**WHO SAID IT?**

-   There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working
    aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear
    weapons within the next 5 years. He could have it earlier if he is
    able to obtain fissile materials on the outside market, which is
    possible---difficult but possible. We also should remember we have
    always underestimated the progress that Saddam Hussein has been able
    to make in the development of weapons of mass destruction. **--
    Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, Congressional Record, October 10,
    2002.**

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Saddam Hussein represents a grave threat to the United States. --
    **Vice Chairman John Rockefeller, Statement on the Senate Floor,
    Oct. 10, 2002**.

-   When you look at what Saddam Hussein has at his disposal, in terms
    of chemical, biological, and perhaps even nuclear weapons, we cannot
    ignore the threat that he poses to the region and the fact that he
    has fomented terrorism throughout his reign. -- **Senator Dick
    Durbin, CNN's Larry King Live, "The Hunt for Bin Laden Intensifies;
    What is to be done with John Walker?," December 21, 2001.**

-   When I consider that Hussein could either use or give to terrorists
    weapons of mass destruction biological, chemical or nuclear and that
    he might just be mad enough to do it I find, after careful research,
    the answer to my question: we cannot afford to leave him alone over
    the next 5 or even 3 years. **-- Senator Charles Schumer, Statement
    on the Senate Floor, October 10, 2002.**

-   While the distance between the United States and Iraq is great,
    Saddam Hussein's ability to use his chemical and biological weapons
    against us is not constrained by geography, it can be accomplished
    in a number of ways which is what makes this threat so real and
    persuasive. -- **Senator Dianne Feinstein, Statement on the Senate
    Floor, October 10, 2002.**

-   Saddam is dangerous. The world would be a better place without him.
    But the reason he poses a growing danger to the United States and
    its allies is that he possesses chemical and biological weapons and
    is seeking nuclear weapons, with the \$2 billion a year he illegally
    skims from the U.N. oil-for-food program. -- **Senator Joseph Biden,
    Statement on the Senate Floor, October 10, 2002.**

-   The President has rightly called Saddam Hussein\'s efforts to
    develop weapons of mass destruction a grave and gathering threat to
    Americans. The global community has tried but has failed to address
    that threat over the past decade. I have come to the inescapable
    conclusion that the threat posed to America by Saddam\'s weapons of
    mass destruction is so serious that despite the risks and we should
    not minimize the risks we must authorize the President to take the
    necessary steps to deal with that threat\.... There has been some
    debate over how \"imminent\" a threat Iraq poses. I do believe Iraq
    poses an imminent threat. I also believe after September 11, that
    question is increasingly outdated. It is in the nature of these
    weapons that he has and the way they are targeted against civilian
    populations, that documented capability and demonstrated intent may
    be the only warning we get. To insist on further evidence could put
    some of our fellow Americans at risk. Can we afford to take that
    chance? I do not think we can. -- **Vice Chairman John Rockefeller,
    Statement on the Senate Floor, October 10, 2002.**

-   There is no question that Iraq possesses biological and chemical
    weapons and that he seeks to acquire additional weapons of mass
    destruction, including nuclear weapons. That is not in debate. **--
    Senator Christopher Dodd, Statement on the Senate Floor, October 9,
    2002.**

-   I have also concluded that his possession of weapons of mass death,
    and the real likelihood that he will develop the capability for
    using them against us to deter us from restraining him at some
    future point, or the risk of those weapons -- nuclear, biological,
    chemical weapons -- falling into the hands of suicidal terrorists
    represent too great a risk to our country. -- **Senator Evan Bayh,
    Statement on the Senate, October 8, 2002.**

-   In the four years since the inspectors, intelligence reports show
    that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and
    biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his
    nuclear program . . . It is clear, however, that if left unchecked,
    Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capability to wage
    biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop
    nuclear weapons. *--* **Senator Hillary Clinton, Statement on the
    Senate Floor, October 10, 2002.**

-   I think that if we look at declassified CIA reports and the British
    white paper, we can see that Iraq does continue to develop, produce,
    and stockpile chemical and biological weapons. And he's trying to
    get the technology and materials to produce nuclear weapons. So
    these threats cannot and must not be ignored. **-- Senator Barbara
    Mikulski, Statement on the Senate Floor, October 8, 2002.**

-   Saddam's existing biological and chemical weapons capabilities pose
    real threats to America today, tomorrow . . . . He could make these
    weapons available to many terrorist groups, third parties, which
    have contact with his government. Those groups, in turn, could bring
    those weapons into the United States and unleash a devastating
    attack against our citizens. I fear that greatly. **-- Vice Chairman
    John Rockefeller, Statement on the Senate Floor, October 10, 2002.**

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Saddam Hussein is an evil man, a dictator who oppresses his people
    and flouts the mandate of the international community. While this
    behavior is reprehensible, it is Hussein\'s vigorous pursuit of
    biological, chemical and nuclear weapons, and his present and
    potential future support for terrorist acts and organizations, that
    make him a terrible danger to the people to the United States. --
    **Senator Charles Schumer, Congressional Record, October 10, 2002.**

-   We know that he has chemical and biological weapons. He has already
    used them against his neighbors and his own people, and is trying to
    build more. We know that he is doing everything he can to build
    nuclear weapons, and we know that each day he gets closer to
    achieving that goal. **-- Senator John Edwards, Congressional
    Record, October 10, 2002.**

