The CIA documented thirteen open-air biological weapons tests by Iraq from March 1988 to January 1991. Iraq admitted that its al-Dawrah Foot and Mouth Disease Vaccine Facility was a biological warfare agent production facility. In 1996, the UN Special Commission on Iraq attempted to render the facility useless; however, the plant regained its functions in 2001 with the excuse of a Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak. This justification makes little sense given that Iraq could easily attain FMD vaccines through the UN ("Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction Programs").
Iraq has provided headquarters, operating bases, training camps, and other support to terrorist groups. During the Gulf War, Hussein sponsored several failed terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. According to the U.S. Department of State, "The Iraqi intelligence service attempted to assassinate former U.S. President George Bush during a visit to Kuwait" ("Significant Terrorist Incidents, 1961-2003: A Brief Chronology"). As Hussein's WMD program grew, the U.S. became more concerned that he might share new WMD technology with terrorist organizations ("Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction Programs"). For example, Iraq had assisted in the creation of the Abu Nidal Organization, providing it training, logistical support, and funding. In the article "Abu Nidal Organization (Iraq, extremists)," the Council on Foreign Relations states, "The group wants the state of Israel to be eliminated, preferably through an international Arab revolution, and therefore supports "armed struggle" against Israel."
The U.S. preemptive...
Critics feel that the WMD problem was exaggerated; however, President Bush was acting on intelligence shared by previous administrations. For example, in1998, President Clinton authorized Operation Desert Fox to quash a former Iraqi WMD program. Other critics of the war point out the supposed lack of terrorist groups in Iraq. This couldn't be farther from the truth -- Iraq was a state supporter of terrorism. With Hussein's regime eliminated, neighboring terrorist organizations have lost a possible ally. Opponents of the war feel that the reconstruction is slow, arduous, and lacking in progress. To this I can only say that freedom is not, and never will be, free.
Bibliography
"Abu Nidal Organization (Iraq, extremists)." Oct. 2005. Council on Foreign Relations http://www.cfr.org/publication/9153/
"Iraq Democracy Watch: Report # 1 on the Situation in Iraq." 26 Sept. 2003. The Iraq Foundation http://www.iraqfoundation.org/news/2003/isept/26_democracy_watch.html
"Iraq Timeline: 2002-2003." Infoplease http://www.infoplease.com/spot/iraqtimeline2.html
"Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction Programs." Oct. 2002. CIA https://www.cia.gov/cia/reports/iraq_wmd/Iraq_Oct_2002.htm
"Saddam's Chemical Weapons Campaign: Halabja, 16 Mar. 1988. " U.S. Department of State http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/rls/18714.htm
"Significant Terrorist Incidents, 1961-2003: A Brief Chronology." U.S. Department of State
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/pubs/fs/5902.htm
