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CNN Live Event/Special
Dick Cheney Speaks in Arlington, Virginia
Aired January 30, 2003 - 12:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go to Arlington, Virginia. Right now live, the vice president of the United States, Dick Cheney, speaking before a conservative audience.
DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: With these measures, we seek to guard our nation against new and fearsome dangers. But while the threats we face are unprecedented, our responsibilities are familiar.
Once again we are defending both ourselves and the safety and survival of civilization itself. And as President Bush said, we accept this responsibility.
Today America leads a worldwide coalition that is sharing intelligence, hunting down terrorists, freezing the assets of terrorist groups and front organizations. We've deprived Al Qaeda of its stronghold in Afghanistan, and as we've seen just this week, we continue to disrupt their efforts to regroup.
We've captured or killed leading Al Qaeda terrorists and have disrupted their chain of command. Our law enforcement and intelligence officials are working long and hard to thwart terrorist plots both here and abroad. And while many of their successes must go unheralded, I can tell you that numerous terrorist attacks against the United States and our allies have been thwarted since 9/11.
The United States and our partners have also dismantled terror cells in Italy, Spain, Great Britain, German, France, Singapore, Malaysia, and frozen many millions of dollars in terrorist assets. We've arrested more than 3,000 suspected terrorists worldwide and taken out of business many of the top Al Qaeda leaders responsible for murdering Americans and other innocent citizens. And we will continue to hunt for those remaining at large.
CHENEY: Where Al Qaeda and its allies are concerned, we are dealing with a network that operates in 50 or more countries around the globe, that has murdered Americans in Bali, in Kuwait, in Yemen and in Jordan, and that is determined to acquire and use weapons of mass destruction against us and our allies.
Against such enemies America and the civilized world have only one option: Wherever terrorists operate, we will find them; wherever they dwell, we will hunt them down.
We will also continue our efforts to address the grave danger posed by the outlaw regime in Iraq. We will not permit a brutal dictator, with ties to terror and a record of reckless aggression, to dominate the Middle East and to threaten the United States of America.
(APPLAUSE)
Twelve years ago Saddam Hussein agreed to disarm Iraq of all of its weapons of mass destruction. For 12 years he has violated that agreement, pursuing chemical, biological and nuclear weapons even while U.N. inspectors were in Iraq.
Last fall, thanks to the leadership of President Bush, the U.N. Security Council unanimously passed a resolution giving Iraq one final chance to disarm.
Inspectors were sent to Iraq not to determine whether Saddam has weapons of mass destruction, but simply to confirm that Iraq truly was disarming itself as required by U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Unfortunately, the declaration that Iraq provided to the United Nations last month about its weapons and missiles program clearly demonstrated that Saddam has absolutely no intention of complying with the world's demands.
CHENEY: Some time ago, the U.N. confirmed that Iraq has sufficient material to produce over 25,000 liters of anthrax, more than 38,000 liters of botulinum toxin, and as much as 500 tons of sarin, mustard gas and VX nerve agents.
We know he had about 30,000 munitions capable of delivering chemical weapons and several mobile biological weapons laboratories designed to produce germ warfare agents on the move.
Yet, Saddam Hussein has never accounted for nor destroyed these instruments of terror, and his desire for nuclear weapons remains undiminished.
Saddam Hussein is continuing his decade-old game of defiance, delay and deception. He's blocking unrestricted aerial reconnaissance. His security agents are hiding documents and materials from the U.N. inspectors. His intelligence agents are posing as scientists. And Saddam Hussein has decreed that real scientists who cooperate with U.N. inspectors will be killed, along with their families.
Saddam Hussein's pursuit of weapons of mass destruction pose a grave danger not only to his neighbors, but also to the United States. His regime aids and protects terrorists, including members of Al Qaeda. He could decide secretly to provide weapons of mass destruction to terrorists for use against us. As the president said on Tuesday night, it would take just one vial, one canister, one crate to bring a day of horror to our nation unlike any we have ever known.
That is why confronting the threat posed by Iraq is not a distraction from the war on terror, it is absolutely crucial to winning the war on terror.
(APPLAUSE)
America seeks a world of peace, but we will not accept a serious threat to our country, to our friends and to our allies.
CHENEY: Next Wednesday, Secretary of State Powell will present information and intelligence to the U.N. Security Council about Iraq's ongoing defiance.
Our purpose is not simply to follow a process, it is to end the terrible threats to the civilized world. And as the president said the other night, the course of this nation does not depend upon the decisions of others.
(APPLAUSE)
Whatever action is required, whenever action is necessary, we will defend the freedom and the security of the American people.
Ladies and gentlemen, in this critical hour I have the honor of standing beside a great president who is determined to prevent the world's terrorists and their sponsors from realizing their evil ambitions.
Speaking at this conference more than 20 years ago, in 1981, President Ronald Reagan assured the audience that if we carry the day and turn the tide, we can hope that as long as men speak of freedom and of those who have protected it, they will remember us. And they will say, "Here were the brave and here their place of honor."
As everyone in this room knows, President Reagan proved equal to the challenges of his time, and President Bush is proving equal to the challenges of ours.
(APPLAUSE)
We will make our country stronger, better, more secure. We will confront every threat from every source that could possibly bring harm to America and to our friends. And in all that we are called to do, we will serve the highest ideals of this nation: liberty and justice in a world of peace.
Thank you very much.
(APPLAUSE)
BLITZER: The Vice President Dick Cheney speaking directly, bluntly, a no-nonsense kind of speech, chilling in many respects, saying the Iraqi government's leader, Saddam Hussein, has absolutely no intention, no intention, of complying with U.N. demands, showing, in his words, only defiance, delay and deception. Also making the case that Iraq, right now, he says, is protecting terrorists, in his words, including Al Qaeda.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 30, 2003 - 12:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go to Arlington, Virginia. Right now live, the vice president of the United States, Dick Cheney, speaking before a conservative audience.
DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: With these measures, we seek to guard our nation against new and fearsome dangers. But while the threats we face are unprecedented, our responsibilities are familiar.
Once again we are defending both ourselves and the safety and survival of civilization itself. And as President Bush said, we accept this responsibility.
Today America leads a worldwide coalition that is sharing intelligence, hunting down terrorists, freezing the assets of terrorist groups and front organizations. We've deprived Al Qaeda of its stronghold in Afghanistan, and as we've seen just this week, we continue to disrupt their efforts to regroup.
We've captured or killed leading Al Qaeda terrorists and have disrupted their chain of command. Our law enforcement and intelligence officials are working long and hard to thwart terrorist plots both here and abroad. And while many of their successes must go unheralded, I can tell you that numerous terrorist attacks against the United States and our allies have been thwarted since 9/11.
The United States and our partners have also dismantled terror cells in Italy, Spain, Great Britain, German, France, Singapore, Malaysia, and frozen many millions of dollars in terrorist assets. We've arrested more than 3,000 suspected terrorists worldwide and taken out of business many of the top Al Qaeda leaders responsible for murdering Americans and other innocent citizens. And we will continue to hunt for those remaining at large.
CHENEY: Where Al Qaeda and its allies are concerned, we are dealing with a network that operates in 50 or more countries around the globe, that has murdered Americans in Bali, in Kuwait, in Yemen and in Jordan, and that is determined to acquire and use weapons of mass destruction against us and our allies.
Against such enemies America and the civilized world have only one option: Wherever terrorists operate, we will find them; wherever they dwell, we will hunt them down.
We will also continue our efforts to address the grave danger posed by the outlaw regime in Iraq. We will not permit a brutal dictator, with ties to terror and a record of reckless aggression, to dominate the Middle East and to threaten the United States of America.
(APPLAUSE)
Twelve years ago Saddam Hussein agreed to disarm Iraq of all of its weapons of mass destruction. For 12 years he has violated that agreement, pursuing chemical, biological and nuclear weapons even while U.N. inspectors were in Iraq.
Last fall, thanks to the leadership of President Bush, the U.N. Security Council unanimously passed a resolution giving Iraq one final chance to disarm.
Inspectors were sent to Iraq not to determine whether Saddam has weapons of mass destruction, but simply to confirm that Iraq truly was disarming itself as required by U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Unfortunately, the declaration that Iraq provided to the United Nations last month about its weapons and missiles program clearly demonstrated that Saddam has absolutely no intention of complying with the world's demands.
CHENEY: Some time ago, the U.N. confirmed that Iraq has sufficient material to produce over 25,000 liters of anthrax, more than 38,000 liters of botulinum toxin, and as much as 500 tons of sarin, mustard gas and VX nerve agents.
We know he had about 30,000 munitions capable of delivering chemical weapons and several mobile biological weapons laboratories designed to produce germ warfare agents on the move.
Yet, Saddam Hussein has never accounted for nor destroyed these instruments of terror, and his desire for nuclear weapons remains undiminished.
Saddam Hussein is continuing his decade-old game of defiance, delay and deception. He's blocking unrestricted aerial reconnaissance. His security agents are hiding documents and materials from the U.N. inspectors. His intelligence agents are posing as scientists. And Saddam Hussein has decreed that real scientists who cooperate with U.N. inspectors will be killed, along with their families.
Saddam Hussein's pursuit of weapons of mass destruction pose a grave danger not only to his neighbors, but also to the United States. His regime aids and protects terrorists, including members of Al Qaeda. He could decide secretly to provide weapons of mass destruction to terrorists for use against us. As the president said on Tuesday night, it would take just one vial, one canister, one crate to bring a day of horror to our nation unlike any we have ever known.
That is why confronting the threat posed by Iraq is not a distraction from the war on terror, it is absolutely crucial to winning the war on terror.
(APPLAUSE)
America seeks a world of peace, but we will not accept a serious threat to our country, to our friends and to our allies.
CHENEY: Next Wednesday, Secretary of State Powell will present information and intelligence to the U.N. Security Council about Iraq's ongoing defiance.
Our purpose is not simply to follow a process, it is to end the terrible threats to the civilized world. And as the president said the other night, the course of this nation does not depend upon the decisions of others.
(APPLAUSE)
Whatever action is required, whenever action is necessary, we will defend the freedom and the security of the American people.
Ladies and gentlemen, in this critical hour I have the honor of standing beside a great president who is determined to prevent the world's terrorists and their sponsors from realizing their evil ambitions.
Speaking at this conference more than 20 years ago, in 1981, President Ronald Reagan assured the audience that if we carry the day and turn the tide, we can hope that as long as men speak of freedom and of those who have protected it, they will remember us. And they will say, "Here were the brave and here their place of honor."
As everyone in this room knows, President Reagan proved equal to the challenges of his time, and President Bush is proving equal to the challenges of ours.
(APPLAUSE)
We will make our country stronger, better, more secure. We will confront every threat from every source that could possibly bring harm to America and to our friends. And in all that we are called to do, we will serve the highest ideals of this nation: liberty and justice in a world of peace.
Thank you very much.
(APPLAUSE)
BLITZER: The Vice President Dick Cheney speaking directly, bluntly, a no-nonsense kind of speech, chilling in many respects, saying the Iraqi government's leader, Saddam Hussein, has absolutely no intention, no intention, of complying with U.N. demands, showing, in his words, only defiance, delay and deception. Also making the case that Iraq, right now, he says, is protecting terrorists, in his words, including Al Qaeda.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
