Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Challenging Bush's World View
The Washington Post ^ | June 9, 2003 | Fred Hiatt

Posted on 06/08/2003 9:49:50 PM PDT by FairOpinion

Some allegations over Iraq's undiscovered weapons -- that Bush manufactured evidence to justify a war for oil or empire, for political advantage or ideology -- don't make much sense, unless you believe that President Clinton's defense secretary was similarly inventive when he brandished a five-pound bag of sugar on national television as a stand-in for the Iraqi anthrax he said could destroy much of Washington. The more damning possibility, in fact, is that Bush did not move aggressively enough to guard nuclear and other sites in Iraq to prevent possible dispersal.

But the president's blithe and sweeping statements on the subject ("we found the weapons of mass destruction") stoke doubts about many other airy claims, including his warnings about a wider terrorist threat. Debate about both, beyond the shock of 9/11, can only be healthy. The administration's evident surprise at finding no stockpiles in Iraq thus far begs for an inquiry into methods of intelligence and certainly affects its future credibility. Similarly, much remains unknown about al Qaeda and like-minded networks, the depth of their leadership and their staying power.

In the end, though, those who hope the terrorist threat has been overstated are likely to be as disappointed as those who believe Saddam Hussein had no chemical or biological weapons program. Given the catastrophic damage that a small group could wreak with a biological agent or nuclear weapon, and the hatred of the West still being taught in schools in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and elsewhere, today's vigilance is preferable to yesterday's complacency, and the reorientation Bush imposed after 9/11 was as justified as it was belated.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: biological; bush; chemical; democrats; elections; iraq; nuclear; security; terrorism; whereswmd; wmd; x42
This editorial is not friendly to Bush, but even he realizes how ridiculous the claims are that Bush lied and Iraq didn't have WMD. And seems to grudgingly admit that Bush is right: "today's vigilance is preferable to yesterday's complacency, and the reorientation Bush imposed after 9/11 was as justified as it was belated."
1 posted on 06/08/2003 9:49:51 PM PDT by FairOpinion
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

Comment #2 Removed by Moderator

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson