Powell’s UN Presentation

"Powell Presents Evidence to the U.N. in the Case against Iraq" -- PBS NewsHour, 2/5/03:

Calling U.N. resolution 1441 Iraq's "one last chance" to come into compliance or face "serious consequences," Powell methodically presented U.S. intelligence information on Iraq's biological, chemical and nuclear weapons programs as well as suspected links between Saddam Hussein's government and the al-Qaida terrorist network. . . .

Satellite photos of an Iraqi biological weapons facility and a ballistic missile site, recently declassified specifically for Powell's presentation, were used to show how Iraq has either hidden or moved weapons stockpiles or production sites to evade inspectors. One of the images showed 15 munitions bunkers of which four housed active chemical agents, according to Powell. . . .

On biological weapons, Powell held a mock vial of anthrax to illustrate the lack of evidence that Iraq destroyed the suspected 25,000 liters of anthrax that past U.N. inspectors estimate the Iraqis could have produced.

Using the testimony of four Iraqi defectors, Powell showed illustrations of "mobile production facilities" for biological agents, reportedly housed in 18 trucks that crisscross Iraq in order to evade detection. . . .

"We have no indication that Saddam Hussein has ever abandoned his nuclear-weapons program," Powell said. "On the contrary, we have more than a decade of proof that he remains determined to acquire nuclear weapons."

After the list of claims against Iraqi weapons programs, Powell moved on to Iraq's alleged connections to terrorism and the al-Qaida terrorist network.

"[W]hat I want to bring to your attention today is the potentially much more sinister nexus between Iraq and the al-Qaida terrorist network, a nexus that combines classic terrorist organizations and modern methods of murder," Powell said.

Powell accused Iraq of harboring Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi, the head of a "deadly terrorist network" and an "associate and collaborator of Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida lieutenants." . . .