O'Neill accuses Bush in Iraq planning

[priller]

http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B9CA2D5F4%2D51A1%2D4AE8%2D9FBF%2D20B4EE44E672%7D&siteid=mktw


Ex-Treasury chief says invasion strategy began in 2001

By Corbett B. Daly, CBS Marketwatch
Last Update: 9:28 AM ET Jan. 10, 2004

WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- President Bush was fixed on removing Saddam Hussein from power from the very first days of his administration, former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill says in a new book to be released next week.

"From the very beginning, there was a conviction that Saddam Hussein was a bad person and that he needed to go," O'Neill tells CBS News in a television interview to be broadcast Sunday night on "60 Minutes."

<snip>

And Suskind said there are documents from the first three months of 2001 to prove the administration was looking at ways to oust Saddam Hussein and what the future of Iraq's oil would be in a post-Saddam Iraq. "It talks about contractors around the world from ... 30, 40 countries and which ones have what intentions on oil in Iraq," Suskind said in the television interview.

In the book, O'Neill says he is surprised that no one on the National Security Council, which includes national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State Colin Powell, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, asked why Iraq should be invaded at that time.

"It was all about finding a way to do it. That was the tone of it. The president saying 'Go find me a way to do this,'" O'Neill told Suskind, according to the excerpt.

[La_Serpiente]

1. Wholly *$#(

"It talks about contractors around the world from ... 30, 40 countries and which ones have what intentions on oil in Iraq," Suskind said in the television interview

I guess the protestors on the street were right after all.

[aquart]

13. You guess???

You had to be under six or a member of Congress not to know.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

14. When I was protesting

last year, I had two very strong feelings: one was that Bush manufactured this war because of commericial interests, and the other than many many people would be killed/maimed in this War of Oil. Unfortunately, it seems I was right on both counts.

[cthrumatrix]

54. we need the media to get engaed....or else...the people will!

[acmavm]

2. So, does this mean if the towers hadn't been hit, they would have found

a reason anyway? Does this mean that they manufactured a war because Georgie didn't like the ruler of a sovereign foreign nation? Does this mean that George is nuttier than a fruitcake? And finally, does this mean that another nation has the right to attack the United States because they don't like our Fearless Leader and the policies of his administration, and think's he's a danger to the world? Now isn't that a nice precedent to set?

[underpants]

3. They worked backwards form a preconceived endgame

The WHAT, WHO, and WHY were never in question just the HOW and WHEN.

This interview should be something.

They knew what they wanted to do so they created the reason and cherry picked intelligence (OSP) to support an already determined assumption. No analysis just backup, it's like an audit in reverse.

[warrior1]

6. So like

isn't this huge?

[priller]

7. Enormous

Finally, FINALLY, juicy insider scoop, DOCUMENTED scoop. Can't wait to see what pops up from the thousands of documents.

[aquart]

15. Normally.

But this is BushAmerica.

[0007]

31. I agree, this won't faze junior in the least -

It will just be passed off as sour grapes. Karl Rove will sez Paul O'Neill was caught stealing and junior did the right thing by giving Paul a chance to resign, and now the ingrate wants to profit.

[underpants]

37. How many sour grapes can O'Neill buy with $60 Million?

Remember that he didn't divest of his holdings until several months after being appointed. His net worth increased by ~$60 million dollars in that time. Sounds to me that he didn't do so badly. Yes he was surely embarassed at getting canned but he had lots of paper to dry his tears.

[underpants]

17. In the USA (UNaltered States of America) it would be

but we don't seem to be there anymore.

We will see how this is played out but we each can do our part by writing letters to the editor and such.

[Grins]

41. The hell with that!

(Let me rant here, nothing personal.)

Screw writing letters to the editor. Write your Senators and Congressmen and demand they do their damn jobs - scream out at the top of their lungs, demand that hearings be held and find out what these bastards did!

I don't have much hope in any of this because I think most of the Democrats in Congress are a bunch of weenies. Have you heard a single word from any sitting Democrat in Washington expressing any outrage over this news when they heard it? I haven't. So, why the hell not? Where are they?

They won't get very far because the Repubs control all the committees, but they can still shout their heads off. Go after Armed Services, go after Government Operations, go after Foreign Relations, go after Intelligence; make life miserable for the Repubs, and get the committee chairs dancing on hot coals as they have to answer questions on why they are not holding hearings! If you went after a sitting President for a "sin", why aren't you going after a sitting "Resident" for a damn "crime".

