The White House
President George W. Bush		 Print this document

For Immediate Release
August 24, 2006


January 13, 2003

Global Message

KEY POINTS

  • There is still no evidence that Iraq has fundamentally changed its approach from deceit to compliance in meeting the UN Security Council's demand that it disarm.

  • The Iraqi declaration represents a deliberate effort to deceive by material omissions, and constitutes a further material breach.

  • Iraq states it has no weapons of mass destruction or programs to develop them, but fails to answer numerous, outstanding questions about its weapons of mass destruction.

  • It is not the inspectors' obligation to provide verifiable evidence of disarmament. That is Iraq's responsibility.

  • The declaration consists largely of recycled information from earlier declarations to the UN, contains no new information, and provides no answers to the questions that have been raised.

  • This pattern is not accidental or new. Saddam Hussein's recent statements further demonstrate his unwillingness to comply.

  • These are not the comments of a regime ready to seize the opportunity to comply with its obligations and disarm peacefully.

  • The United States is providing as much support as possible to the inspectors, including experts, information, analysis and equipment.

  • The use of military force is America's last option. Yet if force becomes necessary to secure our country and to keep the peace, America will act deliberately, America will act decisively, and America will prevail.
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