Talking Points: Bush admin. in their own words

[scottcsmith]

I was pretty caught up with the capture of Saddam today. As I've spent time thinking it over, I know that it's really a distraction from the bigger picture. Yes, Saddam was a threat to his own people. But was he really a threat to the United States? No, I don't think he was. We found him hiding in a dirt cellar, that's how big of a threat he was to us.

The right-wingers will spin this capture and ignore the issue of why we attacked Iraq in the first place: to disarm Saddam Hussein.

I have assembled a collection of links to offical press releases where President Bush and Colin Powell lay out the case for a war against Iraq: not to free the Iraqi people from a brutal dictator, but to remove his weapons. If you take the time and read through all of these press releases, it'll be very clear that the welfare of the Iraqi people was not our first priority in going to war.

Sept. 28, 2002, weekly radio address:
http://usinfo.state.gov/topical/pol/arms/02092803.htm

Bush remarks in Cincinati, OH, Oct. 7, 2002
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/10/20021007-8.html

State of the Union, Jan. 28, 2003
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/01/20030128-19.html

Sec. of State Powell's remarks to U.N. Security Council
Feb. 5, 2003
http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2003/17300.htm

Bush announces Iraq has 48 hours to disarm
March 17, 2003
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/03/20030317-7.html