StarTribune Editorial: WMD / They Appear Not To Exist

[wellst0nev0ter]

Holy crap, the Strib's really on today and they are genuinely pissed off, listen to this:

A year ago, President Bush had no doubts about Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction. “The Iraqi regime possesses and produces chemical and biological weapons. It is seeking nuclear weapons,” the president said on Oct. 7, 2002. That was one of many statements made by senior Bush administration officials that sought to justify an invasion of Iraq. . .

. . .In the last few weeks, the administration has revised its predictions about the Kay report. On Sept. 22, National Security Advisor Condolleeza Rice told reporters, “I would not count on reports. I suppose there may be interim reports. I don’t know when those will be, and I don’t know what the public nature of them will be.”

Now comes word that Kay’s “interim” report will be presented to Congress next week, and it will say that the Kay team has found exactly nothing in the way of WMD, not even traces. The Washington Post quotes one official saying that Kay’s analysis of Iraqi documents “will prove that (Saddam) Hussein had the ‘intent’ to resume (WMD) production once sanctions were lifted and United Nations inspectors were gone.”

Intent? Go back to the top and reread that quote from Bush. He was not talking about intent.

Like that, and for good measure they added how Colin Powell LIED about the Eye-Rack threat:

As late as Sept. 7 of this year, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Kay’s report would show “that there was no question that such weapons exist, existed, and so did the programs to develop one.” It’s remarkable how totally Powell had changed his tune between early 2001 and his Feb. 5, 2003, presentation to the United Nations. In Cairo on Feb. 24, 2001, Australian journalist John Pilger reports, Powell said, “He (Saddam Hussein) has not developed any significant capability with respect to weapons of mass destruction. He is unable to project conventional power against his neighbors.”

http://online.startribune.com/nuke/html/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=704&mode=&order=0&thold=

Although they need to apologize for their February 6 editorial "Powell's speech; Did Russia, France not listen?"

[mhr]

1. Sent the Article and Link

to my email list with the following preamble:

Hi All,

The latest editorial in the Minneapolis Star Tribune nails the Bush
Administration and its collective derriere to the wall over WMDs.

Quite telling is the following excerpt from the attached article:

"The American people did not agree to sacrifice American lives
and many tens of billions of taxpayer dollars for regime change.
They believed Bush that Iraq posed a serious threat to the security
of the United States and the world. That is proving not true. ..."

One seems to recall that the Republicans were apoplectic over
Clinton's oral sex lies. One wonders were their collective angst
is over the lies told by Bush? One guesses this is just more
Republican hypocrisy!

Nevertheless, it seems that turn about is fair play. If Clinton could
be impeached for lying then why not Bush! Sadly, since Tom Delay
could not spot a lie if it hit him in the head, one need not worry
about articles of impeachment.

As is oft said, "Oh the wicked web we weave when first we practice to
deceive."

Always remember, Bush Lied, Soldiers Died!

Enjoy
------

I also forwarded it to my elected representatives, republicons all.

[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected].

We need to turn up the pressure on these folks!

[Lauren2882]

2. I was just checking to see if this was posted yet...

... if it hadn't been I was going to post it myself. The Star-Tribune has really been on lately. When I read that today I thought "Damn, they've done it again" and it put me in a good mood. I think the boldness of these editorials (and the frequency-- it seems to be about 2,3 times a week) is really significant but it doesn't seem like the rest of the country has taken much notice yet. (Case in point being how made people have responded to this thread... although of course the title "WMD appear not to exist" sure doesn't look like the opening to a hard-hitting indictment.)

Can't wait to read the LTE's to this one...