Oh, and you Congressional Democrats - use the word "IMPEACHMENT"!!!!! A LOT!!!

[underpants]

47. Oops

That is pretty much what I meant by that (forgot to include it though).

Your rant is on the mark.

[54anickel]

49. One thing I would add to that letter - Is that their continuing silence

can only lead one to believe that they were in support of the idea from the beginning. It's either that or in complete dereliction of their duties of being informed and working in the interest of their constituents.

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. What it is, is an example of ideological thinking

"They knew what they wanted to do so they created the reason and cherry picked intelligence (OSP) to support an already determined assumption. No analysis just backup, it's like an audit in reverse."

And an example of inductive reasoning at its worst.

[underpants]

16. BTW-"created the reason " didn't mean LIHOP or MIHOP

I don't buy that no matter how many times the evidence smacks me in the head with a 2x4. I can't go there.

But we do know that Wolfie wanted to attack Iraq 4 days after 9/11. You are right it is inductive reasoning ( I am assuming you meant their's).

[The Backlash Cometh]

28. Yes, It's their inductive reasoning.

If the issue is political or sociological in nature, inductive reasoning is a flawed way to proceed, because your results will be tainted by your own biases.

[Gman]

19. Tax breaks for the rich are yet another ideology

that, the facts and outcomes be damned, they are doing solely for ideological reasons.

This entire "administration" is driven by broken down, repeatedly discredited ideology. This "administration" is being run by quacks.

[underpants]

21. As former Sec. of the Interior James Watts once said:

~"We don't know how many generations we will be able to pass these lands onto"

The Left Behind crowd.

Get it while you can.

[JanMichael]

32. Why conserve when you might be Raptured the next moment?

It's a waste of time so why not live it up prior to eternity of charades in Heaven?

[underpants]

34. As long as you give some to the church

You will be absolved of any sin in getting it.

Something like that.

[conservdem]

20. Wasn't Clinton admin's position also in favor of Saddam's removal?

Perhaps Bush was partly motivated by his Father's awful failure to support the anti Saddam forces after the Desert Storm.

[tabasco]

35. Yes, but some things Clinton didn't do:

1. Deceptively select intelligence that supported his intention to depose Hussein.
2. Use that selected intelligence and outright lies in a massive propaganda campaign to convince the American public the Iraq was responsible for 9-11 or connected with al-qaeda.
3. Entirely disregard the advice of our allies around the world and invade and occupy Iraq, firstly securing the oil fields.
4. Launch petty and counterproductive disinformation campaigns against our allies that did not support the invasion. Alienate the US from our former allies.
5. Give out lucrative no-bid contracts to corporations with very close ties to the administration.

It amazes me how Clinton's name still comes up so often after this corrupt administration has done SO MUCH on it's own.

[underpants]

36. Yes and Clinton also favored puppy dogs and apple pie

I ran into some of that "Clinton thought WMD's were there" on the local news last night (blatant spinning) which is odd because I thought Bill lied about everything and couldn't possibly be right about anything.

Saddam was evil and horrible so favoring his removal was/is a no brainer. That is the WHAT but the real questions are HOW,WHEN,WHO....

No one mentions that a lot of the mass graves are the result of Poppa encouraging uprisings and then Schwartzkopf letting them keep their helicopters and fly them right past his tent to attack the Kurds.

[indepat]

27. What it means is they will do anything necessary to implement their

agenda/vision.

[rustydog]

38. PNAC pal,, PNAC

9-11 gave Bush the impetus. Afghanistan was a detour on the road to Baghdad.

this has never been a war on terror.
Bush Co. is following the PNAC blueprint right up to missions to the Moon and Mars.

[cthrumatrix]

40. this opens a "huge can of worms" 911 and the investigation

it could unravel with more people coming forward once the ONeill "timebomb" becomes common knowledge.

[leesa]

45. Afghanistan was for Ken Lay. Kennie Boy

was losing his ass in India and he desparately needed that pipeline project the Taliban were obstructing to go through. Cheney made it happen for him. After all, if there were any foreign "terrorists" on 9-11, which I highly doubt, the alleged hijackers were from SA, why carpet bomb Afghanistan for ten months to get a dozen Saudi Arabians.

