http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=10035596124 Years Ago: A Press Briefing on the Eve of War
By E&P Staff
Published: March 17, 2007 10:10 PM ET
NEW YORK On March 18, 2003, Ari Fleischer, the White House spokesman, briefed reporters on the eve of the invasion of Iraq.
President Bush, the night before, had given Saddam Hussein and his sons 48 hours to exit the country. Of course, they did not, and the U.S. attack was carried out on the evening of March 19 (March 20 in Iraq).
Here are excerpts from the briefing.
*
Q What about American lives? We don't hear about that yet.
MR. FLEISCHER: Again, the President has said that he hopes that this can be done peacefully. If there are lives lost, he believes the American people understand the risks, the sacrifices that people are prepared to make if it is necessary to use force to disarm Saddam Hussein. I think people understand that. This has been a very serious run-up to what may become war. And the American people have heard and understand the reality and the gravity of the situation. And I think they understand that.
Q I pick up on that -- what you said. Does it bother the President that most of the world is against this war, and half of America? And I have a follow-up.
MR. FLEISCHER: Helen, this is an issue where you and I will never agree when you state your premise about what the people think.
Q This isn't you and I. This is a very legitimate question.
MR. FLEISCHER: Helen, I think there's a lot of public polling that you can see out there. The recent poll from your neighbor to the right, ABC News showed that 79 percent of the American people think that Saddam Hussein is a threat to the United States. I've heard you say on many occasions most Americans don't think he's a threat to the United States.
Q I didn't say -- I said the war.
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