Posted on 07/29/2004 12:35:57 PM PDT by epistimes
Bush lied:
* Bush allowed the neocons to create the Office of Special Plans to circumvent normal intelligence vetting procedures,
* he asked only for info the backed his views and thus is guilty of cherry-picking data,
* he distorted CIA reports in public speeches by removing caveats and disagreements between government agencies,
* he used false logic ("we know he had em cause he used em"),
* he jumped the gun several times after the invasion, saying we had "found WMD", and
* he allowed Cheney to continue to make statements that were being contradicted by the CIA.
* he never explained why Powell said in February of 2001 at Cairo, that Saddam had "no significant WMD capability"
* he said to Diane Sawyer "What's the difference?", when addressing the difference between "Saddam has" and "Saddam has not accounted for".
Clinton did say that Saddam had WMD, but it was implicitly stated as an opinion or an educated guess by Clinton.
Bush really lied since he attached a bunch of phony evidence to his assertion which he stated as categorical proof. The evidence was phony in of itself, regardless of whether Saddam really did or didn't have WMD.
Bush is like a cop who plants evidence or misconstrues evidence to fit his theory or the thesis that helps his political aims or that he hopes turns out to be true.
Before the war, the French, Chinese and Russians agreed that Saddam had WMD. The fact is though that even though the Chinese, French and Russians thought that Saddam might have WMD, only Blair and Bush were arrogant enough to say they were sure.
In substance, Bush lied by saying he was sure on WMD stockpiles, when he should have said that he couldn't be sure.
Either post a barf alert, or learn to love cat dander...
I'm pretty sure of at least one thing at this exact moment.
Where Bush Got His Marching Orders
"One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line."
- President Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998
"If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program."
- President Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998
"Iraq is a long way from [here], but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face."
- Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998
"He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983."
- Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998
"We urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs."
- Letter to President Clinton, signed by Sens. Carl Levin (D-MI), Tom Daschle (D-SD), John Kerry ( D - MA), and others Oct. 9, 1998
"Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process."
- Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998
"Hussein has ... chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies."
- Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999
"There is no doubt that ... Saddam Hussein has invigorated his weapons programs. Reports indicate that biological, chemical and nuclear programs continue apace and may be back to pre-Gulf War status. In addition, Saddam continues to redefine delivery systems and is doubtless using the cover of a licit missile program to develop longer-range missiles that will threaten the United States and our allies."
- Letter to President Bush, Signed by Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL,) and others, December 5, 2001
"We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandate of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and the means of delivering them."
- Sen. Carl Levin (D, MI), Sept. 19, 2002
"We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country."
- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
"Iraq's search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power."
- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002
"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction."
- Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002
"The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities. Intelligence reports indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons..."
- Sen. Robert Byrd (D, WV), Oct. 3, 2002
"I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force-- if necessary-- to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security."
- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002
"There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years ... We also should remember we have always underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction."
- Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D, WV), Oct 10, 2002
"He has systematically violated, over the course of the past 11 years, every significant UN resolution that has demanded that he disarm and destroy his chemical and biological weapons, and any nuclear capacity. This he has refused to do."
- Rep. Henry Waxman (D, CA), Oct. 10, 2002
"In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapon stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members. It is clear, however, that if left unchecked Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons."
- Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002
"We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that Saddam Hussein has, and has had for a number of years, a developing capacity for the production and storage of weapons of mass destruction."
- Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL), Dec. 8, 2002
"Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime ... He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation .. And now he is miscalculating America's response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction... So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real."
- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan. 23. 2003
Ozone? Did someone say it smells like ozone in here?
"you will be assimilated...."
LOL Hey, do you work for the UN?
Moby?
Epistimes how ever did you escape the Borg??
epistimes- Did you know that your screen name's origin means " Stupid ugly little girl" ?
Sincerely,
Richard Reordan
Under the terms of the 1991 cease-fire, Bush is absolutely correct. It was up to Saddam to document the dismantlement and destruction of his WMD programs. He failed to do such.
If you're going to try and have a debate here, you really need more than sound bites.
I swear you name makes me think of episiotomy.
Appropriate.
I smell ozone.
Girly-man or manly-girl?
That was a super quick ZOT! Plenty of trolls lately.
Sounds like good reasoning to me. The gassed, dead Kurds lying on the ground were not a figment of his imagination.
He didn't - but the Borg Queen and her minions left him to mind the collective while they're partying up in Boston...
I can't watch. Tell me when its over.
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