Iraq war resolution

I've just been reading over the actual wording of the "Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq," Public Law 107-243, passed by Congress on 2002-10-16.

The pivotal part is Section 3(b):

In connection with the exercise of the authority [to use U.S. armed forces] granted in subsection (a) to use force the President shall, prior to such exercise or as soon there after as may be feasible, but no later than 48 hours after exercising such authority, make available to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate his determination that

(1) reliance by the United States on further diplomatic or other peaceful means alone either (A) will not adequately protect the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq or (B) is not likely to lead to enforcement of all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq, and

(2) acting pursuant to this resolution is consistent with the United States and other countries continuing to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations or persons who planned, authorized, committed or aided the terrorists attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.

The President then said, in March 2003, "Further delay in taking action against Iraq will only serve to give Saddam Hussein's regime additional time to further develop WMD to use against the United States, its citizens, and its allies. [snip] The necessary preparations for and conduct of military operations in Iraq have not diminished the resolve, capability, or activities of the United States to pursue international terrorists to protect our homeland. [snip] The capture [on 2003-03-01] of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the al Qaida 'mastermind' of the September 11^th attacks and Usama Bin Laden's senior terrorist attack planner, is a severe blow to al Qaida that will destabilize the terrorist network worldwide."

The President's assertion that any delay in invading Iraq would only increase Saddam's WMD capabilities, was baseless, and in fact was false. His assertion that the Iraq war would not take away from the global fight against terrorism, was transparently false. Significant resources were redeployed from Afghanistan to Iraq, even before the Iraq war began. That redeployment was detrimental to the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban. Furthermore, the President's statement that the capture of yet another in the long string of "al Qaeda's #3 operatives" would destabilize al Qaeda, was clearly nothing short of delusional. Thus, the President's certification to Congress that all diplomatic and peaceful avenues had been exhausted, and that the Iraq war would not detract from other counter-terrorism operations, was based on statements he clearly knew to be materially false.

The President clearly gave as much care and attention to the claims he made to justify the Iraq invasion as you give to the license agreement when you click "I Accept" on installing a new piece of software, thereby offering your firstborn child as a human sacrifice if you ever speak ill of the product.