Bush Vows to Disarm Iraq by Force if Necessary

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, January 30, 2003

Bush Vows to Disarm Iraq by Force if Necessary

US President George W. Bush on Tuesday accused Iraq of hiding weapons of mass destruction and vowed to fight with "the full force and might of the United States military " to disarm Iraq if necessary.

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US President Bush, in a bid to build up a case for possible military actions against Iraq, Tuesday accused Iraqi President Saddam Hussein of deceiving and squandering his "last chance" to disarm.

"Almost three months ago, the United Nations Security Council gave Saddam Hussein his final chance to disarm. He has shown instead his utter contempt for the United Nations, and for the opinion of the world," Bush said in his scheduled State of the Union address.

Speaking to Congress, Bush presented a list of Saddam's alleged offenses, some of them newly revealed to the public. Bush said Saddam "is not disarming" and "to the contrary, he is deceiving."

"We will consult, but let there be no misunderstanding: If (Iraqi President) Saddam Hussein does not fully disarm for the safety of our people, and for the peace of the world, we will lead a coalition to disarm him," Bush said in his State of the Union address to a joint session of US Congress.

He said intelligence sources have reported that thousands of Iraqi personnel are at work hiding documents and materials from the UN weapons inspectors.

Specifically, Bush said Saddam has not accounted for up to 25,000 liters of anthrax, 38,000 liters of botulism toxin, 500 tons of sarin, mustard gas and VX nerve agent and upwards of 30,000 munitions capable of delivering chemical weapons.

"Twelve years ago, Saddam Hussein faced the prospect of being the last casualty in a war he had started and lost. To spare himself, he agreed to disarm of all weapons of mass destruction. For the next 12 years, he systematically violated that agreement," Bush said.

"Almost three months ago, the United Nations Security Council gave Saddam Hussein his final chance to disarm. He has shown instead his utter contempt for the United Nations, and for the opinion of the world."

"If this is not evil, then evil has no meaning," Bush said.

Bush said the United States has fresh evidence which links Iraq with terrorists and US Secretary of State Colin Powell will go to the United Nations Security Council on Feb. 5 to present such evidence.

The US president also linked the need to confront Iraq's weapons of mass destruction with the US-led war on terror.

"Today, the gravest danger in the war on terror ... the gravest danger facing America and the world ... is outlaw regimes that seek and possess nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons," he said.

"These regimes could use such weapons for blackmail, terror, and mass murder. They could also give or sell those weapons to their terrorist allies, who would use them without the least hesitation," Bush added.

The Iraqi government has insisted that it possesses no weapons of mass destruction. Responding to latest charges from Washington, Baghdad reportedly denied on Tuesday that it is hiding any such weapons.

Earlier on Tuesday, Iraq's presidential adviser Amir Rashid said that Iraq assured complete cooperation with the UN inspectors in every aspect.

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