At a moment when truth and intelligence seem to count for nothing in our government, it may hardly be worth pointing out that Bush repeatedly lied last night when describing U.N. Resolution 1441 (not one reporter called him on them). But of course I'm going to do the pointing anyway.

Even in Colin Powell's description the resolution passed on November 8 last year only required Iraq to disarm itself of its weapons of mass destruction and to disclose all of its nuclear, chemical, biological and missile programs. It did not require Iraq to totally disarm, although that is what Bush repeated over and over again last night.

The world needs him to answer a single question: Has the Iraqi regime fully and unconditionally disarmed, as required by resolution 1441, or has it not?

. . .

Token gestures are not acceptable. The only acceptable outcome is the one already defined by a unanimous vote of the security council -- total disarmament.

He is abetted this morning by the lies in the NYTimes account of his appearance in the East Room last night.

Calmly, and at times solemnly, Mr. Bush repeated his arguments that Saddam Hussein has failed to disarm after 12 years of United Nations demands, and that he has failed to obey the explicit language of the last-chance resolution passed unanimously by the Security Council on Nov. 8, demanding total, complete and unconditional disarmament.