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Powell presents case for military action against Saddam Hussein
By Mark Armstrong
National/World News Co-editor
FILE PHOTO
Secretary of State Colin Powell layed out his case before the 15 members of the UN Security Council.
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In an appearance televised around the world, Secretary of State Colin powell methodically presented the U.N. Security Council with “irrefutable and undeniable” evidence that Iraq continues to harbor and conceal weapons of mass destruction. It was the Bush Administration’s most detailed case for military action to date.
Drawing on recently declassified intelligence, Powell warned Iraq that it had squandered its last opportunity to peacefully disarm.
“Resolution 1441 gave Iraq one last chance, one last chance to come into compliance, or face serious consequences…By this standard, I believe that Iraq is in further material breach of its obligations. I believe this case is irrefutable and undeniable,” said Powell, according to the Associated Press.
“Clearly, Saddam Hussein and his regime will stop at nothing until something stops him,” Powell said. With all the information the United States currently possesses, he said, “Leaving Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction or months or years is not an option.”
In rapid fire delivery and without pause, Powell laid out his case to the assembled nations, offering a flurry of information gathered from tape recordings, satellite photos and statements documented from insider informants. He was accompanied in his presentation by CIA Director George Tenet and the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Negroponte.
In his speech, Powell told the members of the panel that they place the UN in “danger of irrelevance” if it doesn’t act soon. “How much longer are we willing to put up with Iraq’s noncompliance before we as a council—we as the United Nations—say ‘enough, enough’?” he asked.
During his presentation, Powell:
--played excerpted recordings of conversations between Iraqi military officials and field agents as they scrambled to eradicate any trace of prohibited arms before UN weapons inspectors arrived to discover them.
--displayed declassified satellite images that he claimed showed 15 munitions bunkers. Powell said four of them contained active chemical munitions.
--noted that the United States has “first-hand descriptions of biological weapons factories on wheels and rails” – as many as 18 vehicles, according to Iraqi defectors.
--stated that Iraq has the “drying expertise” to weaponize anthrax, botulinum toxin, and other destructive agents, as well as having researched other agents that cause the plague, hemorrhagic fever, and smallpox, as well as the methods to deliver these.
--claimed Iraq is working on developing ballistic missiles with a range of over 620 miles, capable of striking Russia and other nations beyond Iraq’s immediate borders.
Powell testified that Saddam already has two of the three components necessary to produce a nuclear bomb. The only missing ingredient is enriched uranium. “We have no indication Saddam Hussein has ever abandoned his nuclear weapons program… [He] is determined to get his hands on a nuclear bomb,” he said.
Playing on continued concern and speculation about the precise extent of al-Qaeda operatives, Powell stated that the nexus between Baghdad and Osama bin Laden dates to at least 1997.
But this should not come as a surprise, for terrorism has been a tool utilized by Saddam for decades, said Powell: “With this track record, Iraqi denials of supporting terrorism take their place alongside the other Iraqi denials of weapons of mass destruction. It is all a web of lies.”
“This is evidence, not conjecture,” Powell added. “Why should any of us give Iraq the benefit of the doubt? I don’t.”
Saddam Hussein, in a BBC interview Tuesday, forcefully denied any connection between his government and al-Qaeda or the existence of weapons of mass destruction.
Powell accused Saddam himself of orchestrating an elaborate program of deception conducted through a high-level committee established specifically to inhibit the weapons inspectors from doing their jobs. The committee was directed by the Iraqi vice-president and included one of Hussein’s sons.
Iraqi officials were quick to dismiss the American allegations, telling the AP that they were representative of a “typical American show – complete with stunts and special effects.”
Iraqi ambassador Mohammed Al-Douri stated that the pronouncements Powell made in his presentation were utterly unrelated to the truth. The White House’s next step is to decide whether or not to request a specific resolution from the UN authorizing the use of force against Iraq.
This, however, would be contingent on France and whether or not President Jacques Chirac insists on vetoing such a resolution. If he does, Bush won’t seek one.
Powell’s presentation did not fundamentally alter the positions of key opponents of the war on Iraq, including France, China and Russia, all of which have veto power. Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain have all issued statements in support of the U.S. position.
"British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said according to The Washington Times, that Powell made a "most powerful" case. Saddam is "gambling that we will lose our nerve rather than enforce our will."
Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.) said, according to The Associated Press, that Powell's case was "very powerful and I think irrefutable."
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