[cheapbeemr]

42. Remember, the administration began with a huge, manufactured

'energy crisis.' They were trying to lay the groundwork to get public opinion behind an invasion for oil.

[Lefty48197]

46. Mistuh Wholmes

I think you're on to it!

[Occulus]

55. if you read the PNAC document

Rebuilding America's Defenses, you'll find a reference to global American military dominance being an impossibility absent some catalyzing event, like a modern day Pearl Harbor. That's their own words.

Taken along with this 'revelation'- more of a confirmation for us- one begins to get the whole picture. The conspiracy theorists were right, folks, and it's going to take the best prosecution team the world has ever known to make the case. These bloody-handed bastards made these things happen.

The Bush family has long been involved in Big Oil in one way or another, which puts them dealing with OPEC and other international power players on a regular basis. They were doing this even when they were not in political power; they realized that that's ultimately not the most power one can have over the world.

No, to have the kind of power the Bush family aspires to, one must control the things that are really important. What I'm talking about here are the things we need for our civilization to stay where it is and not crumble. Water, food- these are trivial because they are (at the moment, at least) for the most part readily available, at least where the architects of this sorry palace of woe are (and it's a sign of their own ultimate shortsightedness that they do not consider people in other nations, even in such simple things as having access to food and water).

For any country to pose a threat to ours in any way, however, there is one thing it must have ready and common access to: oil. It makes our engines run, and run smoothly; it enables us to create special materials like plastics, and a whole host of other neat things any modern-day technological society requires to remain a "civilized" nation able to adequately defend itself during a time of war.

And here is where the Bush family's addiction to global power finds its bacchanal. Oil is key to their own interests and assets, and it is a thin rationalization on their part for them to believe that they are taking control of it for the good of their country. If they tried to move on this global power play without first cornering the oil market, the oil-rich nations that are the Bush family's Phase Three would cut off our supply- a Very Bad Thing unless one is themselves an oil producer or control major oil reserves.

To that end, global military dominance becomes a requirement. While we have some of the best military killtoys money can buy, our force is at the same time rather small for what we use it for; the admitted thinness of our own military right now is an indication of how small are forces actually are. Perhaps all our successes in that area are largely due to advanced tech and training in using that tech; who knows. At any rate, to corner the global oil market, one must have global military dominance.

Enter PNAC. Project for a New American Century was founded before Bush ever took office. PNAC is an advisory board to the Pentagon, and has some high-level government officials as current members. The flagship document, Rebuilding America's Defenses, reads on page 51 of the PDF, found at http://www.newamericancentury.org/RebuildingAmericasDefenses.pdf :

"Further, the process of transformation, even if it brings revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event - like a new Pearl Harbor."

Those words, in the post-9/11 climate, appear prophetic. I would submit, in light of these recent confirmations of an intent to attack Saddam before 9/11, we have a clue as to the true long-term intent. Oil dominance is necessary for world dominance; oil dominance will bring the necessary military capability to "go global" in a really big way. The climate needs to be right for the American people to be willing to fork over their wallets, children, and own lives; to that end, there needed to be a catalyst (in PNAC's words). That event very conveniently occurred on 9/11 (how lucky for them!), and we are thus where we are now today. It's, in Amway parlance, The Plan.

The problem with a 'conspiracy' of this size and scope- and I use that word in its proper, legal context here- is that one or two, or maybe several, people will be unwilling to sell their souls in the end. This is why we're seeing things start to come to light now. Some people will turn traitor to the cause; in the future, we'll regard these first, lonely whistle-blowers as heroes... if we all live that long.

The Bush family is all about power in its ultimate form. They have found the mechanism which, if they gain complete control over it, will deliver them the world to do with as they wish. They have been involved in international foreign relations for years; they're connected to global policies well enough to have their foot in the door to enable this vile desire.

History teaches us that no politician or leader or nation is immune to the prospect of a criminal element controlling the entire nation, be that element open or secret. The history of kings and queens is rife with rulers of that nature. World history is filled with would-be global emperors. It is only now, today, that such a leader would have the capability to do so realistically, and it is only here in the US that such a thing could possibly happen with any measure of success.

This is all about power, ladies and gentlemen. He who controls the oil controls the modern, civilized world.

