How much did Bush want to be a war President?

[libertypirate]

Enough to lie?

Let's see?
6-30-03
Media Silent on Clark's 9/11 Comments
Gen. says White House pushed Saddam link without evidence
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1842

The other Clark...

12 September 2001
Bush asked Richard A. Clark "See if Saddam did this"

According to Richard A. Clarke, a former National Security Council Official: "On September 12th, I left the video conferencing center and there, wandering alone around the situation room, was the president. He looked like he wanted something to do. He grabbed a few of us and closed the door to the conference room. "Look," he told us, "I know you have a lot to do and all, but I want you, as soon as you can, to go back over everything, everything. See if Saddam did this. See if he's linked in any way."
Richard A. Clarke, Chapter 1, Against All Enemies: Inside America’s War on Terror (2004).

Oh and Vader Himself
16 September 2001
Do we have any evidence linking ... Iraq to 9-11? No

Vice President Dick Cheney was interviewed by Tim Russert following the terrorist attacks on September 11.
MR. RUSSERT: Do we have any evidence linking Saddam Hussein or Iraqis to this operation?
VICE PRES. CHENEY: No.
Dick Cheney’s interview with Tim Russert. 16 September 2001.
Available at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/vicepresident/news-speeches/speeches/vp20010916.html

I know there is a couple of more.

[tuvor]

1. At least this much.

He didn't listen to his own intel.

WHY THE CIA THINKS BUSH IS WRONG
The president says the US has to act now against Iraq. The trouble is, his own security services don't agree.
13 October 2002
http://www.sundayherald.com/28384

CIA IN BLOW TO BUSH ATTACK PLANS
The letter also comes at a time when the CIA is competing with the more hawkish Pentagon, which is also supplying the White House with intelligence on the Iraqi threat.
October 10, 2002
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,808970,00.html

WHITE HOUSE 'EXAGGERATING IRAQI THREAT'
Bush's televised address attacked by US intelligence
October 9, 2002
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,807286,00.html

[Erika]

2. Do we have any evidence leading Iraq to 9/11?

The Bush administration says no.

[Poiuyt]

3. He told his biographer in 1999 that he wanted to invade Iraq

http://www.gnn.tv/articles/article.php?id=761

“He was thinking about invading Iraq in 1999,” said author and journalist Mickey Herskowitz. “It was on his mind. He said to me: ‘One of the keys to being seen as a great leader is to be seen as a commander-in-chief.’ And he said, ‘My father had all this political capital built up when he drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait and he wasted it.’ He said, ‘If I have a chance to invade….if I had that much capital, I’m not going to waste it. I’m going to get everything passed that I want to get passed and I’m going to have a successful presidency.”

more-

Did you get that? "If I have a chance to invade..." He was looking forward to it

[Old and In the Way]

4. I think Bush was exploited by the PNAC'le Club.

I think they had the agenda to move into Iraq, control the oil, water, and be the strategic pivot to usher in the New American Century. Problem was, most sane people would think this nuts.

But in Bush, they had a neer-do-well, intellectually lazy puppet that could be easily manipulated.

And I'm sure he had something to prove to Poppy. He had the opportunity to show Dad how he could be the War pResident. Look at the baggge....Dad was a WW2 hero, Dimson was AWOL. So he could redeem himself by doing what Dad failed to do: take out Saddam. Ultimately, for Bush, I really think it boils down to a psychlogical issue to one up Pops....nothing else really matter. Cheney, Rummy, et al had the perfect dupe to do their bidding. He'd be the willing idiot to do execute the PNAC plan, 'cuz then he could show Dad what a war pResident he was. Failed spectacularly at this, too.

[loyalsister]

5. He brought it up in the 2000 election

In one of the debates with Gore, he answered on of the questions in a very bloodthirsty way.
"The military is there to fight war!"
And he even mentioned Iraq.
I knew right then that if he got elected we would wind up in a war.

[ugarte]

6. Not as bad as he wants to be a 3-war President...nt