[MMMMMM]

[ QUOTE ]
from Oct. 7, 2002:

Quote:
Some ask how urgent this danger is to America and the world. The danger is already significant, and it only grows worse with time.


Quote:
And that is the source of our urgent concern about Saddam Hussein's links to international terrorist groups



Yet here he seems to indicate the threat is not imminent:

Quote:
Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof -- the smoking gun -- that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud.


However, I prefer his quote from September 12, 2002:

Quote:
We know that Saddam Hussein pursued weapons of mass murder even when inspectors were in his country. Are we to assume that he stopped when they left? The history, the logic, and the facts lead to one conclusion: Saddam Hussein's regime is a grave and gathering danger. To suggest otherwise is to hope against the evidence. To assume this regime's good faith is to bet the lives of millions and the peace of the world in a reckless gamble. And this is a risk we must not take.


[/ QUOTE ]


My take on that, Russian Bear, is just this: had Saddam's regime actually been where it was believed to have been as regards WMD and/or WMD development, then all of those statements would have been appropriate. And since it was widely so believed, those statements were indeed appropriate, even if found somewhat erroneous in hindsight.