WORLD NEWS

February 5, 2003

Making a Case Against Iraq

Secretary of State Colin Powell presents evidence that Iraq is hiding illegal weapons

Secretary of State Colin Powell visited the United Nations Wednesday with tape recordings, satellite photos and statements. Powell shared this material, which he called evidence of Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction, with members of the United Nations Security Council.

Powell was trying to prove that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is hiding these dangerous weapons. Iraqi officials, meanwhile, said the materials Powell presented do not prove anything.

Powell Speaks Out

Powell said the Iraqis have been moving illegal weapons before weapons inspectors find them. He also said that Hussein has allowed the al Qaeda terrorist group to operate freely in Iraq for more than eight months. "I cannot tell you everything that we know," Powell said. "But what I can share with you, when combined with what all of us have learned over the years, is deeply troubling."

A week after President George W. Bush made the case against Hussein in his State of the Union address, Powell came to the U.N. to do the same. He tried to convince its Security Council members that Iraq has not followed U.N. rules. Powell said Hussein and his government have been working hard to deceive, or lie to, weapons inspectors.

A Message Heard Around the World

Powell's 80-minute speech at the U.N. was among the most anticipated in years. It aired live on television stations around the world (though it was not aired on Iraqi television). Members of the Security Council, the U.N.'s chief voting body, sat around a large table listening to Powell, along with Iraq's ambassador, or representative.

The Iraqi Response

The Iraqi ambassador, Lieutenant General Amir al-Saadi, called the evidence against his country unreliable. "What we heard today was for the general public and mainly the uninformed, in order to influence their opinion and to commit the aggression on Iraq," al-Saadi told reporters after the speech.

What's Next?

President Bush and Powell want support from the Security Council to declare war against Iraq if Hussein does not prove he has destroyed the weapons. Of the 15 Council members, only the U.S. and Britain have said they support using force against Hussein to make sure he disarms, or gets rid of the dangerous weapons. President Bush is counting on other nations, such as Spain and Bulgaria, to support the U.S. position.

France, Russia and China, all Security Council member nations, want weapons inspectors to continue searching Iraq. More than 100 U.N. weapons experts have spent more than two months in Iraq. Though the inspectors have not reported any major violations, they have also said Iraq has not cooperated.

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