FACTS: IRAQ WAR
COST OF IRAQ WAR vs. OTHER WARS
Costs of Major Wars (2008 dollars and their costs as a percentage of GDP in each of their peak years)
● Iraq war....................................$648 billion (1% of GDP)
● American Revolution....................$1.8 billion (GDP# N/A)
● War of 1812....................................$1.2 billion (2.2 % of GDP)
● Civil War, Union..........................$45.2 billion (11.3 % of GDP)
● Civil War, Confederacy...............$15.2 billion (GDP# N/A)
● World War I...............................$253 billion (13.6% of GDP)
● World War II..........................$4.1 Trillion (35.8% of GDP)
● Korean War................................$320 billion (4.2% of GDP)
● Vietnam War..............................$686 billion (2.3% of GDP)
● Gulf War........................................$96 billion (0.3% of GDP)
● Afghanistan/
--Global War On Terror...............$171 billion (0.3% of GDP)
● Post 9/11 domestic security.......$33 billion (0.1% of GDP)
COST OF IRAQ WAR vs. 2008 BAILOUTS
$1.5 TRILLION DOLLARS (estimated) data here
SUMMARY: WHY IRAQ WAR
CLINTON ADMINISTRATION IN 1998: AlQaeda & Iraq have agreement to work together in weapons development
WHY IRAQ WAR
SADDAM'S MASSGRAVES
SADDAM'S LEGACY OF TERROR
SUMMARY: IRAQ WAR AUTHORIZATIONS
U.S. CONGRESS (H.J. RES. 114)
--House Votes
--Senate Votes
UNITED NATIONS (Resolution 1441)
WAR AUTHORIZATION FROM U.S. CONGRESS (H.J.RES 114):
Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002
(Enrolled as Agreed to or Passed by Both House and Senate)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c107:H.J.RES.114.ENR:
● House Final Votes: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2002/roll455.xml
● Senate Final Votes: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=107&session=2&vote=00237
● Became Public Law 107-243-OCT. 16, 2002
ARTICLES OF AUTHORIZATION (partial list)
WMD was only 1 of the reasons to go to war
● Iraq was in flagrant violation of the cease-fire, hinder the inspectors for WMDs,
● Brutal repression of its civilian population thereby threatening international peace…and failing to return property wrongfully seized by Iraq from Kuwait.
● Demonstrated use of WMD against other nations and its own people
● Willingness to attack the US including attempting in 1993 to assassinate former President Bush and by firing on many thousands of occasions on US and Coalition Armed Forces enforcing the UN resolutions.
● Al Qaeda, an organization bearing responsibility for attacks on the US, including 9-11, are known to be in Iraq
● Aiding other international terrorist organizations
● UN Resolution 678 authorizes the use of all necessary means to enforce UN resolutions to compel Iraq to cease certain activities that threaten international peace and security, including the development of WMD
● Congress has authorized the President “to use US Armed Forces pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 678
● US to support efforts to remove from power the current Iraqi regime and promote the emergence of a democratic government to replace that regime
● The President and Congress to take all appropriate actions against international terrorists including nations, organizations who planned, aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001
● To restore international peace and security to the Persian Gulf region.
WAR AUTHORIZATION FROM UNITED NATIONS (UN1441 RESOLUTION): http://www.un.org/Docs/scres/2002/sc2002.htm ,then select 'Security Council resolution 1441 (2002) 'The Situation between Iraq and Kuwait'
BILL SUMMARY:
-Iraq's non-compliance with several UN resolutions (661, 678, 686, 687, 688, 707, 715, 986, 1284) and proliferation of WMD and missiles.
-To use all necessary means to uphold resolutions and to restore international peace and security in the area
-Iraq failure to disclose all aspects of it programs to develop WMD and ballistic missiles.
-Failure to allow inspectors
BACKGROUND:
-UN1441 passed unanimously on Nov. 8, 2002 for Iraq to comply with its disarmament obligations as indicated in previous resolutions (660, 661, 678, 686, 687,l 688, 707, 715, 986, 1284)Iraq was in breach of ceasefire under Resolution 687.
-Iraq breaches on WMD, known construction of prohibited types of missiles, purchase and import of prohibited armaments, refusal to compensate Kuwait for invading them in 1991.
-Iraq's support to terrorist organizations
-Iraq used the proceeds from the "Oil For Food" UN program to purchase weapons rather than food for its people.
WMD? BEFORE BUSH, DEMOCRATS SAID SADDAM HAD WMD
BILL CLINTON & SADDAM’S WMD
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/wcomp/search.html
-select 1998 Presidental Documents, search for 'Clinton Iraq', find 'Address to the Nation Announcing Military Strikes on Iraq', 12/16/1998, page2495
BILL CLINTON-MILITARY STRIKE ON IRAQ
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/wcomp/search.html , select 1998 Presidental Documents, search for 'Clinton Iraq', find 'Address to the Nation Announcing Military Strikes on Iraq', 12/16/1998, page2494
BILL CLINTON: SADDAM A THREAT
http://frwebgate3.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdocID=67326920228+10+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve , find ‘Remarks at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia’, February 17, 1998, page270
Bill Clinton said these "predators of the twenty-first century," who are America's enemies, "will be all the more lethal if we allow them to build arsenals of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and missiles to deliver them. We simply cannot allow that to happen. There is no more clear example of this threat than Saddam Hussein's Iraq."
CLINTON'S DEPT. OF STATE
Daily Press Briefing, April 23, 1998, by James Rubin, http://www.fas.org/news/iraq/1998/04/980423db.html , search for Weapons of mass destruction
CLINTON INDICTMENT AGAINST OSAMA: SADDAM & AL-QAEDA CONNECTION
"Additionally, the indictment states that Al Qaeda reached an agreement with Iraq not to work against the regime of Saddam Hussein and that they would work cooperatively with Iraq, particularly in weapons development." http://www.fas.org/irp/news/1998/11/98110602_nlt.html , then search for "cooperatively"
JOHN KERRY
Speech “We Must Be Firm With Saddam Hussein (Senate - November 09, 1997) Page: S12254http://thomas.loc.gov/home/r105query.html , select 105 Congress, enter search for 'we must be firm with Saddam', and click links referring to the speech
MANY INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES WORLDWIDE REPORTED SADDAM HAS WMD