-   Almost no one disagrees with these basic facts: that Saddam Hussein
    is a tyrant and a menace; that he has weapons of mass destruction
    and that he is doing everything in his power to get nuclear weapons;
    that he has supported terrorists; that he is a grave threat to the
    region, to vital allies like Israel, and to the United States; and
    that he is thwarting the will of the international community and
    undermining the United Nations\' credibility. **-- Senator John
    Edwards, Congressional Record, October 10, 2002**

-   According to the CIA\'s report, all U.S. intelligence experts agree
    that Iraq is seeking nuclear weapons. There is little question that
    Saddam Hussein wants to develop nuclear weapons. The more difficult
    question to answer is when Iraq could actually achieve this goal.
    That depends on is its ability to acquire weapons-grade fissile
    material. If Iraq could acquire this material from abroad, the CIA
    estimates that it could have a nuclear weapon within 1 year. **--
    Senator John Kerry, October 9, 2002.**

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Saddam's existing biological and chemical weapons capabilities pose
    real threats to America today, tomorrow. Saddam has used chemical
    weapons before, both against Iraq\'s enemies and against his own
    people. He is working to develop delivery systems like missiles and
    unmanned aerial vehicles that could bring these deadly weapons
    against U.S. forces and U.S. facilities in the Middle East. He could
    make these weapons available to many terrorist groups, third
    parties, which have contact with his government. Those groups, in
    turn, could bring those weapons into the United States and unleash a
    devastating attack against our citizens. I fear that greatly. **--
    Senator John D. Rockefeller IV**, **Congressional Record, October
    10, 2002.**

-   In addition, Iraq is developing unmanned aerial vehicles UAVs,
    capable of delivering chemical and biological warfare agents, which
    could threaten Iraq\'s neighbors as well as American forces in the
    Persian Gulf. **-- Senator John Kerry**, **Congressional Record,
    October 9, 2002.**

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Is \[Saddam Hussein\] a greater threat than he was in 1991? He
    surely is. There\'s different ways of launching scuds and all kinds
    that go faster, farther. There is no question on that... And if
    \[our allies\] are not there for us, does that mean in this debate,
    precedent-based, historically-based, that we sort of sit and take
    it, or are we going to end up basically being unilateral anyway
    because we cannot have our children smallpoxed. **-- Senator John D.
    Rockefeller IV**, **Congressional Record, September 25, 2002.**

-   When I vote to give the President of the United States the authority
    to use force, if necessary, to disarm Saddam Hussein because I
    believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his
    hands is a threat, and a grave threat to our security and that of
    our allies in the Persian Gulf region. **-- Senator John Kerry,
    Congressional Record, October 9, 2002.**

-   I believe that Saddam Hussein\'s Iraqi regime represents a clear
    threat to the United States, to our allies, to our interests around
    the world, and to the values of freedom and democracy we hold
    dear\....Thousands of terrorist operatives around the world would
    pay anything to get their hands on Saddam\'s arsenal, and there is
    every possibility that he could turn his weapons over to these
    terrorists\...we can hardly ignore the terrorist threat, and the
    serious danger that Saddam would allow his arsenal to be used in aid
    of terror. **-- Senator John Edwards, Congressional Record,
    September 12, 2002.**

-   If you allow someone like Saddam Hussein to get nuclear weapons,
    ballistic missiles, chemical weapons, biological weapons, how many
    people is he going to kill with such weapons? He\'s already
    demonstrated a willingness to use the weapons. He poison-gassed his
    own people. He used poison gas and other weapons of mass destruction
    against his neighbors. This man has no compunction about killing
    lots and lots of people. So this is a way to save lives and to save
    the stability and peace of a region of the world that is important
    to the peace and security of the entire world. **-- Vice President
    Al Gore, Address to the Nation, December 16, 1998.**

-   Our strategic objective is to contain Saddam Hussein and curtail his
    ability to produce the most deadly weapons known to mankind-weapons
    that he has unleashed with chilling alacrity against his own people.
    Left unchecked, Saddam Hussein would in short order be in a position
    to threaten and blackmail our regional allies, our troops, and,
    indeed, our nation. **-- Senator Joe Biden**, **Congressional
    Record, February 12, 1998.**

-   Saddam Hussein, with one nuclear weapon, would be far more dangerous
    than the Soviet Union with 20,000. The difference is, they would not
    use \[their weapons\]. They were not suicidal. He would. **--
    Senator Carl Levin, Congressional Record, October 9, 1998.**

-   With the peace of the region and, and in fact, much of the world at
    risk, we cannot allow Iraq to continue its maneuvers designed to
    protect such a dangerous buildup of biological, chemical and nuclear
    weapons. **-- Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, Congressional Record,
    December 16, 1998.**

-   It is not possible to overstate the ominous implications for the
    Middle East if Saddam were to develop and successfully militarize
    and deploy potent biological weapons. We can all imagine the
    consequences. Extremely small quantities of several known biological
    weapons have the capability to exterminate the entire population of
    cities the size of Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. These could be delivered
    by ballistic missile, but they also could be delivered by much more
    pedestrian means; aerosol applicators on commercial trucks easily
    could suffice. If Saddam were to develop and then deploy usable
    atomic weapons, the same holds true. **-- Senator John Kerry,
    Congressional Record, November 9, 1997.**