Total control. Total dominance. The Bush family will accept nothing less.

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. Energy meetings, energy meetings, energy meeting and Cheney.

We find out who was in those energy meeting with Cheney, we find out who was responsible for 9/11. In their attempt to secure Iraqi oil, those idiots must have triggered a course of events which resulted in the death of 3000 people.

In addition, find out who Richard Shelby met with on his tour of the middle east just before the 9/11 attacks.

Oh, what a wicked web they wove...

[rooboy]

11. Who DID Shelby meet with ?? n/t

[The Backlash Cometh]

23. It's a June 26, 2001 article from the Washington Post

This is what I kept in my archives:

June 26, 2001
Vernon Loeh Washington Post Staff Writer
Page A15

"U.S. Has Bin Laden 'On the Run,' Sen. Shelby Says"

Back from a six-country tour of the Persian Gulf, Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala) believes U.S. counterterrorism officials are winning the war against Saudi extremist Osama bin Laden.

It's not always easy to understand how, since bin Laden and other Islamic fundamentalists clearly have the U.S. military on edge. Whatever terrorist groups attacked the USS Cole last October has succeeded in driving the Navy away from the Yemeni port of Aden. And the circulation of a bin Laden propaganda video in the Middle East last week, coupled with reports of increased activity by individuals linked to bin Laden, put U.S. forces on the highest state of alert throughout the region.

But Shelby, vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said in a recent interview that bin Laden is the one who's on edge.

"He's on the run, and I think he will continue to be on the run, because we are not going to let up," Shelby said.

More... (You'll have to buy the article)

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/74653676.html?did=74653676&FMT=ABS&FMTS=FT&desc=U.S.+Has+Bin+Laden+%27On+the+Run,%27+Sen.+Shelby+Says

[Wapsie B]

25. Interesting little snippett from that WP article,

"Saudi extremist Osama bin Laden." Read SAUDI extremist, not Iraqi.

[Gman]

5. Once again, was 9/11 LIHOP or MIHOP?

I just don't know.

[Gin]

10. may they all rot in hell!

gin

[0007]

33. The tip off is looking at Benjamin Franklin's expression on the C-note

[neomonkey]

8. Ooops

Another little tidbit of information and knowledge which casts doubts on BushCo's real motives in Iraq.

Let's see, how can we get this off the front pages of the newspapers...

TERROR ALERT RAISED!

[Wapsie B]

12. Hopefully,

O'Neill won't be taking any rides in small planes soon.

Gawdalmighty, pretty soon one of these scandals have got to score a direct hit on chimpy.

[aquart]

18. Drip, drip, drip.

[Blue_Roses]

22. Unbelieveable!

Now that I have picked my jaw up off the floor...am I really reading this or am I just dreaming!?

Unbelieveable...this is actually a "credible" source that is finally speaking out...:wow:

[Mistress Quickly]

24. his intention have always been known

He never hid them, noone paid attention (imagine that!):

And that's going to be particularly important in dealing not only with
situations such as now occurring in Israel, but with Saddam Hussein.
The coalition against Saddam has fallen apart, or it's unraveling,
let's put it that way. The sanctions are being -- are being violated.
There's -- we don't know whether he's developing weapons of mass
destruction. He better not be, or there's going to be a consequence
should I be the president.

http://www.c-span.org/campaign2000/transcript/debate_101100.asp

GOV. BUSH: Well, I think -- it's hard to tell. I think that --
you know, I would hope to be able to convince people I could handle
the Iraqi situation better. I mean, we don't --

MR. LEHRER: With Saddam Hussein, you mean?

GOV. BUSH: Yes, and --

MR. LEHRER: You could get him out of there?

GOV. BUSH: I'd like to, of course, and I presume this
administration would as well. But we don't know -- there's no
inspectors now in Iraq. The coalition that was in place isn't as
strong as it used to be. He is a danger; we don't want him fishing in
troubled waters in the Middle East. And it's going to be hard to --
it's going to be important to rebuild that coalition to keep the
pressure on him.

[Grins]

44. That's interesting!

"The sanctions are being -- are being violated. There's -- we don't know whether he's developing weapons of mass destruction."

I never saw that quote before. Does this mean that, contrary to RW comments, everyone and every government DIDN'T agree prior to the invasion that Saddam had WMD?

