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Bush Hopes for Peaceful Iraqi Disarmament
Thursday, October 17, 2002
By Linda D. Kozaryn
American Forces Press Service

Asked about the possibility of an Iraqi attack on Israel, Bush said such an attack would draw an "appropriate response." Saddam must understand, he stressed, "that the international community won't tolerate an unprovoked attack on Israel or anybody else, for that matter."

WASHINGTON -- AFIS
Using military force against Iraq is President Bush's last choice, not his first.

"My hope is that we can achieve a disarmament of the Iragi regime peacefully," the president said Oct. 16 after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon at the White House. "We have no plans to use our military unless we need to."

Bush said he and Sharon talked about the desire for the U.N. Security Council "to be strong and for the nations that care about peace to see that Saddam is disarmed."

The United States is willing to work with the United Nations, but if the international organization is unable to act, Bush said, the United States would. "If ... after 11 years and 16 resolutions, they cannot bring themselves to disarm Saddam Hussein, then we will lead a coalition to do just that," Bush said.
(More: DoD News Source)
2002 © The United States Department of Defense.

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