Washington: US President George W Bush has given the clearest indication yet that an
American military attack on Iraq could be round the corner, warning Baghdad: "The
game is over".
Bush also said on February 6 that the US would "welcome and support" a new UN
Security Council resolution, which makes it clear that the Council stands behind its
previous demands.
However, "resolutions mean little without resolve", he said, daring the UN Security
Council not to back down when its demands were "defied and mocked by a dictator".
Bush did not respond when asked whether he would set a deadline for the UN to act
but many analysts expect that war will begin not long after the next report by UN
inspectors.
"Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein can now be expected to begin another round of empty
concessions and transparently false denials. No doubt he will play a last-minute
game of deception," Bush said after complimenting Secretary of State Colin Powell at
White House for his forceful presentation of Iraq's arms programme at UN Security
Council.
Powell, meanwhile, expanded US war aims.
In reply to Senators, who were worried about the cost of the Iraq war, Powell said,
during an appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, that even though
there would be some difficulties after the conflict, there was also the possibility
that success would fundamentally reshape that region "after we defeat Saddam
Hussein".
Bush said Baghdad was pursuing an elaborate campaign to conceal the weapons
materials and that deception was directed from the highest levels of Iraqi regime
including Saddam Hussein, his son, the Vice-President and the very official
responsible for co-operating with inspectors.
"Saddam Hussein has the motive and the means and the recklessness and the
hatred to threaten the American people. Saddam Hussein will be stopped."
He said Saddam Hussein has long-standing, direct and continuing ties to terrorist
networks. Senior members of Iraqi intelligence and al-Qaida have met at least
eight times since the early 1990s.
"We also know that Iraq is harbouring a terrorist network, headed by a senior
al-Qaida terrorist planner. The network runs a poison and explosive training centre
in North East Iraq, and many of its leaders are known to be in Baghdad."
Bush said the same terrorist network operating out of Iraq was responsible for the
recent murder of an American citizen, American diplomat Lawrence Foley. The
same network has plotted terrorism against France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the
Republic of Georgia, and Russia, and was caught producing poisons in London.
The danger Saddam Hussein poses, Bush asserted, "reaches across the world. This is the
situation as we find it."
PTI
