Bush Aides Play Down Effort to Avert War at Last Minute

NYTimes ^ | November 7, 2003

[RJCogburn]

Bush administration officials on Thursday played down the significance of an Iraqi effort to avert war by holding last-ditch negotiations with Washington through a back channel in the weeks before the war began in March.

Top Iraqi intelligence officials tried to open a secret communications channel with the administration, according to intermediaries and others familiar with the channel. The Iraqis told a Lebanese-American businessman that they no longer had any illicit weapons, that Baghdad would allow American experts to conduct an independent search and that Saddam Hussein would turn over a suspect in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

But the businessman and others said that Baghdad's entreaties were rebuffed by the Bush administration.

The White House spokesman, Scott McClellan, said that Iraq had had plenty of chances over the years to comply with United Nations resolutions. "The United States exhausted every legitimate and credible opportunity to resolve this peacefully," he said.

But Mr. McClellan declined to say whether President Bush was ever told of the back-channel contacts with the Iraqis.

Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld also said that Iraq did not need last-minute talks to avert a war. "The regime of Saddam Hussein had ample — well beyond ample — opportunity to avoid war," he said at a news briefing.

[TrappedInLiberalHell]

Bush administration officials on Thursday played down the significance

I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but this sentence seems a bit presumptious. It implies that the Bush administration is being deceitful. As far as I've always understood it, to 'play down' something means to deliberately give something less attention than it merits.

Or maybe I'm just so used to bias in the media that I see it where it ain't. It's hard to know for sure any more. I guess erring on the side of skepticism is the best course in any case.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld also said that Iraq did not need last-minute talks to avert a war. "The regime of Saddam Hussein had ample — well beyond ample — opportunity to avoid war," he said

Remember the temperatures to be expected in an Iraqi summer?

The basic plan of the French and other hostiles was to delay our action until it became close to impossible to act.

[observer5]

What the NY Slimes will not tell you that this so-called business man had no credentials what-so-ever to represent the Iraqi governement and this so-called offer had little or no credibility. There were plenty of legitimate intermediaries such as France, Russia etc. to negotiate such an offer.

[South Dakota]

Just another smear tactic to headline all the slimes of newspapers that are out there

[Huck]

Didn't GWB give a speech where he laid down an ulimatum and specifically said it was non-negotiable?

[Puppage]

Didn't GWB give a speech where he laid down an ulimatum and specifically said it was non-negotiable?

Yep, and let's not forget the 18 RESOLUTIONS, but hey, in the way of the rat..."that was a long time ago".

[Blood of Tyrants]

The left is also assuming that Saddam was honest (right) and not just looking to delay the invasion, yet again.