Defiant Bush says US needs no permission for war, defends Iraq invasion

[DuctapeFatwa]

defiant US President George W. Bush unapologetically defended his decision to invade Iraq last year, insisting it had made the United States safer and vowing never to seek permission to wage war in self-defense.

Taking on critics at home and abroad who argue that Bush acted alone and in the face of an unproven threat, the president said he would not shy from conflict even if, after wooing friends and allies to the cause, he lacked broad support.

Bush maintained there was no doubt the overthrow of Saddam Hussein had boosted the security of the United States, the Middle East and the world in general.

He ignored criticism that Iraqi weapons of mass destruction ..Instead, he pointed to discoveries of facilities and equipment in Iraq that may constitute attempts to develop chemical and biological weapons, mass graves and said the Iraqi people are better off today than they were under Saddam.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/67276/1/.html

NOTE: please don't delete this. The speech is breaking news in other parts of the world, too and I am hoping people will post those reports here.

[gulliver]

1. No, and we don't need a reason for war either.

At least we don't need a true one.

[SemperEadem]

18. Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty look before the fall...

Wasn't he just about to form his mouth to ask the UN for their help this past week?

Yeah... the world will cooperate with him after that statement..

[7th_Sephiroth]

33. did you see at least on NBC

they kept cutting ot Ed Kennedy shakeing his head with a look on his face that just screams out BULLSHIT!

[acmavm]

2. Why doesn't the jackass just make a tape loop and just play it every

damn time he imposes himself and his facist schemes and dreams on the American public?

[bobhard2001]

42. Howe Dean Is Appointed to Make The Tape!

Let Howe do it!!

[Zhade]

71. Who is "Howe Dean"?

?

[Skittles]

3. HE'S A LYING, DELUSIONAL PIECE OF SHIT

exactly why I was unable to watch his SOTU dog and pony show

[Lugnut]

10. Same here.

I saw no point to raising my blood pressure. Every time he opens his mouth a lie falls out. What's the point? :shrug:

[Zhade]

12. I'm at work - I had little choice.

So I used the time wisely and took notes for my blog.

That traitor and his fellow criminals must go down hard in November - one way or the other. The fate of our country, and the world, is at stake. We will not survive four more years of these traitors.

[Name removed]

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[yo-yo-ma]

4. "no one can now doubt the word of America . . .

"For diplomacy to be effective, words must be credible -- and no one can now doubt the word of America" . . .

incredible -- he's hardly issued any statement not chock full of lies. The hubris and hypocrisy is staggering.

[tabasco]

11. I suppose that's why we are a pariah state now.

Because of our overwhelming honesty. Like how we told the world about scads of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons that Iraq was ready to use on us. Truly, no one doubts the word of the Bush administration. No one doubts that they will lie without regret.

[Mikimouse]

15. If ever there was a veiled threat to the world, that's it!

n/t

[Tripper11]

78. Veiled????

No offense Mikimouse...but that was an outright threat.

Asshole Bush!!!!!

[Badger1]

5. Please don't refer

Please don't refer to him as US President Bush, lets see, can we come up with a few other titles? This will be fun, I'll start: Unelected Fraud, US Monkey Boy, hey , this is fun!

[dennis4868]

6. what about

asswipe?

[Zhade]

13. I prefer 'The Traitor'.

Welcome to DU, by the way! :hi:

[Ferretherder]

43. I would humbly submit...

...-Two-faced, lying, delusional, moronic(moranic), heartless, elitist, xenophobic, homophobic, misogynist, bigoted, racist, chicken-shit, pompous, hypocritical, thin-skinned, vindictive, murdering, psychopathic amoeba-like entity.

But, yeah, asshole, or traitor, for short.

[Name removed]

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[Ferretherder]

54. I admit, you pegged me.

n/t

[smirkymonkey]

75. You are being much too kind!

He is so much worse than that! :evilgrin:

[Big_Mike]

24. Don't respect the man, but also

don't disrespect the institution. No matter the occupant, the position remains "The President of the United States of America."

I have no use for the man, but please respect the position. Whatever your position on how the office was assumed, he's there for another 12 months.

[Webster Green]

30. He is the *resident....not the President

Big difference. Previous to this sorry little asshole, the actual President was elected by the people, not annointed by a corrupt and activist supreme court. Like his war, his phony presidency is in itself illegal, and unconstitutional. Dissing the evil chimp is not showing any disrespect for the office of President of the United States.

[Name removed]

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[Lost4words]

37. I used to believe that but not after the disrespect the office got

from the repukes during the Clinton years. This is a fraud on the world ,, no respect from me. and you are a little naive.

[leesa]

59. Why? He doesn't respect it.

The President works for us. He's not a King

[SammyWinstonJack]

65. Please respect the position?

Why? Bush* doesn't. If he did, he would never have allowed the SC to select him. Another twelve months? You know something the rest of us don't? Sure stinks.

[Zhade]

70. There is no "position" on how the office was assumed.

It's not a matter of opinion. HE STOLE THE WHITE HOUSE. The proof is right in front of your eyes, if you just search for it. It's really not that hard to find.

Even the rest of the world knows he stole his way into power. It's a very cut-and-dried scenario. The term is "coup d'etat".

[GainesT1958]

7. In the "Lie Derby"...

I guess his first one was that "the state of our union is strong".

This ranks as the next one---and notice he said "America". EVERYONE can still doubt Dub's lies!:mad:

Ahhh, what a fool...

Hopefully, the good news is that, one year from now, one of our own will be president, and the pResident will be flying back to Crawford!:D

B-)

[Zhade]

14. Crawford? Try the Hague.

He and the rest of this lying, murderous administration must stand trial for war crimes.

We must never rest while proven traitors to the Constitution and America remain free. He, and all that are with him and came before him, must be held accountable before we can truly return to the ideals that we all hold so dear.

[DarkSim]

25. Hague sounds good to me.

Hell, ill pay for the flight for 20 people if you come with me to watch his ass getting handed to him by an international court.

[Zhade]

72. It's a deal. Can I spit in his treasonous face, too?

NT!

[madrchsod]

8. the world will soon grow tired of bush

and ignore him and go their own way with new alliances to protect themselves from the united states. the empire of the united states is slowly going into the dust bin of history....

[Name removed]

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[Chico Man]

48. Maybe they used to

But not anymore.

When was the last time you were overseas?

You've touched upon a point that many candidates have touched upon: we need to reuturn to the days when the US was actually respected. That is not the case anymore.

Just take a look at the reception on Bush vs. Clinton worldwide.

[Devils Advocate NZ]

58. BULLSHIT!

What a load of crap. I am not American, and I know one thing, that line is utter bullshit.

Let me tell you a story about the 2000 Sydney Olympics. I was attending the Tae Kwon Do semi-finals as part of a crowd of about 5000. In that crowd were people from MANY nations. There were Asians, Europeans, Middle Easterners, it was a real melting pot.

In one of the finals, it was a young girl from Denmark, and a young girl from the US. The crowd was pretty subdued, except for a vocal American contingent opposite me. The American girl was doing rather well, and was leading, when the US supporters started yelling "USA! USA! USA!".

You want to know what happened? As one, and without any delay, THE ENTIRE CROWD, Asians, Middle Easterners, and Europeans etc began chanting "DENMARK! DENMARK! DENMARK!" The noise was deafening, and the energy released by this crowd was palpable.

The result? The Danish girl made a monumental comeback and won, to uproarious cheers, leaving the American girl in tears. It was thrilling and sad at the same time. It was sad to see this girl be the focus of so much dislike, when it was not her in particular the crowd did not like, but to see the whole crowd unite in a common cause was also thrilling.

The fact is, most non-Americans not only do not want to be American, they disdain America and Americans.

[leesa]

60. Where have you been? That is such utter nonsense propaganda

fed to you by our media. Most places actively fight "Americanization" but they are overwhelmed by the money and power of our corporations.
What the poster described has already been happening for years. Countries are moving away from the dollar and forming alliances to protect their own interests against the US. They would be fools not too. Bush has outright threatened every nation on earth in his 'Administrative Plan' published in 2002. If anyone becomes a perceived threat to us either militarily or economically we can blow them to pieces. Of course they will form alliances against us.

[aquart]

9. Well, then, neither does anyone else.

The fragile fabric of international relations has been ripped. George thinks he's wearing cloth of gold, but he's in a very dangerous set of rags.

[Valjean]

16. WE DON'T

The United States of America doesn't need consent from the United Nations to go to war.

It DOES require INFORMED consent from the American people in order to go to war.

[Zhade]

19. Sorry, you're wrong.

Correct on the second part, wrong on the first.

A war of aggression - which this invasion and occupation was - is against international law, which the United States has agreed to. Per the Constitution, international laws and treaties are the supreme law of the land.

Therefore, we do, in fact, need authorization. And that authorization must be based on a real threat, not lies from a traitor.

[0rganism]

32. It's only a war for propaganda and budgeting purposes

Officially, it's drifting somewhere between "police action", "pre-emptive regime change", and "quagmire". :crazy:

[Buffler]

74. No, your wrong

The United States does not need the permission of the UN to go to war. Period.

Congress can declare war as it sees fit without permission from the UN. And I would fear any President who would defer the defense of the US till the UN gave it the OK.

If Pearl Harbor happened tomorrow, would the US need to go get permission from the UN to declare war on Japan? Hell No!

[Zhade]

77. Sorry, you're mistaken.

For the same reasons mentioned above. Simply saying "yes we can" doesn't make it so.

There is a huge difference between the reality of the invasion and occupation of Iraq, and the straw man 'Pearl Harbor' argument you put forth.

You see, if Pearl Harbor happened tomorrow, it would be an attack on us, and thus we would have the right under international law to retaliate.

Iraq never attacked us. We have absolutely no right to attack a country that has not attacked us and presents no immediate threat. Spin it however you want (say, like the traitors in the White House did), but we simply cannot attack because we think there might be a threat some day in the future.

That's the argument Hitler used.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[leesa]

61. I thought there was a little part that stated if the threat was "proved"

There was no threat and Saddam was in full compliance. Face it Bush is a war criminal who violated both international and national law. As usual, he is dead wrong!

[number6]

17. Defiant Adolf says SA needs no permission for war, defends Poland invasion

:evilgrin: I'm a bad boy

[DarkSim]

22. Hitler is....

a rather nice guy compared to Bush. Give W. one more term im sure he'll murder more people than Adolf did.

"Defiant Adolf says SA needs no permission for war, defends Poland invasion"- Brilliant. How did you think of it?

[Name removed]

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[Buffler]

73. If you believe that

Hitler is.... a rather nice guy compared to Bush. Give W. one more term im sure he'll murder more people than Adolf did.

If you believe that I feel sorry for you.

[moondust]

27. That was self-defense.

Because Adolph said so.

[ninkasi]

20. Incredible

the little snot is still trying to claim our invasion of Iraq was done in self defense. I thought a defensive action was one taken to counter an offensive one. When did Iraq invade and attack us?

[wtmusic]

29. Never.

Has the US really come to this?

[DarkSim]

21. liar, liar, liar

omg, i hope no-one swallows all this crap W. is spewing out. It could start a nasty infection...

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

23. What do you expect from a silver spoon mama's boy...........

...who never had to work for a damn thing all his life?

[pasadenaboy]

26. He had the support of the congressional democrats

what more did he need?

[lumpy]

64. He did not have the support of the

US Constitution, however.

[daleo]

28. The Bush Doctrine

Also known as the law of the jungle. And nobody stays king for long in the jungle.

[lebkuchen]

31. That's the beauty of being a terrorist

You don't need a calling card or a reason.

[Mokito]

34. sheesh

So, if I understand correctly, they have gone from

-Weapons of mass detruction-

to

-Programs of weapons of mass destruction-

to

(get this)

-Facilities and equipment in Iraq that may constitute attempts to develop chemical and biological weapons-

Their justification gets longer, but better?

[WildClarySage]

35. and it's still a bunch

of bullshit, too. That's what's so ingenius about it.

[Malva Zebrina]

36. this man is truly insane

he is operating in a world of delusion and possibly hallucinations.

The speech had strong overtones of fascism.

I am beginning to think it so true that someone needs to call for an investigation of the state of his mental health. The entire address was a total made up set of non facts and some weird approaches to spin. It was not even funny.

His smirk-lie, smirk-lie, smirk lie was an annoying stage act.

The scary part of this insane man and his delusional approach to addressing his own people, is that he is armed and dangerous .

[Name removed]

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[DrBB]

The part where Saddam had anything to do with it

That's the part I don't get.

The part I DO get is that attacking Iraq actually pulled resources OUT of the fight against al Quaida--remember them?

The part I DO get is that fighting terrorism actually requires a vast amount of international cooperation, because these are stateless entities that go where they like. And Bush's non-sequitur War on Iraq has vastly damaged our ability to do the kind of behind-the-scenes coordination this sort of struggle requires.

The part I DO get is that after 9/11 we had the world and the nation united against the scourge of al Qaida, and this bozo you consider a Great Leader has squandered that precious asset, has in fact obliterated it, with this non-sequitur war in Iraq.

As if after Pearl Harbor we decided we'd better attack Patagonia.

[Bridget Burke]

52. Most of us "get" 9/11

We understand that the Bush regime ignored the ongoing anti-terrorist efforts of the Clinton administration.

We are aware that specific warnings were delivered from members of our own FBI & CIA that were trying to do their job, and from security agencies of other countries. Ask us about Ashcroft's decision to stop flying commercial in July 2001--the same month that our "President" & his VP decided to take unprecedented month-long vacations.

We realize that on the morning of September 11th, Bush went to do a photo-op in a Florida classroom, after the first plane had already struck. He was informed of the second crash but didn't interrupt the reading lesson. Eventually, he got up & fled the scene, trying to keep himself "out of harm's way".

We "get" the ongoing efforts of Bush & his cronies to suppress investigation of 9/11 & their continuing political use of the horrible crime. Iraq had nothing to do with it; they'd been planning to take out Saddam for a long time & lept at the excuse. They also used it as an excuse to ram through the un-American "Patriot Act".

They are guilty of criminal negligence, at the very least. Thanks for reminding us.

[lumpy]

66. The US Constitution hasn't changed

as well as international laws, the laws of fair play, integrity and all the decent rules of humanity equitable people have given their lives for. The world hasn't changed, it has only gotten worse thanks to the corrupt leadership this once great nation has exhibited since 2001.

[Name removed]

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[Chico Man]

49. You are truly brainwashed

Yikes you are scary.

[Bridget Burke]

55. I agree

We need to join forces to fight against the bully who is holding our country hostage. He took power in a coup in 2000 & his henchmen have caused great damage to our country & the world.

We will prevail in November of 2004.

[Hav]

56. ok

No need to discuss,I think it's time for you to volunteer and serve in Iraq.What..only talking tough from the couch?
I'm tired of these idiots who think Iraq needed to get blasted because America got attacked on 9/11.
All this talk about self-defense in regards to Iraq is so stupid,I guess the moron puts it in his speech everytime because of people like you.
I think it's you who really needs to figure what you do not get.

"Should we retreat to the corner, huddle down and discuss the appropriate response to the senseless killing of our citizens?"

Are you an American or do you live in Iraq?


"When the message is sent with force the bully gets it!. We will prevail and the USA will emerge stronger than ever before, with no obligation except to hold our head's high.. God Bless America! "

You are as short-sighted and simple minded as the current Administration.That's what got you 500 Americans killed, a little bit of shock and awe and the people of Iraq will get it right?Worked fine.

[davhill]

57. I hope our Democracy is strong enough

I fear that evil men have used the trauma of 9/11 to change our form of government forever. We do not submit to terrorism, yet we expect all to submit to our bullying. If the use of force did not cower us, how can we expect our use of force to cower others? God Bless America indeed, we will need blessing sorely if we ask our trespasses to be forgiven.

