US vice president Dick Cheney warned in a speech to military veterans today that the US and its allies could not afford to ignore the threat posed by the regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
"The risks of inaction are far greater than the risk of action," Mr Cheney said.
He said the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, paired with what he called Saddam's "rejection of a viable inspection system" of his arms cache, combined "to produce an imperative for pre-emptive action.
"If the US could have pre-empted 9/11, we would have; no question.
"Should we be able to prevent another, much more devastating attack, we will; no question. This nation will not live at the mercy of terrorists or terror regimes," Mr Cheney said.
His comments follow a statement from US officials who said President George W. Bush's lawyers believe he has authority to attack Iraq without advance approval from Congress.
One senior official said White House lawyers had concluded Mr Bush has authority under the Constitution and the 1973 War Powers Resolution to act militarily against President Saddam Hussein, without special congressional approval.
"That's what the lawyers think," the official told said. White House spokesman Mr Ari Fleischer said there was "nothing new between the executive branch and the legislative when it comes to whether the president has the authority to wage war."
AFP