Weapons of Mass Destruction

What did the democrats REALLY think about Saddam and the WMD's?

I find it quite funny that democrats today continue to say there were no WMD's. Are you kidding me. For years they all spoke out during the Clinton administration and continued early into the Bush administration. I've collected a few quotes from those great democratic leaders who spoke publically that this is "Bush's War" and there are no WMD. Bush lied about the intelligence".

President Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998, at the Pentagon
“If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction program.”

- President Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998, following a Pentagon briefing
“Iraq is a long way from USA but, what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face.”

- Madeline Albright, Clinton’s Secretary of State, Feb 18, 1998, Ohio State University
“He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983.”

- Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser (and convicted felon), Feb 18, 1998, Ohio State University
“We urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S.Constitution and Laws, to take necessary actions, (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq’s refusal to end its weapons of mass destructionprograms.”

- Letter to President Clinton, signed by Senators including the following Democrats: Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and Joseph Lieberman, Oct. 9, 1998
“Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process.”

- Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998, Letter posted on Pelosi’s congressional website.
“There has never been an embargo against food and medicine. It’s just that Hussein has just not chosen to spend his money on that. Instead, he has chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction, and palaces for his cronies.”

- Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999, Chicago
“We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandated of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and the means of delivering them.”

- Sen. Carl Levin (D, MI), Sept. 19, 2002, Remarks to a Senate committee on that date.
“We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country.”

- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002, The Commonwealth Club, San Francisco
“Iraq’s search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power.”

- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
“We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction.”

- Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002, Johns Hopkins University
“The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities. Intelligence reports indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons…”

- Sen. Robert Byrd (D, WV; and K.K.K.), Oct. 3, 2002, U.S. Senate debate over going to war against Iraq.
“I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force– if necessary– to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security.”

- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002, U.S. Senate debate over going to war against Iraq.
“There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years … We also should remember we have always underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction.”

- Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D, WV), Oct 10, 2002, U.S. Senate debate over going to war against Iraq.
“He has systematically violated, over the course of the past 11 years, every significant UN resolution that has demanded that he disarm and destroy his chemical and biological weapons, and any nuclear capacity. This he has refused to do”

- Rep. Henry Waxman (D, CA), Oct. 10, 2002, U.S. Senate debate over going to war against Iraq.
“In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members. It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons.“

- Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), U.S. Senate debate over going to war against Iraq.
“Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation … And now he is miscalculating America’s response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real …”

Demcocrats call for War against Iraq:
“One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line.”