Scott Ritter

My goal in Baghdad was to facilitate a debate here in the United States on America's policy toward Iraq, a debate that's been sadly lacking.

War is not an academic exercise.

We say that we care about the war, but we don't even really know what we're fighting for.

I was right about one of the most significant issues in modern American history. I was the only one who was right about one of the most significant issues in modern American history.

The United States is the laughingstock of the world.

Weapons of mass destruction aren't pulled out of a black hat like a white rabbit at a magic show. They're produced in factories. There's science and technology involved. They're not produced in a hole in the ground or in a basement.

I don't disagree with anything I've ever said. Why in God's name would I disagree with something I've said?

I haven't exaggerated anything, I've stuck to the facts.

I can generate attention quickly.

When I resigned, I put the U.S. Government on notice that I'm going to stick to policy issues, that I have no intention of going out and blowing the cover off of the intelligence operations, that those are truly sensitive and they should not be exposed.

I didn't promote war when I was a weapons inspector.

If people don't like the history, I'm sorry.

My personal missteps - how many Americans have died as a result of that? None. Other than my family, how many victims were there? None. And yet, in refusing to engage in a responsible debate about Iraq, how many Americans died? Thousands. And America seems to have no problem with that.

War is not some sort of Nintendo video game.

I have a credibility on the subject that most people don't.

If you want to play the game of truth, I'll tell the truth, and the truth will burn.

The Iraqi people are some of the warmest people you'll meet in your life. They are extremely receptive to strangers. Their hospitality is immense.

One, if you attack my integrity, I will defend myself. If you attack my patriotism, I will defend myself. If you come after my family, I will counter-attack viciously, I will destroy you.

The only way an Iraqi biological agent would kill you is if it landed on your head.

There are people in Baghdad pursuing the initiative that I started, and I want to give them every chance of success. I don't want to provide any distractions.

Iraq has a tremendous amount of history.

I love my country more than anything. I spent 12 years in the United States Marine Corps. I know what it means to defend this country.

The most dangerous thing Iraq could have ever had was a nuclear weapon. The nuclear weapon Iraq was trying to build was not deliverable by bomb or ballistic missile. It was a large, bulky device that they hoped to bury and set off to let the world know they had a nuclear weapon. They never achieved that.

It is hard as an American to support the failure of American military operations in Iraq. Such failure will bring with it the death and wounding of many American service members, and many more Iraqis.

History will eventually depict as legitimate the efforts of the Iraqi resistance to destabilise and defeat the American occupation forces and their imposed Iraqi collaborationist government.

I'm someone who believes the truth needs to be heard. And if I'm empowered with the truth, I'm not going to shut up.