December 28, 2005
Biological and chemical weaponsWHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAID
The Bush administration said Iraq had stockpiled weapons of mass destruction. Officials trumpeted reports from U.S. and foreign spy agencies, including an October 2002 CIA assessment: "Baghdad has chemical and biological weapons, as well as missiles with ranges in excess of UN restrictions."
WHAT WE KNOW TODAY
Many, although not all, of the Bush administration's assertions about weapons of mass destruction have proven flat-out wrong. What illicit weaponry searchers uncovered didn't begin to square with the magnitude of the toxic armory U.S. officials had described before the war.
THE VERDICT
There was no need for the administration to rely on risky intelligence to chronicle many of Iraq's other sins. In putting so much emphasis on illicit weaponry, the White House advanced its most provocative, least verifiable case for war when others would have sufficed.
In other words, the President was wrong in magnitude but did not lie.
Iraq rebuffs the worldWHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAID
In a speech that left many diplomats visibly squirming in their chairs, President Bush detailed tandem patterns of failure: Saddam Hussein had refused to obey UN Security Council orders that he disclose his weapons programs--and the UN had refused to enforce its demands of Hussein.
WHAT WE KNOW TODAY
Reasonable minds disagree on whether Iraq's flouting of UN resolutions justified the war. But there can be no credible assertion that either Iraq or the UN met its responsibility to the world. If anything, the administration gravely understated the chicanery, both in Baghdad and at the UN.
THE VERDICT
Hussein had shunted enough lucre to enough profiteers to keep the UN from challenging him. In a dozen years the organization mass-produced 17 resolutions on Iraq, all of them toothless. That in turn enabled Hussein to continue his brutal reign and cost untold thousands of Iraqis their lives.
The President spoke the truth, though one can question the necessity of war based on this point..
The quest for nukesWHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAID
Intelligence agencies warned the Clinton and Bush administrations that Hussein was reconstituting his once-impressive program to create nuclear weapons. In part that intel reflected embarrassment over U.S. failure before the Persian Gulf war to grasp how close Iraq was to building nukes.
WHAT WE KNOW TODAY
Four intel studies from 1997-2000 concurred that "If Iraq acquired a significant quantity of fissile material through foreign assistance, it could have a crude nuclear weapon within a year." Claims that Iraq sought uranium and special tubes for processing nuclear material appear discredited.
THE VERDICT
If the White House manipulated or exaggerated the nuclear intelligence before the war in order to paint a more menacing portrait of Hussein, it's difficult to imagine why. For five years, the official and oft-delivered alarms from the U.S. intelligence community had been menacing enough.
That is what had been concluded by the intelligence community for years. Relying on that conclusion was proper, though some of the details may have been incorrect.
Hussein's rope-a-dopeWHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAID
The longer Hussein refuses to obey UN directives to disclose his weapons programs, the greater the risk that he will acquire, or share with terrorists, the weaponry he has used in the past or the even deadlier capabilities his scientists have tried to develop. Thus we need to wage a pre-emptive war.
WHAT WE KNOW TODAY
Hussein didn't have illicit weapons stockpiles to wield or hand to terrorists. Subsequent investigations have concluded he had the means and intent to rekindle those programs as soon as he escaped UN sanctions.
THE VERDICT
Had Hussein not been deposed, would he have reconstituted deadly weaponry or shared it with terror groups? Of the White House's nine arguments for war, the implications of this warning about Iraq's intentions are treacherous to imagine--yet also the least possible to declare true or false.
A judgement call that ultimately comes down to how much faith and trust one wishes to place in Saddam Hussein. Based upon his past behavior, the President made a legitimate call -- but those of you who hate Bush can side with the deposed Iraqi leader who had used such weapons against his own people if you think he has greater credibility.
Waging war on terrorWHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAID
Iraq was Afghanistan's likely successor as a haven for terror groups. "Saddam Hussein is harboring terrorists and the instruments of terror ... " the president said. "And he cannot be trusted. The risk is simply too great that he will use them, or provide them to a terror network."
WHAT WE KNOW TODAY
The White House echoed four years of intel that said Hussein contemplated the use of terror against the U.S. or its allies. But he evidently had not done so on a broad scale. The assertion that Hussein was "harboring terrorists and the instruments of terror" overstated what we know today.
THE VERDICT
The drumbeat of White House warnings before the war made Iraq's terror activities sound more ambitious than subsequent evidence has proven. Based on what we know today, the argument that Hussein was able to foment global terror against this country and its interests was exaggerated.
In other words, the intel pointed to this, but there remains serious doubt about how serious Hussein was about sponsoring terrorism. But again, there was no lie.
Reform in the Middle EastWHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAID
Supplanting Hussein's reign with self-rule would transform governance in a region dominated by dictators, zealots and kings. The administration wanted to convert populations of subjects into citizens. Mideast democracy would channel energy away from resentments that breed terrorism.
