June, 2002: "Save your breath. The president has already made up his mind." — National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice on the planned invasion of Iraq
July 23, 2002: "Military action was now seen as inevitable. Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy. The NSC had no patience with the UN route. … The Defense Secretary said that the US had already begun 'spikes of activity' to put pressure on the regime. No decisions had been taken, but he thought the most likely timing in US minds for military action to begin was January, with the timeline beginning 30 days before the US Congressional elections. … It seemed clear that Bush had made up his mind to take military action, even if the timing was not yet decided." — Downing Street Memo
August 20, 2002: "As we think through Iraq, we may or may not attack. I have no idea yet." — President George W. Bush
Sept. 16, 2002: "The president hasn't made a decision with respect to Iraq." — Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
Oct. 1, 2002: "Of course, I haven't made up my mind we're going to war with Iraq." — President George W. Bush
* * * * * * * * *
Jan. 12, 2007: "I want to address kind of a rumor, an urban legend that's going around — and it comes from language in the President's Wednesday night address to the nation, that in talking about Iran and Syria, that he was trying to prepare the way for war with either country and that there are war preparations underway: There are not." — White House Press Secretary Tony Snow
(Pre-Iraq invasion quotes via Mother Jones' "Lie By Lie" timeline. Pre-Iran quote via War and Piece.)
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