Biden: ‘We Don’t Want to Blow It like the last admin did' on WMD Call

[cal04]

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2013/05/09/biden-we-dont-want-to-blow-it-on-wmd-call/?mod=WSJBlog&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wsj%2Fwashwire%2Ffeed+%28WSJ.com%3A+Washington+Wire%29

Vice President Joe Biden said in a magazine interview that the White House is responding cautiously to evidence that chemical weapons were used in Syria, citing what he says were the lessons of the George W. Bush administration.

“With all the credibility we’ve gained in the world, we don’t want to blow it like the last administration did in Iraq, saying ‘weapons of mass destruction’,” Mr. Biden said in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine.

His remarks represent the administration’s most explicit comparison between the Bush administration’s approach to Iraq and President Barack Obama‘s approach to Syria.

Joe Biden: The Rolling Stone Interview
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/joe-biden-the-rolling-stone-interview-20130509
(snip)
But here's where we are with regard to Syria. With all the credibility we've gained in the world, we don't want to blow it like the last administration did in Iraq, saying "weapons of mass destruction." We know that there have been traces found of what are probably chemical weapons. What we don't know yet – and we're drilling down on it as hard as we can – is whether they were accidentally released in an exchange of gunfire or artillery fire, or blown up or something. We also don't have a chain of ownership. We don't know for certain whether they were used by some of the opposition, including the radicals who have aligned themselves with Al Qaeda. It's probable, but we don't know for certain, that they were used by the regime.

If the judgment is chemical weapons were used, then the president is likely to use a proportional response in terms of meaningful action. We also believe that no matter how this ends, there is going to be political unrest in Syria for some time to come, and we want to make sure that, in the transition from Assad, there is, as best we can form it with the rest of the world, an inclusive, nonsectarian government that has institutions that still exist to be able to govern a country. The one lesson we learned from Iraq and the last administration is . . . how can I say it? In managing the affairs in Iraq, they destroyed every institution. There was no structure left. There wasn't even a Department of Public Works. And we know we can fix that, if we're willing to spend a trillion dollars and 160,000 troops and 6,000 dead, but that we cannot do. So what we're trying to do now is – and we're having some success – is get the opposition in coordination and not have, indiscriminately, weapons going to Al Nusra, who are very extreme. We've declared them a terrorist organization, and its leader has said he's pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda, so it's not like we're making it up. This is a very, very tough process to manage.


http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/joe-biden-the-rolling-stone-interview-20130509?page=2

[steve2470]

1. k&r nt

[gateley]

2. I love you, Joe, but the last administration didn't "blow it" -- they got exactly what they wanted.

[Skittles]

3. THANK YOU

[AnotherMcIntosh]

5. Including a vote from

Joe Biden for the Iraq War Resolution.

[sheshe2]

7. Agreed!

Hi gateley

[gateley]

8. He'd probably just love to come out and say it, too!

Heya, she!! :pals;

[Art_from_Ark]

11. Yeah, "blow it" makes it sound like Cheney et al were just trusting little sheep

being led astray by that nasty man "Curveball"

[JoePhilly]

14. Most Americans don't understand that.

Getting them to at least know it was a screw up is a step in the right direction.

History will show that the cluster %$#$ that was Iraq was an intentional disaster.

[leveymg]

28. To BushCo, the "screw-up" wasn't the war, it was the political justification that went sour.

Not quite sure if Joe means it that way.

[City Lights]

18. Exactly! nt

[Bake]

19. Bush would have already invaded Syria.

Damn! Prezidentin' is HARD! War-time Prezident!

Wait, wut?

Bake

[leveymg]

29. News Flash: We did that by proxy, resulting in 70,000 dead Syrians on both sides.

It's a different style of war, more akin to a covert operation with multiple partners, but we have been involved with western-supported exile groups since Day One of the uprising.

[lark]

22. I'd bet a bunch that Joe knows that the Bush Admin. ginned up the intelligence.

He's just stating this in a more politically acceptable and polite way, being the gentleman that he his. I love Joe!

[gateley]

26. Agree. And as it says in the interview, he speaks FOR the President --

As much as people say Joe should come out and blow the top of of *whatever* he's loyal to his President and to his word. Good guy.

[chuckstevens]

31. Couldn't have said it better myself!

You are spot on! Joe Biden was too polite. While I don't believe 9/11 was an inside job, I do think they knew dam well that something was in the works and it would give the excuse they needed to go to war with Iraq.

[gateley]

4. If those links don't work for you, try this: (Great interview, natch)

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/joe-biden-the-rolling-stone-interview-20130509

[sheshe2]

6. K&R!

For thinking this out before jumping in. So glad to have adults in the White House!

Thanks cal04

[LeftInTX]

9. Finally!! He. went. there.

I hope a few more Dems will chime in (hint, hint Obama)

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. Hey, Joe. How about backing off and leave it up to the UN?

There are more countries in the world than the USA.

[Go Vols]

20. +1

I don't think we should be the "world police".

[PragmaticLiberal]

24. If we (the U.S.) take action I suspect it will be under the auspices of the U.N.

[Cha]

12. Thanks cal.. Good words for Accurate HISTORY(think bush's liebury)

from VP Biden!

