泥仕合開始
昨日木曜、ブレアが、「フセインは45分で生物化学兵器を搭載したミサイルを発射できる」という昨年イラク戦争前の発言について、「通常火器のことと勘違いしていました」と弁明したとか。馬鹿げた勘違いだが、これもイラク戦争開始の根拠だった。ただの勘違いで済むだろうか。歴史的勘違いである。
で、米国の方。ジョージ・テネットが「ＣＩＡは、イラクが火急の脅威である、とは一言もいっていない」、と明言。ブッシュとアナンの会談が先日行われてから、周囲が急速に逃げ腰になっている。責任のなすりあい、泥仕合の開幕。なんとNATOとの会談のためにミュンヘンに来ているラムズフェルドは、「大量破壊兵器についてはいいすぎたかもしれん。いっていないことまで、言ったことにして批判されている。それにしても、批判されているようなことをおれがどこで言ったのかわからんのだ」といい始めている。
Asked about his own unequivocal prewar assertions that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, Rumsfeld acknowledged he had perhaps gone too far in the first days of the war when he said he knew where Iraq's banned weapons were. He said he was referring to "suspect sites" that had been identified in areas to the north of the advancing US forces. But, he added, "There are a lot of things being said about what the administration said which the administration did not say." "I've read the critics comments and I cannot find where I've said those things," he said
"We do know that he (Saddam) has been actively and persistently pursuing nuclear weapons for more than 20 years. But we should be just as concerned about the immediate threat from biological weapons." - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, Sept. 18, 2002, before House Armed Services Committee.
"There are a number of terrorist states pursuing weapons of mass destruction ... but no terrorist state poses a greater or more immediate threat to the security of our people than the regime of Saddam Hussein and Iraq." - Rumsfeld, Sept. 19, 2002, Senate Armed Services Committee.
"On its present course, the Iraqi regime is a threat of unique urgency." - Bush, Oct. 2, 2002, after reaching agreement with House leaders on Iraq resolution
