Right then.
Today:
Asked about the commission's findings on an Iraq-al Qaeda link, Bush said, "This administration never said that the 9/11 attacks were orchestrated between Saddam and al Qaeda."
March 18, 2003
Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate
March 18, 2003
Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)
Consistent with section 3(b) of the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 (Public Law 107-243), and based on information available to me, including that in the enclosed document, I determine that:
(1) reliance by the United States on further diplomatic and other peaceful means alone will neither (A) adequately protect the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq nor (B) likely lead to enforcement of all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq; and
(2) acting pursuant to the Constitution and Public Law 107-243 is consistent with the United States and other countries continuing to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations, or persons who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.
Sincerely,
GEORGE W. BUSH
The fig leaf is of course the use of the word 'including' in the final statement, since the legalists are going to bend over backward to point out the 'but not limited to' implication. At this point, however, I am bored with his posturing -- not that I wasn't beforehand, but still.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 17 June 2004 19:40 (twenty-two years ago)
I'm beginning to think a new "Defend the Indefensible: GWB" thread would fall into the sad pile of "unanswered questions"
― Gear! (Gear!), Thursday, 17 June 2004 22:07 (twenty-two years ago)
I'm guessing that while last week's Reaganfest was a good time to discuss media bias, this week -- not so much.
The NRO, shockingly enough, questions the report.
― bnw (bnw), Thursday, 17 June 2004 23:01 (twenty-two years ago)
They have to! They'll be questioning everything up until the bitter end...and then they cry.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 17 June 2004 23:04 (twenty-two years ago)
the party line according to dick:
BORGER: In hindsight, Mr. Vice President, are you disappointed in the quality of the intelligence that you received before launching an attack against Iraq?
Vice Pres. CHENEY: I can't say that, Gloria. I think the decision we made was exactly the right one. Everything I know today, everything the president knows today, we would have done exactly the same thing. Saddam Hussein was an evil man. He'd launched two wars. He'd produced and used weapons of mass destruction in the past. He had provided safe harbor and sanctuary for terrorists. He was paying $25,000 a pop to the families of suicide bombers who'd kill Israelis. He hosted Abu Nidal in Baghdad, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, had established a relationship with al-Qaida. This was an evil man who had tried previously to expand his influence in the area and we did exactly the right thing.
Now could we have better intelligence? You always want better intelligence. If you had complete knowledge on these kinds of decisions and issues, you wouldn't need a president to make the decision; some robot could. The President has to make judgments. You go to the president of the United States and you lay down a very strong case that this guy is all the things I've said plus had reconstituted his weapons of mass destruction program, tell him it's a slam dunk case and you've got the ongoing evidence of a relationship with al-Qaida and we had 9/11. 9/11 changed a lot. Remember what happened after 9/11. We said henceforth we will no longer make a distinction between the terrorists and states that sponsor or have safe harbor sanctuary for terrorists. If you're going to host a terrorist, you're going to be held responsible for their actions just as much as the terrorists are, which is what we did in Afghanistan. And it's very important for us to remember that when 9/11 occurred, it forced us to look at the world a new way, that part of the world in particular, where in fact Saddam Hussein operated.
Its funny if you read the first paragraph it kinda sounds like the u.s. in the last year or so. attacked neighbors, some terrorists might live here, has weapons and will use them, etc etc.
IT WAS ALL WORTH IT, THO.
― bill stevens (bscrubbins), Thursday, 17 June 2004 23:46 (twenty-two years ago)
No, they emasculated him. He's now an evil woman.
― Broheems (diamond), Friday, 18 June 2004 00:11 (twenty-two years ago)