Regards, Ivan
Posted on 10/07/2004 6:33:58 AM PDT by MadIvan
The author of the final report into Iraqi weapons of mass destruction threw Tony Blair and George Bush a lifeline today by saying the world was "better off" without Saddam Hussein.
Mr Duelfer confirmed the Iraqi dictator destroyed illegal weapons after the first Gulf war, dismantledhis nuclear bomb programmeand was a "diminishing"-threat at the time of last year's invasion.
But giving evidence to the Senate armed services committee, he supported the military campaign. "The world is better off," he said.
He said Saddam had made "a lot of progress" in eroding sanctions to the point at which he could begin building such weapons again - in fact it was the terror attacks of September 11 that undermined his plans.
Had they not taken place, "things would have taken a very different course for the regime".
The Prime Minister, speaking in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, said he "welcomed the report". While accepting Iraq had "no stockpiles of actual weapons," Mr Blair insisted Saddam "had every intention of redeveloping those programmes and weapons.
"I hope others will have the honesty to accept the report also shows sanctions were not working. On the contrary, Saddam was doing his best to get round those sanctions".
With the Iraq war now a major issue in the US election, Mr Bush claimed there was a "real risk" Saddam "would pass weapons or materials or information to terrorist networks. That was a risk we could not take."
The report reveals how Saddam breached sanctions by abusing the oilfor- food programme. Instead of ensuring oil from Iraq was used to buy food and medicine for its people, the CIA-sponsored report alleges he spent millions bribing UN staff and foreign governments.
He secretly handed out vouchers allowing recipients to sell Iraqi oil at a healthy profit. Labour MP George Galloway is reportedlynamed five times as one of the recipients of the vouchers, along with high-ranking UN officials.
Mr Galloway denied the allegations. "A lie doesn't become true because you keep repeating it," he said.
Regards, Ivan
Ping!
Thanks for this thread, Mad!!
He won't bring it up.
No one will ask him.
Kerry will only repeat the cherry-picked quotes that assert there are no wmds in Iraq.
Duelfer may also be a little peeved that the media is drawing the ABSOLUTE WRONG CONCLUSIONS from his report. It is SINFUL that our press ignores and/or wilfully misrepresents the CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER we face. They are TRAITORS in my book.
I am very suspicious about any reports that come out this close to the election. There are lots of powerful interests who want to see Bush go down hard.
I just saw this Dr. Susan Rice working with Kamp Kerry on Fox (I had read her comments before but not seen her).
What I saw should scare the hell out of everyone. She is an attractive and bright young woman who effectively mischaracterized the Duelfer report. I had to leave the room as the Republican man came up (I didn't see who it was) but as he started to speak as I left I was not impressed with his lowkey style. Where was the shock and outrage at what he had just heard?
This Rice woman stated that the report shows Iraq did not have WMD or the means to produce. She may not have said they had no plans to do so (I can't recall), but her message was clearly that Iraq meant us no harm. She went on to say we're bogged down in a quagmire when Iraq had posed no threat at all. I was stunned at her brazen ways.
Then the capper was she flat out declared that Iran and North Korea pose an *imminent* threat right now and are being ignored.
The Republicans better start answering this garbage forcefully and with outrage. This is our security we are talking about and they better realize the other guys are putting getting back power over this country's security.
I am completely disgusted by what I just saw from that woman.
President Saddam Hussein of Iraq announced on Sunday that he is to give 25,000 USD each to the Palestinians who were rendered homeless during the Israeli "Defensive Wall" campaign.
The Iraqi President said that all of those who had lost their homes during the Israeli atrocities in Jenin would receive the money. The decision was taken during a meeting of the Iraqi Council of Ministers.
On Friday, the Iraqi government announced that it was to donate 10,000,000 USD to help the Palestinian fight against (Israeli) occupation. Iraq has also announced that it has a volunteer force of six million armed men to liberate Palestine.
Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY
PRAVDA.Ru
Can't wait for the rest of the names to surface in the "oil for food" fiasco. I just hope "our side" is clean.
Kerry will say something related to Bremer's comments. Then will say "wrong war, wrong time" and then beg the surrender monkeys to forgive America for our wrong doings...
GWB cannot flub this up in the debate!
He has sent forth campaign advisors to lie about the report. The sympathetic media complies by presenting their statements unchallenged.
Our side better set the record straight. I am livid over the presentation I just saw Dr. Susan Rice who is with Kamp Kerry give on Fox News Channel.
Bump!
Bush just need to quote this guy in the debates
This report, which is being touted by the media as a devastating blow to Bush, is actually positive.
I think most Republicans, sadly, have misplaced their testicles when it comes to rebutting Democratic lies.
Laura Ingraham has been covering this today on her radio show.
Highlighting comments from Duelfer.
McCain thankfully really gets it. His comments to Duelfer showed that, John Warner the same.
Ted Kennedy made a fool of himself (what's new?) when questioning Duelfer, and was rebuked by Duelfer, I was glad to hear.
Laura's still on this, listen in on www.ksky.com (click Listen Live).
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