GEORGE TENET

George Tenet, February 5, 2004, Georgetown University

“Let me be clear: Analysts differed on several important aspects of these programs and those debates were spelled out in the estimate. They never said there was an imminent threat. Rather, they painted an objective assessment for our policy-makers of a brutal dictator who was continuing his efforts to deceive and build programs that might constantly surprise us and threaten our interests. No one told us what to say or how to say it.”  (AP, 2/5/04)

Both Administration spokespeople and the President used either the word “imminent” or synonyms to describe Saddam Hussein’s “threat” to the United States.

THE ADMINISTRATION’S USE OF

THE WORD “IMMINENT”

1      Scott McClellan, White House spokesperson

“This is about an imminent threat,” said Scott McClellan on February 10, 2003, when speaking about NATO's need to stand with the United States. [Emphasis added.]

·        Ari Fleisher, White House spokesperson

On May 7, 2003, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer was asked: “Didn't we go to war because we said WMD were a direct and imminent threat to the U.S.?”

He replied: “Absolutely.”  [Emphasis added.]

2               Dan Bartlett, White House spokesperson

On January 26, 2003, when asked on Wolf Blitzer if Saddam was “an imminent threat to U.S. interests, either in that part of the world or to Americans right here at home?”  Bartlett responded: “Well, of course he is.” [Emphasis added.]

·        Donald Rumsfeld

1      On November 14, 2002, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said: “I would look you in the eye and I would say, go back before September 11 and ask yourself this question: Was the attack that took place on September 11 an imminent threat the month before or two months before or three months before or six months before? When did the attack on September 11 become an imminent threat? Now, transport yourself forward a year, two years or a week or a month...So the question is, when is it such an immediate threat that you must do something?” [Emphasis added.]

2      On September 18, 2002, Rumsfeld said: “Some have argued that the nuclear threat from Iraq is not imminent - that Saddam is at least 5-7 years away from having nuclear weapons. I would not be so certain. And we should be just as concerned about the immediate threat from biological weapons. Iraq has these weapons.” [Emphasis added.]

SYNONYMS

·        President George Bush  

-         “The Iraqi regime is a threat of unique urgency.” (October 2, 2002) [Emphasis added.]

1       “There’s a grave threat in Iraq. There just is.” (October 2, 2002) [Emphasis added.]

2       “The Iraqi regime is a serious and growing threat to peace.” (October 16, 2002) [Emphasis added.]

3       “There is real threat, in my judgment, a real and dangerous threat to America in Iraq in the form of Saddam Hussein.”  (October 28, 2002) [Emphasis added.]

4       “The world is also uniting to answer the unique and urgent threat posed by Iraq whose dictator has already used weapons of mass destruction to kill thousands.”  (November 23, 2002) [Emphasis added.]

5       “I see a significant threat to the security of the United States in Iraq.” (November 1, 2002) [Emphasis added.]

6       “This man poses a much graver threat than anybody could have possibly imagined.” (September 26, 2002) [Emphasis added.]

·        V.P. Dick Cheney

1      On August 29, 2002, Vice President Cheney said: “Iraq is busy enhancing its capabilities in the field of chemical and biological agents, and they continue to pursue an aggressive nuclear weapons program. These are offensive weapons for the purpose of inflicting death on a massive scale, developed so that Saddam Hussein can hold the threat over the head of any one he chooses. What we must not do in the face of this mortal threat is to give in to wishful thinking or to willful blindness.” [Emphasis added.]

2      On January 30, 2003, Vice President Cheney said: Iraq poses “terrible threats to the civilized world.” [Emphasis added.]

3      On January 31, 2003, Cheney said: Iraq is “a serious threat to our country, to our friends, and to our allies.”  [Emphasis added.]

·        Donald Rumsfeld

1      On September 19, 2002, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said: “No terrorist state poses a greater or more immediate threat to the security of our people and the stability of our world than the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq.” [Emphasis added.]

2      On January 29, 2003, Rumsfeld said: “Iraq poses a serious and mounting threat to our country.  His regime has the design for a nuclear weapon, was working on several different methods of enriching uranium, and recently was discovered seeking significant quantities of uranium from Africa.” [Emphasis added.]

3      On January 20, 2003, Rumsfeld said: “Saddam Hussein possesses chemical and biological weapons. Iraq poses a threat to the security of our people and to the stability of the world that is distinct from any other. It’s a danger to its neighbors, to the United States, to the Middle East and to the international peace and stability. It’s a danger we cannot ignore. Iraq and North Korea are both repressive dictatorships to be sure and both pose threats. But Iraq is unique. In both word and deed, Iraq has demonstrated that it is seeking the means to strike the United States and our friends and allies with weapons of mass destruction.” [Emphasis added.]

3      Scott McClellan, White House spokesperson

On July 17, 2003, Spokesman Scott McClellan said: Iraq was  “the most dangerous threat of our time.” [Emphasis added.]

4      Claire Buchan, White House spokesperson

On August 26, 2003, Spokeswoman Claire Buchan said: “There's no question that Iraq was a threat to the people of the United States.”