    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
    [December 7, 2002]
    [Pages 2170-2171]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    December 7, 2002

        Good morning. This weekend is the deadline for the Iraqi regime to
    fully disclose to the U.N. Security Council all of its weapons of mass
    destruction. Disarming that regime is a central commitment of the war on
    terror. We must and we will prevent

    [[Page 2171]]

    terrorist groups and outlaw regimes from threatening the American people
    with catastrophic harm.
        Saddam Hussein has been under a duty to
    disarm for more than a decade, yet he has consistently and
    systematically violated that obligation and undermined U.N. inspections.
    And he only admitted to a massive biological weapons program after being
    confronted with the evidence.
        Now the U.N. Security Council and the United States have told Saddam
    Hussein: The game is over. Saddam Hussein
    will fully disarm himself of weapons of mass destruction, and if he does
    not, America will lead a coalition to disarm him.
        As the new inspections process proceeds, the United States will be
    making only one judgment: Has Saddam Hussein
    changed his behavior of the last 11 years and decided to cooperate
    willingly and comply completely, or has he not?
        Inspections will work only if Iraq complies fully and in good faith.
    Inspectors do not have the duty or the ability to uncover terrible
    weapons hidden in a vast country. The responsibility of inspectors is
    simply to confirm evidence of voluntary and total disarmament. Saddam
    Hussein has the responsibility to provide
    that evidence, as directed and in full.
        The world expects more than Iraq's cooperation with inspectors. The
    world expects and requires Iraq's complete, willing, and prompt
    disarmament. It is not enough for Iraq to merely open doors for
    inspectors. Compliance means bringing all requested information and
    evidence out into full view to show that Iraq has abandoned the
    deceptions of the last decade. Any act of delay or defiance will prove
    that Saddam Hussein has not adopted the path
    of compliance and has rejected the path of peace.
        Thus far we are not seeing the fundamental shift in practice and
    attitude that the world is demanding. Iraq's letters to the U.N.
    regarding inspections show that their attitude is grudging and
    conditional. And in recent days, Iraq has fired on American and British
    pilots enforcing the U.N.'s no-fly zone.
        Iraq is now required by the United Nations to provide a full and
    accurate declaration of its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic
    missile programs. We will judge the declaration's honesty and
    completeness only after we have thoroughly examined it, and that will
    take some time. The declaration must be credible and accurate and
    complete, or the Iraqi dictator will have
    demonstrated to the world once again that he has chosen not to change
    his behavior.
        Americans seek peace in the world. War is the last option for
    confronting threats, yet the temporary peace of denial and looking away
    from danger would only be a prelude to a broader war and greater horror.
    America will confront gathering dangers early. By showing our resolve
    today, we are building a future of peace.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 10 a.m. on December 6 in the Cabinet
    Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on December 7. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    December 6 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. In his
    remarks, the President referred to President Saddam Hussein of Iraq. The
    Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language
    transcript of this address.