Any reader of the Letters to the Editor in the major daily newspapers, will realize that the letters seem to be cooridanated with other writers and appear to have the same source of information that substantiate their position on Iraq. I also note the same names from time to time that write these types of articles. It would appear that “move-on-.org” might be a source. In my opinion these writers with selective amnesia need to look back a few years about what really was said about Iraq by the sources that they love to quote. The following are statements made by Democrat leaders over several years which do not jibe with what they are now saying:

President Clinton, 4 Feb. 1998
“One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line.”

President Clinton , 17 Feb. 1998
“If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction.”

Madeleine Albright, 18 Feb 1998
“Iraq is a long way from [here] but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face.”

Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, 18 Feb. 1998
“He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983.”

Letter to President Clinton, signed by Sens. Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry and others, 9 Oct. 1998
“We urge you, after consulting with Congress and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq’s refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs”

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca), 16 Dec. 1998
“Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process”

Letter to President Bush, signed by Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fl) and others, 5 Dec 2001.
“There is no doubt that…Saddam Husssein has reinvigorated his weapons programs. Reports indicate that biologlcal, chemical and nuclear programs continue apace and may be back to pre-Gulf War status. In addition, Saddam continues to redefine delivery systems and is doubtless using the cover of a illicit missile program to develop longer-range missiles that will threaten the United States and our allies.

Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) 19 Sept. 2002
“We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tryant and a threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandate of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and the means of delivering them.”

Al Gore, 23 Sept. 2002
“We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country.”

Sen. Ted Kennedy, (D-MA) 27 Sept, 2002
“We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction.”

Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) 3 Oct, 2002
“The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities. Intelligence reports indicate he is seeking nuclear weapons.”

Sen. Jay Rockefeller, (D-WV) 3 Oct. 2002
“There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will have nuclear weapons within the next five years… We also should remember we have always underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction.

Rep. Henry Waxman ( D-CA) 10 Oct 2002
“He has systematically violated over the course of the past 11 years every significant UN resolution that has demanded that he disarm and destroy his chemical and biological weapons, and any nuclear capacity. This he has refused to do.”

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) 10 Oct 2002
“In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given a id and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members. It is clear, however, that if left un-checked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare and and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons.”

Sen. John F. Kerry (D-MA) 23 Jan 2003
“Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime…He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation… And now he is miscalculating America’s response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction… So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real…”

      Some of the letters to the Editor contain the following types of verbiage:” We went to war because of Halliburton and oil, Bush lied and people died, Bush knew beforehand of 9/11, Bush and Cheney planted bombs in the world trade center, Saddam had no connection with Al-Qaeda,” and much more.

      On the issue of no connection with Al-Qaeda, one only has to read the book , The Looming Tower and page 295 “Iraq was an unlikely ally in al-Qaeda’s war on the West, but there had been a series of contacts between Iraq and al-Qaeda since the end of the first Gulf War”. In the book, The Connection, the author, Sterphen F. Hayes shows how al-Qaeda’s collaboration with Saddam Hussein has endangered America. It is understandable why the liberal media omit these sources because of their agenda that states there was never a connection.

      If only the Democrats would admit what they originally stated about Iraq and work with the rest of our Senate and House reps to find a solution as a nation instead of speaking of defeat and putting our brave men and women in harm’s way. Their attitude is a sad commentrary on our nation.

Gary Marsella

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