Bush Says Iraq Action Justified Even Without WMD Discovery

Says Saddam undermined sanctions, intended to restart weapons program

President Bush said despite the fact that the Iraq Survey Group has issued a report concluding that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction, the United States and its coalition allies were justified in taking military action to remove Saddam Hussein from power.

Speaking to reporters at the White House October 7, Bush said the report (http://www.odci.gov/cia/reports/iraq_wmd_2004/index.html), issued by Chief Weapons Inspector Charles Duelfer on October 6, showed Saddam Hussein was both trying to undermine U.N. sanctions and intending to restart his weapons of mass destruction program.

9/11 - Make the Day Count

The U.S. Mission to Australia commemorated the September 11 anniversary with a series of events around the country under the theme, "Make the Day Count." In Canberra, Ambassador Schieffer gave a presentation on American war memorials to a group of senior citizens at a local war veterans' retirement center as part of his volunteer outreach effort. The Ambassador commented, "instead of commemorating destruction...we want to say to the world that what America represents is building something up, not tearing it down."