Originally posted by: dmcowen674
2-8-2004
Bush Says Saddam Had Capacity for Nukes and WMD was destroyed by his henchmen as we Invaded Iraq
"I repeat to you what I strongly believe, that inaction in Iraq would have emboldened Saddam Hussein," Bush said. "He could have developed a nuclear weapon over time ? I'm not saying immediately, but over time. ... We would have been in a position of blackmail. In other words, you can't rely upon a madman."
Defending his decision to invade Iraq, President Bush said that although stockpiles of biological and chemical weapons have not been found.
"They could have been destroyed during the war. Saddam and his henchmen could have destroyed them as we entered into Iraq," Bush said. "They could be hidden. They could have been transported to another country, and we'll find out."
Bush said he decided to go to war based on the intelligence he had at hand about Saddam, but said CIA Director George Tenet's job is not in jeopardy. "I strongly believe the CIA is ably led by George Tenet," he said.
While Bush heavily based the decision to wage war on the rationale that Saddam had forbidden weapons at the ready, the president continued in the interview to emphasize his contention about Saddam's dictatorial rule ? that Saddam brutalized Iraqis
and had connections to terrorist groups.
He also said his policy to cut taxes was responsible for driving the economic rebound and putting the country on the road to recovering the more than 2 million jobs lost since he took office in 2001.