President Bush will outline his case against Saddam Hussein in Tuesday night's State of the Union address, balancing tough talk on Iraq with a domestic policy agenda that includes a new plan to direct drug treatment money to religious groups.
Bush will address the nation at 9 p.m. EST as polls show that Americans are increasingly reluctant to back war with Iraq and have growing doubts about Bush's ability to handle the ailing economy.
To counter concerns about Iraq, Bush intends to reiterate his assertion that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction and is linked to Usama bin Laden's Al Qaeda network, officials said. But new evidence of those charges will not be revealed until next week by Secretary of State Colin Powell, perhaps at the United Nations, officials said.
Bush will not repeat the "axis of evil" phrase he applied in last year's address to Iraq, Iran and North Korea, officials said, although he intends to cite all three nations by name and describe the complications they are causing the anti-terror coalition.
The president's big speech: What should he say about Saddam?
A sample of your responses:
Here's what I wish Bush would really say: "We, the American People, her government, her wealth, and her military might, will offer to the world aid, manpower, and what ever other help we can give in times of natural disaster. We will provide money where that money can help civilized countries through hard times. We will provide manpower to help re-build, provided we are standing beside the people of the needful country. We will help protect our true friends from those who would illegally impose themselves on them. We also promise the world that we will not invade another country for our own benefit, nor take from another country that which we are not legally entitled.
But, let the world know this, with certainty, we WILL NOT tolerate evil to be done to this country, nor to our friends and allies, or to innocent people of other countries, nor will we tolerate any threat of such."
Dan B.
Manhattan, KS
If Saddam will totally disarm with complete cooperation as well as install a guaranteed "Human Rights Program" and open democratic elections within 3 years all verified by UN inspectors, The US will totally back off as well as provide aid and assistance to the Iraqi people.
John W.
He should tell us the truth: The inspectors are ex-patriot employees and their pay is Tax Free if they stay on Assignment for 335 days so they are motivated to Max it Out.
Bob
OH
The president should debunk the "smoking gun" rhetoric of his critics in Congress and Europe. He should remind the world that the inspectors were not there to go on a weapons Easter Egg Hunt to prove that Iraq has WMD. They were there to oversee the dismantling of these weapons, as was done in S. Africa and the Ukraine. Since Iraq hasn't cooperated with the UN, their time is up and we are going to go in with our friends around the world and we are going to neutralize Iraq. Pres. Bush should repeat his warning to Iraqi officers that if they obey Saddam's orders and we catch them, we will hold them liable for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Rachel G.
Cherry Hill, NJ
Time has caused partisonship, short memories and divisions amongst Americans, including those in government. President Bush must rally all Americans and remind us of the passion, patriotism and solidarity we all felt immediately post-September 11th. Just as he then outlined a very long and "different" War On Terror that began in Afganistan, he must now link this Iranian phase as a continuation of the same ugly battle against the same evildoers.
Jill
CA
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