The Iraq War and Weapons of Mass Destruction

John Howard Lie #1

“The Australian Government knows that Iraq still has chemical and biological weapons and that Iraq wants to develop nuclear weapons.”
John Howard, Speech to Parliament before the war in Iraq, 4 February 2003

The Truth:

“I stand by the fact that before we entered the war, we had a very strong intelligence assessment that Iraq had a WMD capability.”
John Howard, interview with Charles Wooly, 60 Minutes program, after the war in Iraq, 20 July 2003

John Howard Lie #2

“Iraq continues to work on developing nuclear weapons-uranium has been sought from Africa that has no civil nuclear application in Iraq; . . .”
John Howard, Ministerial Statement, before the war in Iraq, 4 February 2003

The Truth:

“. . . an intelligence claim about Iraq’s effort to acquire uranium from Africa proved to be erroneous.”
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, Sydney Morning Herald, after the war in Iraq, 18 June 2003

John Howard Lie #3

“The Government has decided to commit Australian forces to action to disarm Iraq because we believe it is right, it is lawful and it’s in Australia’s national interest. We are determined to join other countries to deprive Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction, its chemical and biological weapons, which even in minute quantities are capable of causing death and destruction on a mammoth scale.”
John Howard, Address to the Nation, before the war in Iraq, 20 March 2003

The Truth:

“We entered the war in Iraq based upon the failure of the Iraqi government at the time to comply with United Nations’ resolutions . . .”
John Howard, Press Conference, after the war, 22 July 2003

John Howard Lie #4

Journalist: In your talks tomorrow, especially at the Pentagon, do you expect to lock in a possible role for Australia if, further down the track we do decide to join a coalition of the willing?
Prime Minister: Look there have been contingency discussions going on between the American and the Australian military and it’s always important in these situations to leave those sorts of things to the militaries of the two countries.
John Howard, Press Conference, Washington, 9 February 2003

The Truth:

Journalist: “Could you tell us whether you count Australia as part of the coalition of the willing?”
President Bush: “Yes, I do”.
George W Bush, President of the United States, Oval Office remarks with John Howard, Washington, the next day, 10 February 2003