US,
UK, Spain: ‘Iraq in Material Breach’
Only hours
after leaders Aznar, Blair and Bush issued the final countdown
for Iraq to disarm, their UN ambassadors, led by Sir Jeremy Greenstock
of the United Kingdom, were the first to announce that time is
up for Iraq according to UN Resolution 1441. The refusal of a
certain country [France] to consider compromises or proposals
on the Iraqi disarmament issue has led to the decision not to
"pursue a vote on the draft UK, US, Spanish resolution,"
said Greenstock. He also declared that the "co-sponsors reserve
their right to take their own steps to secure the disarmament
of Iraq." Spanish and US ambassadors gave similar statements
and declared that Iraq was in ‘material breach’ of UN Resolution
1441.
France immediately
followed with a protest even before Iraq itself.
At the Emergency
Summit on Sunday, from the Azores, the leaders Prime Minister
Jose Maria Aznar, Prime Minister Tony Blair, U.S. President Bush
and Portuguese Prime Minister Joe Manuel Durao Barroso declared
that attempts at diplomacy for the Iraqi dictator was clearly
coming to an end, and that the UN Security Council Resolution
1441 has provided an end to the 12 year appeal to Saddam to give
up weapons of mass terror to the world.
"We have
joined this initiative and we organized it here in the Azores
because we thought this was the last opportunity for a political
solution," said Portuguese Prime Minister Joe Manuel Durao
Barroso, "and this is how we see it, this is the last possibility
for a political solution to the problem. Maybe it’s a small chance,
a small possibility, but even if it’s one in one million, it’s
always worthwhile fighting for a political solution. And I think
this is the message that we can get from this Atlantic summit."
The
leaders discussed the severity of the threat Iraq poses to the
world, U.S. President Bush said Saddam is "a sponsor of terrorism.
He’s an obstacle to progress in the Middle East. For decades he
has been the cruel, cruel oppressor of the Iraq people."
"On
this very day 15 years ago, Saddam Hussein launched a chemical
weapons attack on the Iraqi village of Halabja."
Even though
Saddam Hussein has said he has no weapons of mass destruction,
he issued another threat Sunday to use terror on innocent people
around the world. He threatened that no one would be safe anywhere
on the earth.
Saddam’ s
threats reaffirm what intelligence sources have known of his connection
and support of terror around the world and his ardent intent to
use his weapons build up to carry out larger attacks and more
of the many terror attacks promised by him since 1988 when he
poisoned millions of Muslims in Iraq and the country of Kuwait.
At the emergency
summit Sunday, Prime Minister Blair addressed the divide in the
world over the issue Saddam has created. Blair said, "I think
this is one of the things that is tragic about this situation,
that Saddam plays these games and we carry on allowing him to
play them… The threat is there and everyone accepts it: the
threat of weapons of mass destruction, the threat of weapons of
mass destruction in the hands of terrorists who will cause maximum
damage to our people. Everybody accepts the disarmament of Saddam
has to happen. Everybody accepts that he was supposed to cooperate
fully with the inspectors. Everybody accepts that he is not
doing so."
Quotes
by Saddam Hussein on Terrorism:
Iraq Masses
Troops Against Kuwait, October 1994
"Does [America] realize the meaning of every Iraqi becoming
a missile that can cross to countries and cities?"
Saddam Hussein, September 29, 1994
"[I]t
is possible to turn to biological attack, where a small can, not
bigger than the size of a hand, can be used to release viruses
that affect everything…"
Babil, September 20, 2001 (State-controlled newspaper)
Saddam
on U.S.S. Cole Bombing, October 12, 2000:
"[Iraqis]
should intensify struggle and jihad in all fields and by all means…"
Iraq TV, October 22, 2000 (State-controlled)
Saddam
On 9-11 Terror Attacks:
"The
real perpetrators [of September 11] are within the collapsed buildings."
Alif-Ba, September 11, 2002 (State-controlled newspaper)
"If the
attacks of September 11 cost the lives of 3,000 civilians, how
much will the size of losses in 50 states within 100 cities if
it were attacked in the same way in which New York and Washington
were? What would happen if hundreds of planes attacked American
cities?"
Al-Rafidayn,
September 11, 2002 (State-controlled newspaper)
Prime Minister
Blair in the past weeks has gone on world wide television to give
important information on the threat Saddam poses to the world
and has engaged in rigorous question and answer forums. Both Blair
and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar have gone to their
respective parliaments and have battled opposition with success.
At the heart of the leaders’ arguments is the security of the
world and that waiting more than 12 years to diffuse a ticking
time bomb is more than dangerous.
Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar stressed the importance of a
secure world, free from terrorism and the liberty to live in freedom:
"We have
renewed Atlantic commitment on our common values and principles,
in favor of democracy, freedom and the rule of law.
"We
understand that the expression of this commitment is essential,
by way of guarantee of peace, security and international freedom.
And I honestly believe that there is no other alternative to the
expression of the Atlantic commitment in terms of security. We
are committed on a day-to-day fight against new threats, such
as terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, and tyrannic regimes
that do not comply with international law. They threaten all of
us, and we must all act, consequently.
"This
transatlantic link, this transatlantic solidarity has always been,
is, and should continue to be, in my opinion, a great European
commitment, and as such, amongst other things, we express it this
way — without this commitment, today’s Europe could not be understood.
And without that commitment, it would be very difficult to picture
the Europe of tomorrow.
"So
I would like to invite our friends, our allies, to leave aside
any circumstantial differences and to work together seriously
for that commitment of democracy, freedom and peace, so that this
becomes a commitment of us all."
Azores
Press Conference: President Bush, Prime Minister Blair, President
Aznar, and Prime Minister Barroso
Community
Activity Center Ballroom
Lajes Field
Terceira, The Azores, Portugal
5:30
P.M. (Local)
March 16, 2003
PRIME
MINISTER BARROSO:
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I am very pleased to welcome
here in the Azores the leaders of three friends and allied countries,
the United States, Spain and United Kingdom. President Bush, Prime
Minister Aznar, and Prime Minister Tony Blair. (See
Full Statements Here)