Scott Ritter, UN Weapons Inspector, on Iraq (original) (raw)

UN Weapons Inspector Scott Ritter on

"The Iraqi Threat: How Real Is It?"

Scott Ritter is a former chief weapons inspector for the United Nations Special Commission in Iraq, the author of Endgame, and creator of In Shifting Sands, a documentary. He spoke to full houses in Gulick Theater at St. Lawrence University in Canton on Tuesday, October 7, 2002, and in Old Snell Auditorium at Clarkson University in Potsdam the following night. The US Senate and House held debate on a resolution authorizing military force against Iraq during both days, and President Bush addressed the nation, making a case for war on Tuesday.

Ritter's complete address at St. Lawrence University 10/7/02 (Real 1:18.38)

Audience Q & A
(questions paraphrased from longer audience remarks)

a) Who will replace Saddam Hussein in any regime change? and b) how many Iraqi civilians and soldiers were killed in the Gulf War? Reply (1:17)

If Hussein was indicted for war crimes (as an alternative to war), could George Bush, Sr. also be indicted? Reply (1:01)

What is Colin Powell seeking in a new UN resolution. What do we need one for? Reply (1:30)

Will any Iraqi weapons of mass destruction left over from the Gulf War still operate? Reply (1:02)

Is the US press complicit in a blackout of anti-war coverage? Reply (5:05)

Please comment on the apparent disconnect between the advisers of George Bush Sr. and his son's current advisers on Iraq policy? Reply (2:54)

How much do the interests of corporate America influence President Bush's Iraq war policy? Reply (1:39)

Ritter's complete address at Clarkson University 10/7/02 (Real 0:55.41)

Audience Q & A

Were you asked to testify before Congress in hearings leading up to the current debate? Why not? Reply (2:12)

During the Cuban Missle Crisis, Kennedy showed the evidence on national TV. Why can't we see the evidence of Iraq's weapons? Reply (3:27)

a) Did the 9/11 suicide attacker Atta meet with an Iraqi intelligence officer in Prague? b) Where does Bush's unilateral approach to Iraq conflict come from, given the multilateral approach favored by his father's advisers. Reply (6:41)

Did you receive money from Iraq to make your documentary film In Shifting Sand? Reply (2:24)

Did former US Ambassador to Iraq April Glasby "greenlight" the invasion of Kuwait by telling Hussein that US policy was not to intervene in Arab vs. Arab conflicts? Reply (audio lost due to disk changeover) (0:00)

a) Does your 1998 Congressional testimony about the dangers posed by Iraq contradict your current stance? b) Do you think the anniversary of September 11 will provide an annual opportunity for stirring up pro-war sentiment? Reply (5:52)

Is the current Congressional debate on Iraq a "kangaroo" process? Why? Reply (2:24)

If the Bush administration won't listen to you (a conservative Republican former Marine Corps officer), why would they listen to the objections of ordinary citizens? Reply (2:21)

What are your thoughts on Khidir Hamza, author of Saddam's Bombmaker? Reply (7:46)

Can you justify the continuation of economic sanctions against Iraq as a legitimate alternative to war? Reply (3:00)

How does someone with your background find common ground with liberal Democrats such as Jim McDermott and David Bonyer? Reply (3:33)

Scott Ritter was brought to the North Country under the auspices Alternatives to War.