DIANE SAWYER: But, but, again, some, some of the critics have said this combined with the failure to establish proof of, of elaborate terrorism contacts, has indicated that there's just not precision, at best, and misleading, at worst. PRESIDENT BUSH: Yeah. Look what what we based our evidence on was a very sound National Intelligence Estimate. ... DIANE SAWYER: Nothing should have been more precise? PRESIDENT BUSH: What I, I I made my decision based upon enough intelligence to tell me that this country was threatened with Saddam Hussein in power. DIANE SAWYER: What would it take to convince you he didn't have weapons of mass destruction? PRESIDENT BUSH: Saddam Hussein was a threat and the fact that he is gone means America is a safer country. DIANE SAWYER: And if he doesn't have weapons of mass destruction [inaudible] PRESIDENT BUSH: Diane, you can keep asking the question. I'm telling you I made the right decision for America DIANE SAWYER: But- PRESIDENT BUSH: because Saddam Hussein used weapons of mass destruction, invaded Kuwait. ... But the fact that he is not there is, means America's a more secure country.
[Sigh]... Look how he backpedals and changes the justification for the war. It's hard for me to describe to you what that means. It's let me just say this: It's a leap of faith to understand. Way to explain. things. DIANE SAWYER: But stated as a hard fact, that there were weapons of mass destruction as opposed to the possibility that he could move to acquire those weapons still PRESIDENT BUSH: So what's the difference? DIANE SAWYER: Well PRESIDENT BUSH: The possibility that he could acquire weapons. If he were to acquire weapons, he would be the danger. That's, that's what I'm trying to explain to you. A gathering threat, after 9/11, is a threat that needed to be de dealt with, and it was done after 12 long years of the world saying the man's a danger. And so we got rid of him and there's no doubt the world is a safer, freer place as a result of Saddam being gone. The difference is that you lied, jackass. ABCNEWS.com : Transcript: President Bush Interview, Part 2 | 