[Orangeone]

57. I agree

I knew he was going to find a way to attack Iraq when I first heard he was running for president. I knew he was put in there to return "honor" to the Bush name and finish Poppy Bushes work. It was so obvious...

[intheozone]

26. Anybody still wondering why Cheney won't release

his energy task force records and documents?? Well, you can stop wondering. O'Neill is giving the answer.

The Congress should be screaming for those records, it should be holding investigations and questioning under oath everyone in this administration. I hope the SCOTUS does the right thing and rules against Cheney's appeal. Even if it does though, it probably won't do so before the election.

We have got to get these fuckers out of the White House. We have got to take our country back!!!

[Cory]

43. Energy task force docs

Although it's slated for the supreme court, Judicial Watch was able to obtain some of the docs from the meeting. See my other post or http://www.judicialwatch.org/071703.c_.shtml.

One of the docs carries the exact title that O'Neill referenced (Foreign Suitors For Iraqi Oilfield Contracts).

To bring this to light and tie it together, someone needs to get these to 60 minutes.

[Cocoa]

29. did Bush say anything about this in the 2000 election?

I remember him saying "no nation building" and a "humble" foreign policy but nothing about invading Iraq for its oil.

[Mistress Quickly]

30. see my post #24 eom

[Cory]

39. Documents

Alright guys, to increase the impact of this a little more work has to be done.

O'Neill's comments are backed up by these documents (http://www.judicialwatch.org/071703.c_.shtml) which are maps dividing up Iraq's oil fields, discussing projects and identifying suitors. They are dated March '03. These are some of the documents that O'Neill is referring to (one actually has the exact same title).

In my opinion they should be sent to 60 minutes and included in the report for Sunday. If anyone has any thoughts on how to do this or can at least post an independent thread about it please do so (I don't post enough for the privilege).

[Occulus]

56. I just did; hope it went to the right place.

I did it from their email contact page, off their front page. Here's what I wrote:


In your interview with Paul O'Neill airing Sunday, you may want to bring up the following link if it's not too late to add a question or two of some interest:

http://www.judicialwatch.org/071703.c_.shtml

These documents, according to Judicial Watch, are from Cheney's energy task force documents.

"Foreign Suitors For Iraqi Oilfield Contracts" is referenced by Mr. O'Neill in a Marketwatch article ( http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B9CA2D5F4%2D51A1%2D4AE8%2D9FBF%2D20B4EE44E672%7D&siteid=mktw ) mentioning your upcoming interview with him as being the title of a memo in the Bush administration regarding Iraq. The Judicial Watch documents reveal what appear to be scanned pages with the exact same title.

It shouldn't be too difficult to develop some most pertinent questions from these facts. Thank you for your time.

<me>

[Cory]

58. Thanks

Drudge posted them as well but took the main link off of his page. It still can be seen here: http://www.drudgereport.com/flash9.htm

[havocmom]

48. the USA is controlled by pirates

who should be tried as such. That they put the rest of the population at risk, and most particularly, our military personnel, it cowardice at its worst.

Time to clean house or the rest of the world will. And the world would certainly be justified. The biggest rouge nation and terrorist threat to the rest of the globe is us, huh, Pogo?

[54anickel]

50. Any bets on what might pre-empt the broadcast of 60 minutes this Sunday?

[cthrumatrix]

51. football playoffs.... but usually it's just delayed

[54anickel]

52. Hmmm, thwarted terrorist attack at one of the big games?

on edit add:

Just thinking out loud.

[cthrumatrix]

53. we are getting very close the "flame of truth"....know what you mean.

[demgrrrll]

59. Doesn't Junie usually try to talk if something needs to be knocked off

the programming schedule? Let's see what could be so urgent that Junie needs to talk about it on Sunday night. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
I firmly believe that they save certain things to announce in case they get into a jam. I hope they have run out of alerts and anything else that will cause the populace to look in another direction.

[Name removed]

60. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Moderator]

61. Locking... LBN Thread Consolidation

In order to consolidate the threads, and to keep LBN neat and tidy, let's keep our discussion about the important Paul O'Neill revelations consolidated into one thread, this one:

Former Secretary Paul O'neil - Iraq Invasion Planned Long Before 911

Thanks!

DU Moderator