*EPF401 10/07/2004
Transcript: Bush Says Iraq Action Justified Even Without WMD Discovery
(Says Saddam undermined sanctions, intended to restart weapons program) (670)

President Bush said despite the fact that the Iraq Survey Group has issued a report concluding that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction, the United States and its coalition allies were justified in taking military action to remove Saddam Hussein from power.

Speaking to reporters at the White House October 7, Bush said the report (http://www.odci.gov/cia/reports/iraq_wmd_2004/index.html), issued by Chief Weapons Inspector Charles Duelfer on October 6, showed Saddam Hussein was both trying to undermine U.N. sanctions and intending to restart his weapons of mass destruction program.

"The Duelfer report showed that Saddam was systematically gaming the system, using the U.N. Oil-for-Food Program to try to influence countries and companies in an effort to undermine sanctions. He was doing so with the intent of restarting his weapons program, once the world looked away," Bush said.

The Iraqi leader "retained the knowledge, the materials, the means, and the intent to produce weapons of mass destruction. And he could have passed that knowledge on to our terrorist enemies," Bush said, adding "America and the world are safer for our actions."

The president also said the Duelfer report "makes clear that much of the accumulated body of 12 years of our intelligence and that of our allies was wrong."

"[W]e must find out why and correct the flaws," he said.

Bush said the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction, also known as the Silberman-Robb commission, is meeting for that purpose.

"At a time of many threats in the world, the intelligence on which the President and members of Congress base their decisions must be better -- and it will be," Bush said.

Following is the transcript of President Bush's remarks:

(begin transcript)

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
October 7, 2004

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT UPON DEPARTURE

The South Grounds

1:24 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Chief weapons inspector, Charles Duelfer, has now issued a comprehensive report that confirms the earlier conclusion of David Kay that Iraq did not have the weapons that our intelligence believed were there.

The Duelfer report also raises important new information about Saddam Hussein's defiance of the world and his intent and capability to develop weapons. The Duelfer report showed that Saddam was systematically gaming the system, using the U.N. oil-for-food program to try to influence countries and companies in an effort to undermine sanctions. He was doing so with the intent of restarting his weapons program, once the world looked away.

Based on all the information we have today, I believe we were right to take action, and America is safer today with Saddam Hussein in prison. He retained the knowledge, the materials, the means, and the intent to produce weapons of mass destruction. And he could have passed that knowledge on to our terrorist enemies. Saddam Hussein was a unique threat, a sworn enemy of our country, a state sponsor of terror, operating in the world's most volatile region. In a world after September the 11th, he was a threat we had to confront. And America and the world are safer for our actions.

The Duelfer report makes clear that much of the accumulated body of 12 years of our intelligence and that of our allies was wrong, and we must find out why and correct the flaws. The Silberman-Robb commission is now at work to do just that, and its work is important and essential. At a time of many threats in the world, the intelligence on which the President and members of Congress base their decisions must be better -- and it will be.

I look forward to the Intelligence Reform Commission's recommendations, and we will act on them to improve our intelligence, especially our intelligence about weapons of mass destruction.

Thank you all very much.

END 1:27 P.M. EDT

(end transcript)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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