[Bluenorthwest]

13. Joe Biden voted to invade Iraq. He also blew it.

nt

[mountain grammy]

16. He did, but he recognizes it and has admitted it was wrong. Bush/Cheney/Rice/Rumsfeld: NEVER!

Not only won't the neocons admit they were wrong, they actually still defend what they did as right! And the GOP keeps screaming "Benghaaaaazi!"
I like Joe and I'm not ashamed to say it. He's a politician and I know that. I also know he's more like me than most other politicians, and if you want to call me naive for thinking that, go ahead. My son does all the time.

[emulatorloo]

33. Joe is one of the best we have. Thanks for posting.

[John2]

15. There is a real

Civil War going on in that country. From what I have gathered, every side is not friendly towards the United States because they think the United States is aligned with Israel. The sides that don't trust the U.S. is claiming the U.S. and Israel is trying to manufacture evidence for a pretext to invade. They claim more people will enter if the U.S. enters. I don't know if it was intentional the Vice President left out Hezebollah and Iran. Turkey is claiming Assad used chemical weapons but you have U.N. reports disputing the claim. The U.N. investigators is not even on the same page, maybe that is the problem?

Iran and Hezebollah claims they will definately declare War if the U.S. enters because they think Israel's attack was evidence the conflict is a pretext to stop their resistance against Israel. Information also says it is the Syrian Government's position also and that a response to Israel didn't mean direct attacks but now fully supplying Hezbulloh with sophisticated weapons against the United States and Israel. That is what they are reporting through the media in the middle East. And there is some information, Iran's Supreme leader sent a message to Jordan if they assist the U.S. and Israel, they will wipe them out. They also reportedly called a meeting of all the Arab nations in a Tehran. This information also claims they relayed diplomatic messages to Russia, what the U.S.'s intentions were before Kerry's visit. They also claim Israel sent a diplomatic message to Assad, to cool tensions. Now that is information I found from their media in the Middle East and what is being reported to their populations. They rather see a diplomatic peaceful solution but the U.S. has set preconditions, Assad needs to leave. If they don't agree, that could destroy the whole effort. If our politicians will just tell us the truth, this is not about just Assad. It will not be just a walk in the park with Iraq or Afghanistan. It will be worse than that. They also included pakistan to that meeting in Tehran. Iran's Supreme Leader is the commander in chief of all Iran's Armed Forces. They consider Syria their Ally in the region. That is part of the equation needs to be told to the American people.

[Junkdrawer]

17. Love ya Joe, but Iraq WMD was NOT one of your finest moments....

I watched the Senate hearings he chaired.

[MotherPetrie]

21. Hypocrite! You let them blow, and you keep letting the blow it!

[AtheistCrusader]

23. Hahah expect Cheney to get in front of a news camera and go off like a steam whistle over this.

[LeftInTX]

32. But Biden said, "They blew it" - LOL

I love his choice of words. Not the usual nuanced elegance that beats around the Bush (pun intended)

I think Cheney may sit at home and fume over this one.

Biden's words makes them look wreckless and stoopid!!!

If Biden would have called them crooked lying war criminals, then Cheney would gloat with pride.

[loyalsister]

25. I liked Martin Bashir's comment the other day

about how we make dumb decisions when we listen to the British. He cracks me up!

[pampango]

27. Policy (goals) first, facts second. Ignore "inconvenient" facts; make up 'facts' that support goal.

That's the republican strategy.

I hope that Obama in this and other policy areas, determines the facts first, then devises a policy based on those facts. A republican would decide what they want to do first with respect to Syria - get involved, don't get involved - or any other policy decision then construct the 'facts' that support that policy and ignore the actual facts that don't.

[sabrina 1]

30. We didn't 'blow it' on WMDs. They LIED! Is he really that naive? And 'with all the credibility we

have gained in the world'???? With WHOM? Joe, you need to start talking to real people.

The 'rebels' in Syria are not 'rebels', most of them are not even Syrians. They are receiving weapons from OUTSIDE of Syria, most likely from the NATO countries, just like Libya and look what a 'success' that has been for the actual people. For the Oil guys of course it was a tremendous success.

Many of the 'rebels' in Syria are Al Queda, so now we are thinking of once again, arming them. And as happened in Libya, outside 'proxy' armies, which we think is such a great idea and the world won't know we are behind a lot of the 'rebellion' there, are 'the rebels'. Shame on all of them for the brutality they have inflicted on an yet another innocent population.

[socialsecurityisAAA]

35. ++++++++++++++++

[grahamhgreen]

34. Duh. Who are we going to war with this week? Syria? or Iran? or N Korea???

[Rain Mcloud]

36. The former administration and the Downing Street Memo

Bush was determined to generate intelligence for an invasion of Iraq while ignoring genuine intel which cautioned of an al queada plot to plan terrorist attacks in the US using commercial jets.
The Downing Street memo was leaked from MI6 and is described here in Wikipedia:

Where was the chimpeachment outrage by congress in 2005?
I guess Bush got a pass because he never,ever received a blowjob in his life only giving them as a fraternity pledge.
My bad.

[link:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downing_Street_memo|

[bigtree]

37. k&r

there it is

[yellowwoodII]

38. The Same People

The same people who pushed us into Iraq are now trying to get us into Syria and Iran.

[mzteris]

39. Gotta love Joe! n/t

[blkmusclmachine]

40. .

.