Kerry - 11/12/97: Where is the backbone of Russia? Where's the backbone of France? Where are they in expressing their condemnation on such clearly illegal activity? But in a sense, they're now climbing into a box...

Kerry - 02/22/98: [Talking about the idea of going to war with Iraq] I am way ahead of the commander in chief, and probably way ahead of my colleagues, and certainly of much of the country. But I believe this. I believe that he has used these weapons before, he has invaded another country, he views himself as a modern day Nebakanezer... And I think we have to stand up to that.

[Bush takes office 1/2000]

Kerry - 12/11/01: I think we need to put the presser on [Saddam Hussein], no matter what the evidence is about September 11th.

Kerry - 12/14/01: I think we clearly have to keep the pressure on terrorism globally. This doesn't end with Afghanistan... And it is absolutely vital that we continue, for instance, with Saddam Hussein.

Kerry - 07/29/02: [Talking about diplomacy] Do we have to go though that process? The answer is yes. We're precisely doing that. That's what Colin Powell did today [at the UN].

Kerry - 07/29/02: I agree completely with this Administration's goal of a regime change in Iraq...

Kerry - 09/06/02: If Saddam Hussein is unwilling to bend to the international community's already existing order, then he will have invited enforcement. Even if that enforcement is mostly at the hands of the United States, a right we retain even if the [UN] Security Council fails to act.

Kerry - 09/15/02: I disagree with John McCain that it's the actually weapons of mass destruction he may use against us. It's what he may do in another invasion of Kuwait, or... he may even slide these weapons off to terrorist groups... to use them against the United States.

Kerry - 09/17/02: But the president as I wrote... always reserves the right to act unilaterally to protect the interest of our country.

Kerry - 05/03/03: ...I would have preferred if we had given diplomacy a greater opportunity. But I think it was the right decision to disarm Saddam Hussein... And I support the fact that [the president] did disarm him.

Kerry - 08/31/03: ...and the fact is, in the resolution we passed, we did not empower the president to do a regime change...*

Kerry - 10/12/03: ...but the president and his advisors did not do almost anything correctly in the walk up to the war. They rushed to war, they were intent on going to war...*

Kerry - 09/14/03: [Asked ...will you then vote against the 87 billion?] I don't think any United States senator is going to abandon our troops, and recklessly leave Iraq... That's irresponsible...I don't think anyone in the congress is not gonna not give our troops ammunition, not give our troops the ability to be able to defend themselves...

Kerry - 10/17/03: [On 87 billion appropriation for Iraq & Afghanistan] NAY*

Kerry - 01/06/04: [Asked Are you one of the anti-war candidates?] Uh, I am..? Yeah.

Kerry - 03/16/04: I actually did vote for the 87 billion*, before I voted against it*.

Kerry - 07/11/04: [Asked do you think the war was a mistake?] I think I answered your question. I think the way we went to war was a mistake.