There they go again

I guess I was wrong about Iraq making headlines, as I'm sure most saw yesterday's BIG NEWS that two "independent" studies found that President Bush and his top aides made 935 false statements about the security risk posed by Iraq in the two years after 9/11.

Well, first of all, "BUSH LIED!" is hardly news. Rather, I'd say it's more like reconstituted B.S. molded and repackaged to appear as news. But since it's there, let us take a minute to assess the findings of these two "independent" and nonprofit "journalism" groups.

The Center for Public Integrity and the Fund for Independence in Journalism conducted tireless searches to find that President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Colin Powell and then-National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, among others, "led the nation to war on the basis of erroneous information that it methodically propagated and that culminated in military action against Iraq on March 19, 2003."

This made the usual rounds in the mainstream media, of course. And these two "independent" organizations, as well as major media nationwide, with all of their resources and news databases, failed to find even one instance, let alone mention it, of anyone outside the Bush administration who made similar statements or presented similar facts.

So yours truly spent about 20 minutes this morning with a cup of coffee and my trusty google. Here's a sampling of what I came up with:

"Now, let's imagine the future. What if he fails to comply and we fail to act, or we take some ambiguous third route, which gives him yet more opportunities to develop this program of weapons of mass destruction and continue to press for the release of the sanctions and continue to ignore the solemn commitments that he made? Well, he will conclude that the international community has lost its will. He will then conclude that he can go right on and do more to rebuild an arsenal of devastating destruction. And some day, some way, I guarantee you he'll use the arsenal.” -- Bill Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998

The "record will show that Saddam Hussein has produced weapons of mass destruction, which he's clearly not collecting for his own personal pleasure, but in order to use. 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.

"If you don't stop a horrific dictator before he gets started too far -- that he can do untold damage. If the world had been firmer with Hitler earlier, then chances are that we might not have needed to send Americans to Europe during the Second World War." -- Secretary of State Madeline Albright, Feb. 18, 1998

"Saddam Hussein has developed an arsenal of deadly chemical and biological weapons. He has used these weapons repeatedly against his own people as well as Iran.” --Secretary of Defense William Cohen, Feb. 18, 1998

"Iraq's continuing weapons of mass destruction programs threaten vital United States interests and international peace and security." --Public law 105-235, "Iraqi Breach of International Obligations," signed by Bill Clinton, Aug. 14, 1998 which passed unanimously in the Senate and by a vote of 407-6 in the House.

"For the last eight years, American policy toward Iraq has been based on the tangible threat Saddam poses to our security. That threat is clear. Saddam's history of aggression, and his recent record of deception and defiance, leave no doubt that he would resume his drive for regional domination if he had the chance. Year after year, in conflict after conflict, Saddam has proven that he seeks weapons, including weapons of mass destruction, in order to use them." --National Security Advisor Sandy Berger, Dec. 8, 1998

"I acted quickly because, as my military advisors stressed, the longer we waited, the more time Saddam would have to disburse his forces and protect his arsenal. Our mission is clear: to degrade Saddam's capacity to develop and deliver weapons of mass destruction." --Bill Clinton, Dec. 16, 1998

"When I left office, there was a substantial amount of biological and chemical material unaccounted for. That is, at the end of the first Gulf War, we knew what he had. We knew what was destroyed in all the inspection processes and that was a lot. And then we bombed with the British for four days in 1998. We might have gotten it all; we might have gotten half of it; we might have gotten none of it. But we didn't know." --Bill Clinton, July 27, 2003

“As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, I am keenly aware that the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons is an issue of grave importance to all nations. 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.” --Statement from Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, Dec. 16, 1998, on U.S.-led military strike against Iraq.

"Even today, Iraq is not nearly disarmed. Based on highly credible intelligence, UNSCOM [the U.N. weapons inspectors] suspects that Iraq still has biological agents like anthrax, botulinum toxin, and clostridium perfringens in sufficient quantity to fill several dozen bombs and ballistic missile warheads, as well as the means to continue manufacturing these deadly agents. Iraq probably retains several tons of the highly toxic VX substance, as well as sarin nerve gas and mustard gas. This agent is stored in artillery shells, bombs, and ballistic missile warheads. And Iraq retains significant dual-use industrial infrastructure that can be used to rapidly reconstitute large-scale chemical weapons production." --Ex-Un Weapons Inspector Scott Ritter in 1998

“In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including Al Qaeda members, though there is apparently no evidence of his involvement in the terrible events of September 11, 2001. --Hillary Clinton, Oct. 10, 2002 on Senate floor.

"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, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and others Oct. 9, 1998

"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction." --Sen. Ted Kennedy, Sept. 27, 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

I'll point out, for those who cannot (or will not) make the connection, that 1998 was prior to George Bush's presidency. I do so, because the Libs' answer any time any of their statements about Iraq have been cited is to say Bush tricked them.

I realize it's not politically expedient for the Libs or their mainstream media partners to tell the truth. Where Iraq and Al Queda and Osama bin Laden and really anything to do with the War on Terror has been concerned, history began, according to the Democrat Party, the day George Bush entered office.

I've spent enough time in this blog presenting the case for war against Iraq, so that's not my aim.

Thought I'd merely connect the few dots once again ignored by the media we all *cough* trust.

Center for Public Integrity?

Yeah, right.

(Imported from Jan. 24, 2008)