Thielmann, Nameless Spook, Ari, Rumsfeld, Bush on WMDgate
Lots of spin on what-Bush-knew-and-when-he-knew-it with respect to the false claims used to justify the war. First up, from the Guardian, the story of former State Department spy guy Gregory Thielmann: White House ‘lied about Saddam threat’. Next, from the BBC, an unnamed CIA source who says the White House knew all about the discrediting of the Nigerian yellowcake documents 10 months before the State of the Union Address: White House ‘warned over Iraq claim’. Finally, from the Boston Globe’s John Donnelly comes this fun wrap-up of the statements made in the past few days by Ari, Rumsfeld, and Bush: Bush unbowed on Iraq.
There’s lots more good stuff out there. The spin is too obvious to let it lie; even US reporters are asking some good questions.
July 10th, 2003 at 9:51 pm
One has to wonder why Bush would make such an easily disproved claim in a State of the Union Address about Saddam’s nuclear weapons program. Surely such idiocy just gives his enemies a nice target.
But then, Clinton had sex with Monica, providing his enemies with a good target too.
Maybe our presidents get corrupted by power. Certainly the more power you have, the less you are likely to believe that the rules apply to you.
July 11th, 2003 at 5:08 am
I think Bush and Co. have been on such a roll since 9/11, they thought (with good reason) that they could say and do anything they wanted. I hope that’s not the case. The heat over this keeps rising, slowly, even in American media (*finally*). It’s slightly encouraging, although I’ve learned not to get my hopes up.