Great Weapons of Mass Destruction Quotes and a Neat Opportunity

I just registered for this interesting online event:

www.peacenotpoverty.org

They use some kind of sotware to allow people to collaborate in groups of 6 or so and each craft their own statement of peace to end the Iraq war. Then these collaborations move up the line for further refinement.

It sounds like a neat idea. The conference takes place online on March 30. You can register (they need a name, email address and time of day you want to meet) by March 27th. I am meeting at the 8-10pm (or 6-8pm) slot.

In Other News: Some Amazing Quotes

[Hussein] has not developed any significant capability with respect to weapons of mass destruction. He is unable to project conventional power against his neighbors.

—Powell, 2001

But in terms of Saddam Hussein being there, let's remember that his country is divided, in effect. He does not control the northern part of his country. We are able to keep arms from him. His military forces have not been rebuilt.

—Condaleeza Rice, 2001

The danger to our country is grave and it is growing. The Iraqi regime possesses biological and chemical weapons, is rebuilding the facilities to make more and, according to the British government, could launch a biological or chemical attack in as little as 45 minutes after the order is given. The regime has long-standing and continuing ties to terrorist groups, and there are al Qaeda terrorists inside Iraq. This regime is seeking a nuclear bomb, and with fissile material could build one within a year.

—Bush, 2002

Remember, the Northern part of Iraq, which, according to Rice, Hussein does not control, is where there was at least once Al Qaeda camp, run by Al Zarqawi. This is the harboring of terrorists Bush alludes to. The support of terrorists is the giving of money to the families of suicide bombers in Israel.

Whereas the efforts of international weapons inspectors, United States intelligence agencies, and Iraqi defectors led to the discovery that Iraq had large stockpiles of chemical weapons and a large scale biological weapons program, and that Iraq had an advanced nuclear weapons development program that was much closer to producing a nuclear weapon than intelligence reporting had previously indicated;

Whereas Iraq both poses a continuing threat to the national security of the United States and international peace and security in the Persian Gulf region and remains in material and unacceptable breach of its international obligations by, among other things, continuing to possess and develop a significant chemical and biological weapons capability, actively seeking a nuclear weapons capability, and supporting and harboring terrorist organizations;

—Joint Resolution to Authorize
the Use of United States Forces
against Iraq, 2002

Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised.

—Bush, March 2003

Chief weapons inspector, Charles Duelfer, has now issued a comprehensive report that confirms the earlier conclusion of David Kay that Iraq did not have the weapons that our intelligence believed were there.

—Bush, 2004