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By saying that Saddam Hussein trucked all the WMDs to Syria, or Libya, I don't remember which. (Completely ignoring the fact the Operation Desert Fox took most of them, and the factories out)
And the democrats approved the invasion as well as the republicans (even though GWB lied to them as well as to the American public.
Those were the main two excuses.
The intelligence came from the Clinton administration, and before you start to say that it holds no relevance, remember, you're still blaming Bush for the Obama administrations failure...
The intelligence came from the Clinton administration, and before you start to say that it holds no relevance, remember, you're still blaming Bush for the Obama administrations failure...
The invasion desire didn't come from intelligence, it came from lack of intelligence. Namely, and as the evidence has been posted in this thread, insiders said that Bush came into office with a predisposition to invade Iraq. That is really the bottom-line.
Once 911 occurred, Bush tried to connect Iraq to the event. According to Richard Clarke, "On September 12th, I left the video conferencing center and there, wandering alone around the situation room, was the president. He looked like he wanted something to do. He grabbed a few of us and closed the door to the conference room. "Look," he told us, "I know you have a lot to do and all, but I want you, as soon as you can, to go back over everything, everything. See if Saddam did this. See if he's linked in any way."
I was once again taken aback, incredulous, and it showed. "But, Mr. President, Al Qaeda did this."
"I know, I know, but - see if Saddam was involved. Just look. I want to know any shred-"
"Absolutely, we will look-again." I was trying to be more respectful, more responsive. "But you know, we have looked several times for state sponsorship of Al Qaeda and not found any real linkages to Iraq. Iran plays a little, as does Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, Yemen."
"Look into Iraq, Saddam," the president said testily and left us.
...
"I am unaware of any Iraqi-sponsored terrorism directed at the US since 1993, and I think FBI and CIA concur in that judgment?" CIA Deputy Director John McLaughlin replied, "Yes, that is right. We have no evidence of any active Iraqi terrorist threat against the US."
The invasion desire didn't come from intelligence, it came from lack of intelligence. Namely, and as the evidence has been posted in this thread, insiders said that Bush came into office with a predisposition to invade Iraq. That is really the bottom-line.
Once 911 occurred, Bush tried to connect Iraq to the event. According to Richard Clarke, "I am unaware of any Iraqi-sponsored terrorism directed at the US since 1993, and I think FBI and CIA concur in that judgment?" CIA Deputy Director John McLaughlin replied, "Yes, that is right. We have no evidence of any active Iraqi terrorist threat against the US."
Are you admitting that the Clinton administration failed to provide proper intelligence?
I dont give a rats ass about this "predisposition" you pretend existed.. Thats not the discussion of the thread, its about WMD's that werent found, that actually were.
I bet an interesting question is how the hell so many dam liberals dont know the truth about anything.
1998 isn't 2003. In 2003 there were weapons inspectors on the ground doing their job.
Let's take a look at the DoD report, citing both Clinton era intel AND UNSCOM...
The DoD's case for war... Look at the dates and the predominantly Clinton Admin and UNSCOM sources cited on the slides (click on each slide to enlarge). Includes info as current as late 2002: DoD News: DoD Briefing on Iraqi Denial and Deception
Seems like North Korea would have been a better choice, they actually have nuclear capability and threatened our allies.
Yes, that's the lesson Bush & Co. unintentionally taught the rogue nations (unintentionally, I'm sure): Having nukes is the "Get out of US invasion" card that will actually be honored.
Last edited by Dane_in_LA; 08-16-2013 at 11:01 AM..
Oh so they ONLY found 500 of them, so I guess you now admit they were found.
And you wouldnt know the quality of them, until after they were found
That's the fig leaf? 500 rusty shells from before 1991? And yes, everybody who takes part in this sort of debate knows (or should know) that chemical weapons degrade over time.
That's worth going to war over? That's the smoking cloud that would take the form of a mushroom cloud over one of our cities? A box of rifle bullets would be as dangerous. You can even dip them in Windex and call them chemical, they'd be more dangerous than the crap that was found.