WHAT WE KNOW TODAY
U.S. pressure has stirred reforms in Lebanon, Egypt and Saudi Arabia and imperiled Syria's regime. "I was cynical about Iraq," said Druze Muslim patriarch Walid Jumblatt. "But when I saw the Iraqi people voting . . . it was the start of a new Arab world... The Berlin Wall has fallen."
THE VERDICT
The notion that invading Iraq would provoke political tremors in a region long ruled by despots is the Bush administration's most successful prewar prediction to date. A more muscular U.S. diplomacy has advanced democracy and assisted freedom movements in the sclerotic Middle East.
Spot on correct judgement of the situation.
Iraq and Al QaedaWHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAID
President Bush: "... Iraq and the Al Qaeda terrorist network share a common enemy--the United States of America. We know that Iraq and Al Qaeda have had high-level contacts that go back a decade.... Iraq has trained Al Qaeda members in bombmaking and poisons and deadly gases."
WHAT WE KNOW TODAY
Two government investigative reports indicate that Al Qaeda and Iraq had long-running if sporadic contacts. Several of the prewar intel conclusions likely are true. But the high-ranking Al Qaeda detainee who said Iraq trained Al Qaeda in bombmaking, poisons and gases later recanted.
THE VERDICT
No compelling evidence ties Iraq to Sept. 11, 2001, as the White House implied. Nor is there proof linking Al Qaeda in a significant way to the final years of Hussein's regime. By stripping its rhetoric of the ambiguity present in the intel data, the White House exaggerated this argument for war.
The case was not nearly as clear-cut as the President stated it. What he said was true -- but was it accurate?
The Butcher of BaghdadWHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAID
Then-Secretary of State Colin Powell: "For more than 20 years, by word and by deed, Saddam Hussein has pursued his ambition to dominate Iraq and the broader Middle East using the only means he knows--intimidation, coercion and annihilation of all those who might stand in his way."
WHAT WE KNOW TODAY
Human Rights Watch estimates that Hussein exterminated 300,000 people. Chemical weapons killed Iraqi Kurds and Iranians; Iraqi Shiites also were slaughtered. Tortures included amputation, rape, piercing hands with drills, burning some victims alive and lowering others into acid baths.
THE VERDICT
In detailing how Hussein tormented his people--and thus mocked the UN Security Council order that he stop--the White House assessments were accurate. Few if any war opponents have challenged this argument, or suggested that an unmolested Hussein would have eased his repression.
The world stood by too long in the face of massive human rights violations in Iraq. The President called a spade a spade and acted to bring an end to the manifest evil of the murderous Iraqi regime.
Iraqis liberatedWHAT THE WHITE HOUSE SAID
President Bush and his surrogates broached a peculiar notion: that the Arab world was ready to embrace representative government. History said otherwise--and it wasn't as if the Arab street was clamoring for Iraq to show the way.
WHAT WE KNOW TODAY
The most succinct evaluation comes from Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.): "Every time the 27 million Iraqis have been given the chance since Saddam Hussein was overthrown, they have voted for self-government and hope over the violence and hatred the 10,000 terrorists offer them."
THE VERDICT
The White House was correct in predicting that long subjugated Iraqis would embrace democracy. And while Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites have major differences to reconcile, a year's worth of predictions that Sunni disaffection could doom self-rule have, so far, proven wrong.
Once again, the call seems to have been correct.
In other words, a fair view of the resons for the war shows that Bush spoke the truth as he knew it -- even if he overstated some of the evidence -- when the war began. Those who accuse him of lying are engaged in the "Big Lie" themselves, presumably for their own political advantage.
(Hat Tip --, Right Wing Nut House, Blogs for Bush, Sister Toldjah)
Posted by: Greg at
05:18 PM
| Comments (68)
| Add Comment
Post contains 1699 words, total size 11 kb.
