January 6, 2003

Remarks by the President in Photo Opportunity with his Cabinet

Excerpts from Remarks by the President in Photo Opportunity with his Cabinet, January 6, 2003

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QUESTION: Sir, with three weeks to go until the U.N. inspectors report back, are you seeing any signs of compliance by Iraq? Saddam says it's carrying out intelligence work.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I thought that was an interesting statement on his part. When you combine that with the fact that his declaration was clearly deficient, it is discouraging news for those of us who want to resolve this issue peacefully.

He has the obligation to disarm. For the sake of peace, he must disarm. The United Nations has clearly said that. It is in our nation's interest that he disarm. He is a threat to the American people. He's a threat to our friends and neighbors in the Middle East. He is a person who has used weapons of mass destruction. And so, therefore, the world has said to Saddam, you won't have any weapons of mass destruction, get rid of them. And thus far, it looks like he hasn't complied.

But he's got time. And we continue to call upon Saddam Hussein to listen to what the world is saying. Not just the United States, but the entire world expects Saddam Hussein to disarm.