[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 101 (Thursday, July 10, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H6468]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
WHY DID THE U.S. GO TO WAR AGAINST IRAQ?
(Mr. KUCINICH asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute.)
Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, why did the U.S. go to war against Iraq?
The day after 9/11, according to this book, Secretary Rumsfeld raised
the possibility that the administration could take advantage of the
opportunity offered by the terrorist attacks to go after Saddam
immediately. This, even though there was no evidence connecting Iraq to
9/11.
Why did the U.S. go to war against Iraq? On September 18, 2002, Mr.
Rumsfeld told Congress, ``Hussein has at this moment stockpiles of
chemical and biological weapons and is pursuing nuclear weapons.''
There was no evidence of that either.
Why did the U.S. go to war against Iraq? Yesterday Mr. Rumsfeld told
Congress it was not because we had discovered dramatic new evidence of
Iraq's pursuit of weapons of mass destruction. ``We acted because we
saw the evidence in a dramatic new light through the prism of our
experience on 9/11.''
Why did the U.S. go to war against Iraq? 9/11 was an excuse, no
imminent threat, no weapons of mass destruction.
Now, the administration keeps changing its story, but they cannot
change the facts. They led this Nation into war against a Nation that
had not attacked us, that had no intention or capability of attacking
us. Congress must hold public hearings because the truth and our
democracy is at stake.
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