Posted by: sex at Fri May 16 03:43:29 2008 (SgwDB)
Posted by: sex at Fri May 16 05:07:29 2008 (PoLnB)
Posted by: sex at Fri May 16 06:09:52 2008 (Bbucb)
Posted by: girls at Fri May 16 16:12:30 2008 (BTrxq)
Posted by: girls at Fri May 16 19:21:08 2008 (hrUkp)
Posted by: sex at Fri May 16 20:42:20 2008 (YCd1p)
Posted by: nude at Fri May 16 21:11:42 2008 (YlbP0)
Posted by: sex at Fri May 16 21:34:06 2008 (xNZ3Y)
Posted by: sex at Fri May 16 22:34:00 2008 (BwUEY)
Posted by: sex at Fri May 16 23:06:42 2008 (Gg0w1)
Posted by: sex at Fri May 16 23:27:34 2008 (8gvns)
Posted by: sex at Sat May 17 00:20:51 2008 (BTrxq)
Posted by: sex at Sat May 17 00:59:31 2008 (AJxnx)
Posted by: nude at Sat May 17 02:18:22 2008 (eUWOG)
Posted by: nude at Sat May 17 02:27:14 2008 (7yYXM)
Posted by: free at Sat May 17 02:38:28 2008 (pSn1o)
Posted by: nude at Sat May 17 06:21:54 2008 (8gvns)
Posted by: sex at Sat May 17 10:43:27 2008 (8gvns)
Posted by: sex at Sat May 17 10:48:38 2008 (eUWOG)
Posted by: girls at Sat May 17 11:10:52 2008 (BwUEY)
Posted by: girls at Sat May 17 11:11:41 2008 (VxYkQ)
Posted by: girls at Sat May 17 11:19:40 2008 (cb/48)
Posted by: sex at Sat May 17 12:56:32 2008 (8gvns)
Posted by: sex at Sat May 17 14:12:07 2008 (0CbJi)
Posted by: girls at Sat May 17 14:32:04 2008 (g6FDm)
Posted by: huge black tits at Sun May 18 04:06:23 2008 (8gvns)
Posted by: bad girls short skirts at Sun May 18 08:26:35 2008 (fXwAI)
Posted by: father fucks daughter at Sun May 18 09:25:06 2008 (Ii491)
Posted by: cumtv at Sun May 18 10:32:48 2008 (0CbJi)
Posted by: panty poop at Sun May 18 13:39:31 2008 (0CbJi)
Posted by: 13 year old girl at Sun May 18 17:09:34 2008 (QDFsp)
Posted by: sex free at Sun May 18 20:24:28 2008 (BoRj0)
Posted by: girls gone wild college spring break at Sun May 18 23:51:58 2008 (AJxnx)
Posted by: college girls in thongs at Sun May 18 23:57:46 2008 (PoLnB)
Posted by: nek at Mon May 19 00:29:07 2008 (FvJyp)
Posted by: puke at Mon May 19 00:49:12 2008 (PoLnB)
Posted by: sexy clips at Mon May 19 01:12:45 2008 (cQeg/)
Posted by: madonna sex at Mon May 19 02:29:02 2008 (MJO3a)
Posted by: sexy booty at Mon May 19 03:19:55 2008 (VWL+I)
Posted by: teen breasts at Mon May 19 05:01:54 2008 (L/Wnr)
Posted by: horny lesbians at Mon May 19 07:10:03 2008 (kAzFO)
Posted by: breast milk at Mon May 19 08:51:15 2008 (/l4yR)
Posted by: wife porn at Mon May 19 10:37:36 2008 (sOHQ7)
Posted by: prescription diet pills at Mon May 19 12:40:56 2008 (JsgLT)
Posted by: sex at Mon Jun 2 13:17:19 2008 (xuD/0)
Posted by: sex at Mon Jun 2 15:18:43 2008 (4js72)
Posted by: sex at Mon Jun 2 17:26:19 2008 (jJ3Ow)
Posted by: gay gangbang at Sat Jun 21 00:52:05 2008 (7l19d)
Posted by: moms fucking sons at Sat Jun 21 06:58:07 2008 (tBYnf)
Posted by: big dogs at Sat Jun 21 18:26:56 2008 (tBYnf)
Posted by: sex at Sun Jun 22 01:59:43 2008 (tBYnf)
Posted by: lucy liu nude at Tue Jun 24 01:20:19 2008 (IEa7U)
Posted by: seks at Wed Jun 25 19:20:34 2008 (Lc2fd)
Posted by: crossdressing stories at Sun Jun 29 10:33:04 2008 (YczRf)
Posted by: blacksonblondes at Mon Jun 30 06:58:03 2008 (quRV8)
Posted by: girl in shower at Thu Jul 3 01:53:33 2008 (ud3+y)
Posted by: teacher fucking student at Thu Jul 3 21:54:06 2008 (1F68W)
Posted by: masturbation movies at Thu Jul 10 20:55:56 2008 (PezUy)
Posted by: frat circle jerk at Sun Jul 13 10:33:10 2008 (a5c1S)
Posted by: mature lesbians at Mon Jul 21 20:44:23 2008 (VLd27)
Posted by: non nude teens at Mon Jul 21 23:23:42 2008 (WUdke)
Posted by: test at Tue Jul 22 15:56:10 2008 (2YCBL)
Posted by: nudista at Tue Jul 22 18:25:49 2008 (wxxWh)
Posted by: adult baby girls diapered at Fri Jul 25 00:59:13 2008 (TuEzK)
Posted by: sex at Wed Oct 8 14:54:24 2008 (B9woT)
Posted by: sex at Fri Oct 10 05:56:45 2008 (IWBbO)
Posted by: very big cock shemale anime at Sun Nov 23 23:56:33 2008 (YXyOb)
Posted by: women sucking cock at Mon Nov 24 06:14:38 2008 (0AVRM)
21 queries taking 0.0326 seconds, 97 records returned.
Powered by Minx 1.1.6c-pink.