Quote:
The discussion isnt about a nuclear program, (which I believe they had but dismantled)
Thanks in no little part to the UN inspectors blowing it the f.ck up between 1991 and 1998. The UN - that organization you wouldn't dream of giving one iota of credit for anything - did much, much more to disarm Iraq of WMD than Bush's Folly. At a lower cost in life and treasure, one might add.
Let's take a look at the DoD report, citing both Clinton era intel AND UNSCOM...
The DoD's case for war... Look at the dates and the predominantly Clinton Admin and UNSCOM sources cited on the slides (click on each slide to enlarge). Includes info as current as late 2002: DoD News: DoD Briefing on Iraqi Denial and Deception
If only - if only - there had been some sort of inspectors on the ground. That would have been immensely useful in preventing an unnecessary war. Oh - wait, there was. And it became increasingly obvious that the DoD's intelligence was ridiculously bad. Couldn't tell a fire truck from a decontamination truck. "Mobile biological labs" (remember those?) that were hydrogen generating vehicles for weather balloons.
Let's take a look at the DoD report, citing both Clinton era intel AND UNSCOM...
The DoD's case for war... Look at the dates and the predominantly Clinton Admin and UNSCOM sources cited on the slides (click on each slide to enlarge). Includes info as current as late 2002: DoD News: DoD Briefing on Iraqi Denial and Deception
Why do you think that Clinton didn't invade Iraq if the intelligence was there.
CIA’s final report: No WMD found in Iraq
In his final word, the CIA’s top weapons inspector in Iraq said Monday that the hunt for weapons of mass destruction has “gone as far as feasible” and has found nothing, closing an investigation into the purported programs of Saddam Hussein that were used to justify the 2003 invasion.
“After more than 18 months, the WMD investigation and debriefing of the WMD-related detainees has been exhausted,” wrote Charles Duelfer, head of the Iraq Survey Group, in an addendum to the final report he issued last fall.
WMDs were found according to the Dept. of Defense -
The 500 munitions discovered throughout Iraq since 2003 and discussed in a National Ground Intelligence Center report meet the criteria of weapons of mass destruction, the center's commander said here today.
"These are chemical weapons as defined under the Chemical Weapons Convention, and yes ... they do constitute weapons of mass destruction," Army Col. John Chu told the House Armed Services Committee.
The Chemical Weapons Convention is an arms control agreement which outlaws the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons. It was signed in 1993 and entered into force in 1997.
The munitions found contain sarin and mustard gases, Army Lt. Gen. Michael D. Maples, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, said. Sarin attacks the neurological system and is potentially lethal.
Even WikiLeaks says WMDs were found.
(FRIENDLY ACTION) CACHE FOUND/CLEARED RPT 4/B/1-14 : 0 INJ/DAM
THE PRESENCE OF A CHEMICAL AGENT INDICATES THAT THESE ROUNDS WERE MOST LIKELY LEFT OVER FROM THE SADDAM-ERA REGIME. BASED ON LOCATION, THESE ROUNDS MAY BE AN AQI CACHE. HOWEVER, THE ROUNDS WERE ALL TOTAL DISREPAIR AND DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN MOVED FOR A LONG TIME.
AT 1200, 1-4 CAV REPORTED A SOURCE INFORMED THE THT TEAM AT FOB MACKENZIE THEY HAD INFORMATION OF THE LOCATION OF 1,200 CONTAINERS OF LIQUID MUSTARD AGENT IN SAMARRA. THE SOURCE REQUESTED COMPENSATION OF 5,000 USD PER CONTAINER. AT 1400, TF SABRE INITIATED COORDINATION TO ACQUIRE AND TEST A SAMPLE OF THE AGENT. TESTING BEGAN AT 191640AUG04 WITH M8, ICAM, AND M256. ALL TESTS WERE CONDUCTED WITH THE FOLLOWING RESULTS: M8 TEST POSITIVE, THE ICAM GAVE TWO SEPARATE READINGS OF 3 BARS, AND M256 REPORTED TWO POSITIVE RESULTS FOR BLISTER AGENT.
So the media chose the CIA story.
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