Saddam refused to comply with UN resolution

[chelaque liberal]

Bush said it in his famous press conference where he couldn't think of anything he had done wrong. "Saddam chose war."

William Kristol said it in Fresh Air interview yesterday.

My question:

Since the were no WMD, and Saddam had let the inspectors in, how did he fail to comply with the resolution?

[malatesta1137]

1. Kristal is a human beast.

He'll lie as many times as necessary.

[chelaque liberal]

3. No argument here about Kristol, or any of the PNAC slime,

but I'm questioning the excuse for the invasion.

Did Saddam refuse to comply if Iraq didn't have WMD?

[cornermouse]

2. I heard Kristol interviewed yesterday.

As I remember what he said was something along the line that when a leader fails/refuses? to do what he says he will do, he will lose his position and now the world knows that.

I was wondering if what Saddam refused to "do" was maybe something that was not made public. Not that I have any sympathy for Saddam, but at least Iraq wasn't well on its way to becoming yet another Islamic nation.

[keithyboy]

4. Remember, this war was 'thrust upon us' So said Bush.

The lies are astounding!

[radwriter0555]

5. Israel has refused to comply with 78 resolutions. When we gonna attack

Them?

[DemonFighterLives]

6. They keep repeating that

And the Freeps keep lapping it up. Even the IWR did not justify attack of Iraq when it appeared they were complying with the UN.

They issued their weapons documents which were subsequently intercepted and edited by the US. The sick SOB's wanted endless war and that is what * started.

[Tyler Durden]

7. We are NOT the UN's "Bully Boys."

The UN passed the resolution, and there is nothing on Earth that makes us legally allowed to unilaterally enforce a UN Resolution. In fact, we were told by the UN that we did not have this authority.

The fact that PNAC has publicly advocated the overthrow of Saddam Hussein since the middle of the Clinton Administration and that the PNAC is now effectively running the country, AND that the vast majority of this country answer the "Do you know what PNAC stands for?" with a resounding "DUHH!" is proof positive to me that this country is on the fast track to a Theocratic/Fascist Dictatorship, and it's time to get out while you can.

[NewJeffCT]

8. He did comply, no?

I thought he complied, but that the Bush Admin didn't like how the completeness of his complying? Randi Rhodes said it a lot better than me a few weeks back.

Bush also promised to go back to the UN for a second vote - but, reneged on that promise when the secretly bugged security council offices revealed Bush would lose the vote.

[lefty_mcduff]

9. Saddam also emptied his jails of 'political prisoners' as per the US

and UN demands.

Course, there were criminals in these jails too (remember Cuba) and it is many of these guys that US troops find themselves battling.

Saddam was also bulldozing missles (with slightly more range than allowed) right up until the day before Shrub's war was launched. He also offered to hand over Iraq oil fields to Bush days before,

No, I'm sorry - Bush chose war.

BTW - Kristol's an evil fuck.

[BonjourUSA]

10. Bush, did he consent to comply with any resolutions ?

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. Was there ever a sober analysis of Saddam's report?

After UN resolution 1441, Iraq produced a report (I can remember everyone saying it was huge) of which the overall message was 'we don't have any WMD anymore'. It was swiftly scorned by most western media, but I can't remember specific reasons for this. Has anyone ever checked it thoroughly to see how it matched the reality we found?
I tried finding an analysis before, but came up with nothing. Has anyone seen one?

[jayfish]

12. Half Of It Was Redacted By The US Government Before It...

was turned over to the UN. Although the declarations conclusion was not changed by this, how can one offer a sober analysis on half a report?

[muriel_volestrangler]

13. Not a complete analysis, but an opinion by Blix

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0909-01.htm

"Blix Says Iraq's Weapons Declaration May Have Been True"

and this PDF from the State department says the 'problems' with the Iraq declaration were:
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/25382.pdf
no verifiable account of growth media for biological agents
no reasonable explanation for manufacturing rocket fuels for
missiles beyond its current limited capabilities
no account of efforts to procure uranium from Niger
no information about VX production
no account of chemical and biological weapons destruction
no account of empty munitions that could be filled with chemical
agents
no explanation of a connection between unmanned aerial vehicle
(UAV) programs and biological agent dispersal.

The Niger uranium was shown to be a hoax; the UAVs for reconnaisance. I think it was left with the rockets having an illegally long range; and inadequate documentation for the destruction of chemical weapons and their production capability - which Blix on March 7th said he wanted to do more interviews for. Given the later conclusions that Saddam's scientists had lied to him, I guess this means the one thing that was a real lie in the declaration was the range of the rockets. Not much of a reason for war, was it?

[chelaque liberal]

14. It always struck me that Saddam was require to prove a negative.

"Prove that you don't have WMD"


"Prove that you didn't murder that man"????
"Prove that you didn't rob that bank."???

Saddam was guilty until proven innocent. I'm not saying I support Saddam. I support a just legal system.

[Deb-Ter]

15. I don't think he was required to prove a negative,

as much as he was required to show what he did with the weapons he had declared previously.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

18. What weapons? Has anyone found any yet?...

Are these the same weapons that the UN inspectors certified in 1995 that Iraq no longer had?

How can you be required to show what you don't have, much less present paperwork that is not going to be believed anyway?

[Gothmog]

16. Saddam was not in breach of the UN resolutions

1441 specifically provided that only the UN Security Council could declare Iraq to be in default and the Security Council never passed such a resolution. It was clear that Saddam was cooperating with the UN inspectors.

Bush claimed that Saddam was in breach in part because Iraq did not disclose the purchase of yellowcake from Niger. This was despite the fact that Bush and the CIA knew that the yellowcake story was false.

[BonjourUSA]

17. What would that have changed ?

His fate was closed tightly as of the day of the Bush's election.