White House 'All Wrong' on Iraq | Ctr for American Progress briefing

[nostamj]

White House 'All Wrong'

Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction. Iraq's illicit weapons stockpiles were destroyed more than a decade ago and Saddam was not making any active effort and had no formal plans to revive the program. The top American weapons inspector in Iraq, Charles A. Duelfer, yesterday released a 1,000-page report that also found Saddam's ability to produce weapons of mass destruction had "decayed" significantly due to the U.N. weapons inspection regime. The report is a devastating critique. Sen. John D. Rockefeller (D-WV) said, "The administration would like the American public to believe that Saddam's intention to build a weapons program, regardless of actual weapons or the capability to produce weapons, justified invading Iraq....In fact, we invaded a country, thousands of people have died, and Iraq never posed a grave or growing danger.'' Appearing before the Senate yesterday, Duelfer summed his findings: "we were almost all wrong" on Iraq.

NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS: With a string of false claims, the White House played up the threat to justify the invasion of Iraq, warning of an armed and dangerous Saddam with his sights set on America. On 3/24/02, Vice President Cheney definitively stated, " is actively pursuing nuclear weapons at this time." A year later, on 3/16/03, he charged, "We believe Saddam has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear weapons." National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice was equally as adamant: On 9/10/02, she said, "We do know that is actively pursuing a nuclear weapon." Duelfer's report showed these claims were flatly false.

NO CHEMICAL OR BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS: The Duelfer report found "no indications" that Iraq was doing this. There was no staff, no infrastructure, and there even was "a complete absence of discussion or even interest" in biological weapons. The administration, however, used Saddam's supposed stockpiles of biological weapons as another justification for the invasion. In just one example, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld provided the Senate Armed Services committee with a specific laundry list on 9/19/02: " amassed large, clandestine stockpiles of biological weapons, including Anthrax, botulism, toxins and possibly smallpox. He's amassed large, clandestine stockpiles of chemical weapons, including VX, Sarin and mustard gas." President Bush also said on 10/5/02, "Iraq has stockpiled biological and chemical weapons and is rebuilding the facilities used to make more of those weapons."

NO WEAPONS "PROGRAM": After the invasion, the White House changed its tune, stating the real reason for the war was that Saddam had a weapons program. On 7/11/03, Condoleezza Rice stated, "Iraqis were actively trying to pursue a nuclear weapons program." Mr. Duelfer said, "Saddam Hussein ended the nuclear program in 1991 following the Gulf War." American inspectors "found no evidence to suggest concerted efforts to restart the program." In fact, one U.S. official briefing reporters on the report stated, "Over time, Hussein was getting further away from a nuclear program, not closer. In point of fact, he was much further away from a nuclear program in 2003 than he was in 1991."

NO SHARING WITH TERRORISTS: The Duelfer report found "no evidence that Hussein had passed illicit weapons material to al Qaeda or other terrorist organizations, or had any intent to do so." As the New York Times points out, "Even if Mr. Hussein had wanted to arm groups he could not control – a very dubious notion – he had nothing to give them." Yet yesterday, after the release of the report, he said, "There was a risk – a real risk – that Saddam Hussein would pass weapons, or materials, or information to terrorist networks. In the world after September the 11th, that was a risk we could not afford to take."

SADDAM WAS CONTAINED: Duelfer found U.N. sanctions provided an "economic strangle hold" which successfully worked to keep Saddam from rebuilding or developing any weapons for twelve years. And the Washington Post reminds readers, "the inspectors left not because Iraq kicked them out but because the United States said it was about to launch an invasion and their safety could not be guaranteed." But in a speech in Pennsylvania yesterday, President Bush said Saddam Hussein "chose defiance and war our coalition enforced the just demands of the world." The report actually shows the opposite, that the power of nonviolent international sanctions was working.

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[venus]

1. Thanks for this post.

How the f* could The Duelfer report state that even if Saddam had wanted to procure weapons, he had no notion or capability to do it, yet at the same time there was a risk that he would have done it. Any Senators call this guy on doublespeak? This is where Kerry must tread lightly but goodness gracious, the Administration is using this statement to continue to justify the war.

[nostamj]

2. quite welcome

I get a briefing by email every day from them. always excellent.

and, my posts usually SINK in minutes.

there's another post from this morning's CAP email in GD about the horrid tax bill they're trying to push through. nothing but corporate pork to the tune of $145B!