Powell Aide Says Case for War a 'Hoax' 931
PBS recently aired an interview with Col. Lawrence B. Wilkerson (Ret), Chief of Staff at the Department of State from Aug 2002 - January 2005, addressing some of the skepticism surrounding the pre-war claims made by the Bush administration. Wilkerson claims in no uncertain terms that he "participated in a hoax on the American people, the international community and the United Nations Security Council." This is not the first time that Wilkerson has spoken out against the administration and intelligence community.
Re:Welcome to the real world guys. (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Impeachment (Score:1, Informative)
Re:Welcome to the real world guys. (Score:5, Informative)
"You mean the half that wasn't involved in the unprovoked bombing of Afganistan during the Clinton administration? That didn't have anything to do with the problems we now face in the middle east does it? Or is it somehow different?"
He's talking about the half that funded and armed al qaeda to fight the soviets. Funding terrorist groups was the norm all in the name of fighting the cold war.
The clinton bombings were targeted at osama: http://www.cnn.com/US/9808/20/us.strikes.01/ [cnn.com]
Re:Fourth estate? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Welcome to the real world guys. (Score:2, Informative)
So you're claiming that the inspection crews being booted was a hoax? hahahaha!
Re:Clinton's balanced budget myth. (Score:3, Informative)
While Clinton didn't balance the budget, I think it is fair to say that deficit growth was largely constrained at the end of the 90s. That these numbers piggybacked off of capital growth is something that should be taken into consideration.
Regardless of how serious we were about limiting the deficit THEN, we are certainly fairly cavalier about growing it NOW. (for we = America).
Some statements that helped start the Iraq war (Score:3, Informative)
February 1, 1998: "We must stop Saddam from ever again jeopardizing the stability and security of his neighbors with weapons of mass destruction." - US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
February 4, 1998: "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 Bill Clinton
February 17, 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 Bill Clinton
February 18, 1998: "He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983." - Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser.
February 18, 1998: "If a soldier's life needs to be lost let it start with mine." - an un-named American GI expressing his support for President Clinton's policy on Iraq.
February 26 1998: "A democratic Iraq is certainly in our interest, but it is above all for the sake of the Iraqis that we must replace Saddam." - Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., said in floor speech.
February 26 1998: "Saddam's feet will be held to the fire. We'll see if he complies. If not, we'll thump him." - Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo. and senior Democrat on the House National Security Committee
October 9, 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. - Senators Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, others.
November 10, 1999: "Hussein has
October 10, 1998: Senator Kerry speaks for quite some time about the burgeoning Iraqi threat http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/congres
Re:What difference does it make (Score:5, Informative)
I don't know what you remember, but the facts show there was a big difference.
Re:Removing Salami vs. trying to reform Islam (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Welcome to the real world guys. (Score:5, Informative)
Re: Poor Colin Powell (Score:3, Informative)
Clearly you don't live in New York -- he was a dreadful mayor.
1. pissed away the largest surplus in New York City's memory -- on nothing.
2. made dancing illegal in New York City! at least Bloomberg stopped enforcing this old law.
3. put the emergency response center into the World Trade Center -- despite all the experts telling him this was a bad idea -- because he was renting from one of his chief campaign contributors.
4. stopped fixing potholes as a fake budget savings (they save $40 million from the budget -- but then they spend $140 million in lawsuits, which however are not counted in the budget).
Please don't say, "He made New York City safe again". During that period, every other major city in North America got safer, and improved more than New York.
His one claim to fame is that he didn't run like a frightened rabbit after the 9/11 attacks (unlike some President I could name).
Re:News For Nerds? (Score:2, Informative)
It is an immoral act for the aggressor to revise the cause for war after engaging.
Revisionisms by the Intelligence Brief:
"My fellow citizens, events in Iraq have now reached the final days of decision. For more than a decade, the United States and other nations have pursued patient and honorable efforts to disarm the Iraqi regime without war. That regime pledged to reveal and destroy all its weapons of mass destruction as a condition for ending the Persian Gulf War in 1991.
[. . .]
The Iraqi regime has used diplomacy as a ploy to gain time and advantage. It has uniformly defied Security Council resolutions demanding full disarmament. Over the years, U.N. weapon inspectors have been threatened by Iraqi officials, electronically bugged, and systematically deceived. Peaceful efforts to disarm the Iraqi regime have failed again and again -- because we are not dealing with peaceful men.
Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised. This regime has already used weapons of mass destruction against Iraq's neighbors and against Iraq's people."
--GW Bush - March 17, 2003 [whitehouse.gov]
"Iraq had a weapons program. Intelligence throughout the decade showed they had a weapons program. I am absolutely convinced with time we'll find out that they did have a weapons program. The credibility of this country is based upon our strong desire to make the world more peaceful and the world is now more peaceful after our decision; the strong desire to make sure free nations are more secure -- our free nations are now more secure; and the strong desire to spread freedom. And the Iraqi people are now free and are learning the habits of freedom and the responsibilities that come with freedom."
--GW Bush June 9, 2003 [whitehouse.gov]
"Some in this chamber, and in our country, did not support the liberation of Iraq. Objections to war often come from principled motives. But let us be candid about the consequences of leaving Saddam Hussein in power. We're seeking all the facts. Already, the Kay Report identified dozens of weapons of mass destruction-related program activities and significant amounts of equipment that Iraq concealed from the United Nations. Had we failed to act, the dictator's weapons of mass destruction programs would continue to this day. Had we failed to act, Security Council resolutions on Iraq would have been revealed as empty threats, weakening the United Nations and encouraging defiance by dictators around the world."
--GW Bush, January 29, 2004 State of the Uninon Address [whitehouse.gov]
Just when did Conservatives become concerned that UN Security Council resolutions might be revealed as "empty threats"? Did anyone inform John Bolton of this?
Re:How to stop a suicide terrorist (Score:5, Informative)
Will the real truth please stand up!! (Score:2, Informative)
NY Sun article
http://www.nysun.com/article/26514 [nysun.com]
Middle East Forum
http://www.meforum.org/article/755 [meforum.org]
Washington Post
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20041028-