AFP posted this interesting material to the wires last week (Oct 25), comparing what the White House is saying about Iran today with what it said about Iraq before the invasion (emphasis added):
WASHINGTON, Oct 25, 2007 (AFP) – While the US administration insists it is pursuing diplomacy in its disputes with Iran, critics of President George W. Bush see worrying parallels between recent statements on Tehran and the run-up to the war in Iraq. The Bush administration announced new sanctions against Iran on Thursday, accusing the regime of backing terrorists, supporting insurgents in Iraq and working to build an atomic arsenal. The following are recent comments by Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney on Iran’s nuclear program and statements on Iraq made prior to the 2003 US-led invasion.
IRAN “The Iranian regime needs to know that if it stays on its present course, the international community is prepared to impose serious consequences.” — Vice President Dick Cheney speaking to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy on October 21, 2007.
IRAQ “The Council has repeatedly warned Iraq that it will face serious consequences as a result of its continued violations of its obligations.” — UN Security Council Resolution 1441, adopted in 2002, which the Bush administration says authorized the March 2003 invasion of Iraq.
IRAN “Iran’s active pursuit of technology that could lead to nuclear weapons threatens to put a region already known for instability and violence under the shadow of a nuclear holocaust. Iran’s actions threaten the security of nations everywhere. And that is why the United States is rallying friends and allies around the world to isolate the regime, to impose economic sanctions. We will confront this danger before it is too late.” — US President George W. Bush in a speech to the annual American Legion convention on August 28, 2007.
IRAQ “Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof — the smoking gun — that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud.” — Bush in a speech on Iraq in Cincinnati on October 7, 2002.
IRAN “Our intelligence community assesses that, with continued foreign assistance, Iran could develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States and all of Europe before 2015. If it chooses to do so, and the international community does not take steps to prevent it, it is possible Iran could have this capability. And we need to take it seriously — now.” — Bush said in a speech to the National Defense University on October 23, 2007.
IRAQ “If the Iraqi regime is able to produce, buy, or steal an amount of highly enriched uranium a little larger than a single softball, it could have a nuclear weapon in less than a year. And if we allow that to happen, a terrible line would be crossed. Saddam Hussein would be in a position to blackmail anyone who opposes his aggression. He would be in a position to dominate the Middle East. He would be in a position to threaten America. And Saddam Hussein would be in a position to pass nuclear technology to terrorists.” — Bush in the speech on Iraq in Cincinnati on October 7, 2002.
IRAN “Our struggle is not with the Iranian people. As a matter of fact, we want them to flourish, and we want their economy to be strong. And we want their mothers to be able to raise their children in a hopeful society. My problem is with a government that takes actions that end up isolating their people and ends up denying the Iranian people their true place in the world.” — Bush congratulating General David Petraeus on his confirmation as commander of forces in Iraq on January 26, 2007.
IRAQ “The Iraqi people cannot flourish under a dictator that oppresses them and threatens them. Gifted people of Iraq will flourish if and when oppression is lifted.” — Bush signing the authorization to use military force in Iraq on October 16, 2002.
IRAN “All options are on the table. I would hope that we could solve this diplomatically.” — Bush, meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on June 19, 2007.
“The United States joins other nations in sending a clear message: We will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.” — Cheney in the October 21, 2007 speech.
IRAQ “All options are on the table, and — but one thing I will not allow is a nation such as Iraq to threaten our very future by developing weapons of mass destruction.” — Bush speaking at a press conference on March 13, 2003, less than a week before military action against Iraq.
