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One
More Bogus Story
September
3, 2003
By Doug Basham
 According
to an August 28 article
in the L.A. Times by Bob Drogin (emphasis mine):
Frustrated at the failure to find Saddam Hussein's suspected
stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, U.S. and
allied intelligence agencies have launched a major effort
to determine if they were victims of bogus Iraqi defectors
who planted disinformation to mislead the West before the
war. Frustrated at the failure to find Saddam Hussein's
suspected stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons,
U.S. and allied intelligence agencies have launched a major
effort to determine if they were victims of bogus Iraqi
defectors who planted disinformation to mislead the West
before the war."
As evidence, officials say former Iraqi operatives have
confirmed since the war that Hussein's regime sent "double
agents" disguised as defectors to the West to plant
fabricated intelligence. In other cases, Baghdad apparently
tricked legitimate defectors into funneling phony tips about
weapons production and storage sites.
Now let's forget for a moment the reported pressure this
administration (read Dick Cheney) placed on our intelligence
agencies to "cook the intelligence books". Let's forget for
a moment that the primary defector the administration was
taking their cues from was their very own handpicked Saddam
successor, Ahmed Chalabi, who the Busheviks even touted as
the possible "George Washington of Iraq". (You might recall
that Chalabi was convicted in absentia in a Jordanian court
for embezzlement and fraud - personally, I don't think it
had anything to do with cherry trees). Jordanian MP's are
currently seeking Chalabi's extradition.
Chalabi wanted Hussein's job, and eventually, was run out
of Iraq on a rail. I think it's safe to say any information
Chalabi handed this administration was for brother Ahmed's
benefit, not brother Saddam's. I would not be surprised at
all if this "bogus Iraqi defectors" story is yet one more
bogus Chalabi creation. But let's forget all of that.
I've chosen instead to focus on the motivations Saddam Hussein
would've had for planting bogus defectors in the United States
to tell this administration what they wanted to hear.
I envision Mr. Hussein sitting down crafting this plot.
Perhaps he said:
"Granted, when my bogus defectors tell the Americans I have
continued my quest for weapons of mass destruction, including
'nu-cu-lar' weapons, this will only provide them with more
justification for attacking my country and my regime. It will
undoubtedly lead to my removal as leader of Iraq, along with
the destruction of much of my country's infrastructure, history
and culture. It might even lead to my death, and/or, the deaths
of many of my friends and relatives, including my two beloved
warrior sons. It also might lead to me living the life of
a fugitive (God, I loved that American television program
- David Janssen was the bomb!), with me having to change sleeping
locales more often than I did when I was in power… but HEY!…
at least the Bush administration will look rather foolish
when they discover they were duped."
Now come on. Don't you feel just the slightest bit
insulted by this story? The bottom line is real simple folks,
and maybe that's why the administration decided to release
this gem of a story. Perhaps they know full well that sometimes
the obvious can be obscured by the details.
The Bush administration is still clinging to their WMD fantasy
so they don't have to admit they flat out lied.
They've gone from "We know the weapons are there," to "We
still believe the weapons are there," to "We believe we will
find evidence of weapons 'programs'," to now, "We were duped
into believing the weapons were there". They're counting on
you to keep clinging to their WMD fantasy as well, so you
won't focus instead on stories that outline the absolutely
shameless level of war profiteering that is currently taking
place. Or haven't you heard? According to story by Michael
Dobbs in the August 28 Washington Post, Halliburton
is going to make even more money than was originally reported.
And surprise, Halliburton's not
the only one.
The bottom line is simple. The old saying "We get the government
we deserve" has never been truer than presently. I contend
the Bush administration wouldn't release a whopper like this
unless they viewed the American public as a bunch of mindless
dolts. And why wouldn't they? Why would they think any differently
of a citizenry who refuses to hold their already grammatically
challenged leader accountable when he appears on international
television and pronounces to the world "We've already found
WMD's in Iraq," or "We went to war with Iraq because Saddam
Hussein wouldn't allow weapons inspectors back in."
Forget the 16 words. The Niger story took some research
and some fact assimilating - two things most Americans who
are just trying to keep their heads above the rapidly rising
tax cut waters have little time to engage in. The aforementioned
two lies were available to anyone who only receives their
news from 10-second sound bytes. And still, they let their
leader slide. Why? Because the media they misguidedly trust
to keep them informed neglected to inform them that their
leader was lying on both counts. The media let him slide as
well. So much for a "liberal media". This article would do
much to inform them, the question is, will the media carry
it? We'll see.
Drogin's article also says:
Critics had charged that the Bush administration
exaggerated intelligence on Iraq to bolster support for the
war. The broader question now is whether some of the actual
intelligence was fabricated and U.S. officials failed to detect
it.
No it isn't. The broader question is whether or not the American
people are going to swallow yet one more gross, insulting lie
from this administration. This long held M.O. of conservatives
to play the victim is starting to wear mighty thin. It is common
knowledge this administration willingly surrounded themselves
with people who would tell them exactly what they wanted to
hear. They actively sought them out. When our conventional intelligence
agencies wouldn't do it, the Pentagon even formed their own
intelligence unit that would (OSP - Office of Special Plans).
To play the victim one more time now, and whine pathetically
that we were duped, is a ploy that will only work on either
a) the weak minded, much like Jedi mind control (can you just
imagine Obi Wan proclaiming "Luke, when the force doesn't
work, lie your ass off"), or b) those who either won't, or
don't pay attention to what their government is doing, which
unfortunately, describes the majority of the American public.
It doesn't change the overall fact that they lied and our
soldiers died as a result. Are family members of fallen ones
supposed to feel better because the administration that sent
their loved ones to die did so because they were stupid as
opposed to liars? I think not.
As much as I despise a tyrannical regime like Saddam Hussein's,
I equally despise a regime that will lie its country into
war, caring not how many of our finest die as a result. And
for them to lie even further and claim they were "duped" by
the people they as much as bullied into telling them what
they wanted to hear is unconscionable behavior, even for this
crowd. And for all the phony patriots who equate criticism
of this regime with "hating America," again, your rhetoric
is as embarrassing as it is dishonest. I love this country,
I just hate a regime that lies the country I love into war.
And if you understand the true meaning of patriotism, you
will too.
Doug Basham broadcasts every weekday morning on AM 1230 KLAV
in Las Vegas. The show is also simulcast on the internet.
For more information, or to listen live on the web, visit
http://www.dougbasham.com/.
Doug can be reached at bashamradio@yahoo.com,
or 1-866-DOUG-911.
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