The A-B-C's of lies and dissembling

I urge all those still convinced that we were right to invade Iraq (I'm talking to you, Mr. and Ms. Swing Voter), that Bush, Inc., was straight with the American people -- and with the world -- in the lead-up to war, that they viewed war as a last resort, and that the United States and the world were truly threatened by Saddam Hussein to read Maureen Farrell's essay for BuzzFlash.com, The New Right and Old Wrongs:The Quagmire, A to Z.

To pique your interest, here's just one entry:

A is for Agenda

March 2002: "Saddam Hussein is not a threat to the U.S. ... The experts say that Saddam doesn't have the capacity to manufacture weapons of mass destruction (WMD) -- and even if he could and even if he could somehow acquire that capacity, he certainly doesn't have the capacity to deliver them. ... The whole weapons inspection issue is really just a ruse. The real agenda of the Bush administration is a regime change. ... It has nothing to do with the U.N. or weapons inspectors or even human rights." -- Former U.N. official Denis Halliday, Salon.com, March 20, 2002 (a year before the start of the war in Iraq).

Update: While prewar speculation about the Bush administration's real agenda was rampant, by the time Colin Powell tried to sell the war to our allies, few were buying. "We think the Iraqi people would be a lot better off with a different leader, a different regime," Powell said, mindful that "regime change" violated both allies' trust and international law. "But the principal offense here is weapons of mass destruction, and that's what this [U.N.] resolution is working on. ... All we are interested in is getting rid of those weapons of mass destruction," Powell fibbed.)....

There is much, much more for your consideration, Mr. and Ms. Swing Voter. The article is truly a must-read.

Posted by brett at 01:43 PM | TrackBack