Bush Makes Case

President Bush addressed the nation last night to lay out his policy for Iraq. No new evidence was presented — some compared it to “closing arguments” that a prosecutor would make at the end of a trial. The three major networks did not carry the speech, indicating that the White House did not request the coverage. That did not stop the White House from being somewhat disappointed over the lack of coverage. Read more for the major points.

The New York Times provided their full transcription of the President’s speech.

Why Iraq?

Weapons of Mass Destruction, in the hands of a “murderous tyrant” who attacked his neighbors and has attacked his own people.

Why Now?

It will only get worse if we wait. We know he has harbored terrorists. He could provide chemical and biological weapons to them, and they can easily be delivered, unlike conventional or nuclear weapons.

Won’t this distract from the war on terror?

No. It’s the same war.

Do they have a nuclear weapons program? When will they have the bomb?

Yes, they do. They will have the bomb very soon.

Why not send in UN inspectors?

We’ve already tried that, and Iraq keeps messing with them. The UN needs a new way of enforcing its resolutions. The UN must be able to go wherever it wants to perform surprise inspections. It must also be able to take Iraqis and their families outside Iraq for interviews, so they can’t be intimidated.

What should Iraq do?

Stop developing weapons of mass destruction, and comply with all UN resolutions. If they do that, we won’t have to attack. It’s more likely, though, that they won’t cooperate.

Won’t attacking Iraq make the Middle East unstable?

It can’t get worse. Overthrowing Saddam will allow the Iraqi people to flourish.