Powell, Sanctions and WMD

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Thursday September 25, 2003 12:18 by Allende - LP

From Press Statement Feb 2001.

SECRETARY POWELL:
We had a good discussion, the Foreign Minister and I and the President and I, had a good discussion about the nature of the sanctions -- the fact that the sanctions exist -- not for the purpose of hurting the Iraqi people, but for the purpose of keeping in check Saddam Hussein's ambitions toward developing weapons of mass destruction. We should constantly be reviewing our policies, constantly be looking at those sanctions to make sure that they are directed toward that purpose. That purpose is every bit as important now as it was ten years ago when we began it. And frankly they have worked. He has not developed any significant capability with respect to weapons of mass destruction.

http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2001/933.htm