[DrBB]

63. "Terrorist TREAT" is about right

Biggest "treat" ever for a regime that is both authoritarian and incompetent. "Terrorism" has been the excuse for everything they've done wrong, the reason why no one is entitled to question them about manifest failures, even acts of quasi-treason like outing CIA agents for political vengeance, and the stick they use to bludgeon everyone they don't like while undermining or just completely shredding the constitution. GOP Unbound.

Bush himself said it best: "I won the trifecta!"

Your Freudian slip is showing, dude.

We no longer could look at the terrorist treat as someone else's issue.

edit: clipped your quote in

[lumpy]

68. Evidently you weren't around

during WW2 and experienced the trauma of Pearl Harbor and attacks upon our mainland in Alaska. We got through that one OK because we were backed by the truth and support from the rest of humanity, but what would you know about humanity?

[IndianaGreen]

50. I got Bush's SOTUS message, loud and clear

If Bush gets another term he will:

1. Extend and expand PATRIOT Act.

2. Continue the occupation of Iraq.

3. Plan for the invasion of other countries.

4. Change the Constitution to strip gays of Constitutional rights.

5. Dismantle Social Security.

6. Finish the job in destroying the social fabric of the nation.

7. Turn everyone of us into wage slaves.

[concord]

62. Thank You

That is what I heard too. I am re-energized to fight to take my country back in November. I honestly fear another 4 years of this internal corrosion. These guys are going down; of that I'm sure. What I don't know is how many of us they will be taking with them.

[muriel_volestrangler]

53. Views from British media

Guardian "War 'making world safer'"

Daily Telegraph "Bush rises above political fray in State of the Union address"

as opposed to BBC "Bush launches US re-election bid"

Independent "Bush puts election focus on the economy"

[bushisanidiot]

67. How Can It Be "Self Defense" When They Diddn't Attack Us? What a moron!!

what an embarassment to this country that jerk is. I cannot WAIT until November!!!!!!!

the democrats WILL restore honor and dignity to the white house.. and we've got a hell of a lot of cleaning up to do.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

69. that was a crypted messege to the Dems ...that they gave him a blank check

"premission slip" and the power to strike anywhere and anyone my lit'ol sick heart desires "pre-empively" ....it was in your face bitch!....you signed it over to me (chuckle)


how will our reps in congress respond to this crypted messege....i will not be holding my breath....sigh

[Voltaire99]

76. Force majeure!

It's no more in the nature of empires to beg leave of their colonies than it is for murderers to ask victims where they want the wound.

[The Stranger]

79. Was anyone else enraged by the weakness of the Democratic response?

It's real simple. You don't even have to pay me a consulting fee.

1. Quote Bush's State of the Union speech in 2003 containing his utter lies to the American people about "weapons of mass destruction" -- the justification for invading, occupying, killing and dying.

The United Nations concluded in 1999 that Saddam Hussein had biological weapons sufficient to produce over 25,000 liters of anthrax -- enough doses to kill several million people. He hasn't accounted for that material. He's given no evidence that he has destroyed it.

The United Nations concluded that Saddam Hussein had materials sufficient to produce more than 38,000 liters of botulinum toxin -- enough to subject millions of people to death by respiratory failure. He hadn't accounted for that material. He's given no evidence that he has destroyed it.

Our intelligence officials estimate that Saddam Hussein had the materials to produce as much as 500 tons of sarin, mustard and VX nerve agent. In such quantities, these chemical agents could also kill untold thousands. He's not accounted for these materials. He has given no evidence that he has destroyed them.

U.S. intelligence indicates that Saddam Hussein had upwards of 30,000 munitions capable of delivering chemical agents. Inspectors recently turned up 16 of them -- despite Iraq's recent declaration denying their existence. Saddam Hussein has not accounted for the remaining 29,984 of these prohibited munitions. He's given no evidence that he has destroyed them.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/01/20030128-19.html

2. Look into the camera and ask the American people, "Why did he tell you that these dangers existed when we know today that they did not? How many more have to die based on a lie?" (Okay, the "lie" part may be a bit over-the-top, but the fact that it has a Johnny Cochranesque rhyme is invaluable). "WE WANT THE TRUTH. Too many people have died in the masquerade." (Okay, okay, again too over-the-top, but you get the point).