[BruceZ]

Let me try to field a couple of the questions from this thread the way I think the president intended to answer:

When asked about the lack of evidence in support of his claims that Iraq has vast quantities of WMD, combined with the fact that many other nations support continued inspections and diplomacy, Bush boldly declared that if something isn't done now, we'll see something far worse than anything in the past. We saw what they did with just 4 planes, and they possess far worse weapons than that.

Later, when asked whether he ever had any doubts about his present course, whether he thought that maybe aggressive US military action would increase terrorism, Bush replied that he "couldn't imagine anything worse than 9/11."

What I think he he meant was:

Look what they already did to us on 9/11. They may do that again if we act, but they can certainly do that again or even worse if we don't act.

He's saying that he can't imagine anything worse than 9/11 given the present capabilities of the terrorists, and that has already happened anyway and can happen again. If the terrorists get weapons of mass destruction, then we'll see something worse than 9/11. The two statements are not inconsistent in the context in which they were made, only when someone tries to take them out of context in order to manufacture an apparent inconsistency.


Q: "Millions of Americans can recall a time when leaders from both parties set this country on a mission of regime change in Vietnam. Fifty thousand Americans died. The regime is still there in Hanoi. And hasn't harmed or threatened a single American in the 30 years since the war ended. What can you say tonight, sir, to the sons and the daughters of the Americans who served in Vietnam to assure them that you will not lead this country down a similar path in Iraq?"

A: That's a great question. Our mission is clear in Iraq. Should we have to go in our mission is very clear: disarmament. And in order to disarm it will mean regime change. I'm confident we'll be able to achieve that objective in a way that minimizes the loss of life. No doubt, there's risks with any military operation. I know that. But it's very clear what we intend to do. And our mission won't change. Our mission is precisely what I just stated. We have got a plan that will achieve that mission should we need to send forces in.

My translation:

Unlike Vietnam, we have a clear goal going in for what we want to achieve in Iraq, disarmament and regime change. Unlike Vietnam, this goal will not change midstream. Also unlike Vietnam, we have confidence going in that we have what it takes to achieve our goal, and so we will achieve it.