“In a prime-time address from the Oval Office in December [16] 1998, President Clinton explained [why he launched Operation Desert Fox, a series of strikes against Iraq]: ‘The hard fact is that so long as Saddam remains in power, he threatens the well-being of his people, the peace of his region, the security of the world. The best way to end that threat once and for all is with a new Iraqi government–a government ready to live in peace with its neighbors, a government that respects the rights of its people. …Heavy as they are, the costs of action must be weighed against the price of inaction. If Saddam defies the world and we fail to respond, we will face a far greater threat in the future. Saddam will strike again at his neighbors. He will make war on his own people. And mark my words, he will develop weapons of mass destruction. He will deploy them, and he will use them.’ “
– George W. Bush, Decision Points, Page 227