According to an advanced manuscript of former undersecretary of defense Douglas Feith’s upcoming book, War and Decision, President Bush decided that war with Iraq was “inevitable” on December 18, 2002,”weeks before U.N. weapons inspectors reported their initial findings on Iraq and months before Bush delivered an ultimatum to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.”

Feith’s revelation contradicts the president’s public statements. Throughout late 2002 and early 2003, Bush repeatedly claimed that “every measure has been taken to avoid war” and that by disarming and complying with UN Resolution 1441, Saddam Hussein can avoid war.

December 31, 2002: “I hope this Iraq situation will be resolved peacefully. One of my New Year’s resolutions is to work to deal with these situations in a way so that they’re resolved peacefully….I hope we’re not headed to war in Iraq. I’m the person who gets to decide, not you. I hope this can be done peacefully.”

January 2, 2003: “First of all, you know, I’m hopeful we won’t have to go war, and let’s leave it at that.”

February 10, 2003: “But Saddam Hussein is—he’s treated the demands of the world as a joke up to now, and it was his choice to make…He’s the person who gets to decide war and peace.”

March 6, 2003: “Hopefully, this can be done peacefully…I want to remind you that it’s his choice to make as to whether or not we go to war. It’s Saddam’s choice. He’s the person that can make the choice of war and peace.”

March 8, 2003: “We are doing everything we can to avoid war in Iraq. But if Saddam Hussein does not disarm peacefully, he will be disarmed by force.”

March 17, 2003: “Should Saddam Hussein choose confrontation, the American people can know that every measure has been taken to avoid war, and every measure will be taken to win it.”

Feith’s claim also supports earlier press reports and accounts which dated Bush’s decision to invade Iraq to early 2003. In his book Plan of Attack, Bob Woodward claims that in January 2003 Bush told then Secretary of State Colin Powell that “The inspections are not getting us there…. I really think I’m going to have to do this.” Similarly, on February 23, 2003, Bush reportedly told Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar that “we have to get rid of Saddam.”

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