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White House: The Disarmament of Iraq Has Begun
By Jeff Gannon
GOPUSA News
March 20, 2003
WASHINGTON (GOPUSA News) -- Within two hours of the expiration of
the deadline for Saddam Hussein and his sons to leave Iraq, White House
Spokesman Ari Fleischer announced the beginning of military action.
President Bush addressed the nation 30 minutes later in a brief speech
from the Oval Office.
"American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military
operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world
from grave danger," Bush said.
While full-scale operations had not commenced at the time of the
President's speech, Pentagon sources revealed that a "decapitation
strike" was attempted at high-ranking officials, possibly including
Saddam Hussein and his sons. Several "targets of opportunity" were
struck with over 40 cruise missiles. It was not immediately known how
successful those strikes were.
Earlier on Wednesday, Fleischer said that Saddam's failure to leave
would be "his final mistake." The King of Bahrain offered asylum to the
Iraqi dictator in a last-ditch effort to avert military action.
Leading up to Wednesday's decision to attack, the President sent a
document with his determinations for the use of force in Iraq to
Congress as required by the October 2002 resolution.
In his Oval Office remarks, Bush pointed out that "more than 35
countries" are giving "crucial support" to a broad and concerted
campaign. Bush expressed his full commitment to the goal of disarmament
in stating, "Now that conflict has come, the only way to limit its
duration is to apply decisive force. And I assure you, this will not be
a campaign of half measures, and we will accept no outcome but victory."
Bush directed a portion of his message to the men and women of the
United States Armed Forces now in the Middle East. "The peace of a
troubled world and the hopes of an oppressed people now depend on you.
That trust is well placed," Bush said.
The President passionately declared, "We will bring freedom to others and we will prevail."
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