    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book I)]
    [February 8, 2003]
    [Pages 140-141]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    February 8, 2003

        Good morning. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Powell briefed the United Nations Security Council on Iraq's
    illegal weapons programs, its attempts to hide those weapons, and its
    links to terrorist groups.
        The Iraqi regime's violations of Security Council resolutions are
    evident. They are dangerous to America and the world, and they continue
    to this hour.
        The regime has never accounted for a vast arsenal of deadly
    biological and chemical weapons. To the contrary, the regime is pursuing
    an elaborate campaign to conceal its weapons materials and to hide or
    intimidate key experts and scientists. This effort of deception is
    directed from the highest levels of the Iraqi regime, including Saddam
    Hussein, his son,
    Iraq's Vice President, Yasin and the very
    official responsible for cooperating with inspectors.
        The Iraqi regime has actively and secretly attempted to obtain
    equipment needed to produce chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons.
    Firsthand witnesses have informed us that Iraq has at least seven mobile
    factories for the production of biological agents, equipment mounted on
    trucks and rails to evade discovery.
        The Iraqi regime has acquired and tested the means to deliver
    weapons of mass destruction. It has never accounted for thousands of
    bombs and shells capable of delivering chemical weapons. It is actively
    pursuing components for prohibited ballistic missiles. And we have
    sources that tell us that Saddam Hussein
    recently authorized Iraqi field commanders to use chemical weapons, the
    very weapons the dictator tells us he does not have.
        One of the greatest dangers we face is that weapons of mass
    destruction might be passed to terrorists who would not hesitate to use
    those weapons. Saddam Hussein has
    longstanding, direct, and continuing ties to terrorist networks. Senior
    members of Iraqi intelligence and Al Qaida have met at least 8 times
    since the early 1990s. Iraq has sent bombmaking and document forgery
    experts to work with Al Qaida. Iraq has also provided Al Qaida with
    chemical and biological weapons training. And an Al Qaida operative was
    sent to Iraq several times in the late 1990s for help in acquiring
    poisons and gases.
        We also know that Iraq is harboring a terrorist network headed by a
    senior Al Qaida terrorist planner. This network runs

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    a poison and explosives training camp in northeast Iraq, and many of its
    leaders are known to be in Baghdad.
        This is the situation as we find it: 12 years after Saddam
    Hussein agreed to disarm and more than 90
    days after the Security Council passed Resolution 1441 by a unanimous
    vote, Saddam Hussein was required to make a full declaration of his
    weapons programs. He has not done so. Saddam Hussein was required to
    fully cooperate in the disarmament of his regime. He has not done so.
    Saddam Hussein was given a final chance. He is throwing away that
    chance.
        Having made its demands, the Security Council must not back down
    when those demands are defied and mocked by a dictator. The United
    States would welcome and support a new resolution making clear that the
    Security Council stands behinds its previous demands. Yet, resolutions
    mean little without resolve, and the United States, along with a growing
    coalition of nations, will take whatever action is necessary to defend
    ourselves and disarm the Iraqi regime.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 9:15 a.m. on February 7 in the Cabinet
    Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on February 8. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    February 7 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. In his
    remarks, the President referred to President Saddam Hussein of Iraq and
    his son Qusay; and Vice President Taha Yasin Ramadan and presidential
    adviser Lt. Gen. Amir Al-Saadi of Iraq. The Office of the Press
    Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of this address.