Creating Justifications to Go to War

[Tiger Al 0]

Rep. John Conyers

A week ago, a blockbuster story broke in the London Times, which appeared to confirm that the United States and Great Britain had agreed in secret to attack Iraq in the Summer of 2002, well before the invasion, and before Bush even asked Congress for the authority to invade. In other words, this was the "smoking gun" for what many of us feared and suspected all along -- Bush was willing to mislead the American people and manufacture rationales to justify invading Iraq -- both after and before the War. The Blair government did not dispute the article, and a former Bush Administration employee described it as "an absolutely accurate description of what transpired."

After reading this article and the leaked memo, I immediately crafted a letter to the president asking him to respond, and asked all of my House Colleagues -- both Democrats and Republicans -- to join me in signing the letter. So far, 88 Members, but not a single Republican, have joined me in putting truth to power. Unfortunately, the mainstream media has been slow to pick up on this important story. (Surely he can't be talking about the "liberal media," can he???)

My own blog includes much additional information on the topic, including an audio of my discussion with Stephanie Miller on Progessive Talk Radio on the subject. It has been covered on the Web by independent sites such as Daily Kos, Raw Story, Brad Blog , Salon, Scoop Independent News, Progressive Democrats of America, and Atrios. Finally, on Thursday, the mainstream media, in the form of Knight Ridder, picked up on the disclosure and my letter. I need your help to encourage others in the media, be they tv, cable, newspapers, and radio to cover this momentous matter.

There is nothing more important than being frank with the American people about going to war -- so this goes to the core of our democratic values.

LINK

[AURaptor 1,126]

No smoking gun here. Just hate filled rhetoric coming from the extreme Left. Clinton had a 'secret plan' to attack Iraq too..... long before 2000, longer before 9/11/2001.

[Auburn85 432]

Yeah, I think the UN said no to Clinton so he stepped back. They said no to Bush, but he went on to Iraq.

Well, if we wanted to go to war against N. Korea.. is that justifiable enough, or do we have to get the UN 'S approval to go it alone there too?

[Piglet 0]

I'll bet if Saddam had dropped a nucular bomb on Detroit, Rep. Conyers would have been shouting about why didn't Bush do something to stop it from happening.

[Auburn85 432]

agreed.I think Most people would rather be on the offensive than the defensive.

[AURaptor 1,126]

There is no 'blockbuster' story here what so ever. Just more of the same. Feigned shock and surprise at something everyone knew was coming, even back in the previous administration.

"One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line."

President Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998

"If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program."

President Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998

"Iraq is a long way from [here], but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face."

Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998.

It truly is reprehensible what John Conyers and so many on the Left are trying to do... rewrite hisotry so as to paint themselves a favorable picture for political gains.

[CCTAU 3,349]

Rep. John Conyers

A week ago, a blockbuster story broke in the London Times, which appeared to confirm that the United States and Great Britain had agreed in secret to attack Iraq in the Summer of 2002, well before the invasion, and before Bush even asked Congress for the authority to invade. In other words, this was the "smoking gun" for what many of us feared and suspected all along -- Bush was willing to mislead the American people and manufacture rationales to justify invading Iraq -- both after and before the War. The Blair government did not dispute the article, and a former Bush Administration employee described it as "an absolutely accurate description of what transpired."

After reading this article and the leaked memo, I immediately crafted a letter to the president asking him to respond, and asked all of my House Colleagues -- both Democrats and Republicans -- to join me in signing the letter. So far, 88 Members, but not a single Republican, have joined me in putting truth to power. Unfortunately, the mainstream media has been slow to pick up on this important story. (Surely he can't be talking about the "liberal media," can he???)

My own blog includes much additional information on the topic, including an audio of my discussion with Stephanie Miller on Progessive Talk Radio on the subject. It has been covered on the Web by independent sites such as Daily Kos, Raw Story, Brad Blog , Salon, Scoop Independent News, Progressive Democrats of America, and Atrios. Finally, on Thursday, the mainstream media, in the form of Knight Ridder, picked up on the disclosure and my letter. I need your help to encourage others in the media, be they tv, cable, newspapers, and radio to cover this momentous matter.

There is nothing more important than being frank with the American people about going to war -- so this goes to the core of our democratic values.

LINK

159500[/snapback]

This is absolutely correct. And then there's the issue of American Service men flushing pages of the koran down the pot....

Oh wait, that was a fabrication also.

Just can't get good liberal truth anymore these days.

[Ranger12 46]

AuRaptor,

It is funny how the liberals forget their own quotes. I think we have posted several quotes by the Clintons, Kennedy, Kerry, and other democrat leaders who supported the use of force in Iraq, but yet all the liberals now want to pretend like those words were never spoken. Seems to me that they just can't stand the fact that it was not a liberal president who finally had the guts to do what needed to have been done and tell the UN to get out of the way. Bush Sr. and Clinton let the UN get in the way, but Dubya was having none of it!

Like Piglet said, I guess we were supposed to go back to the pre-9/11 mentality and waif for them to do something on our soil before we did anything. To use an overly used cliche', "Hindsight is 20/20". Everybody, including the democrats, thought Saddam had WMDs and was building a nuclear bomb. Democrats make me think of the person who wants to take credit for a great idea, only if everything comes out rosey, but if a little something comes out wrong, they act like they were never for it.

[Auburn85 432]

AuRaptor,

It is funny how the liberals forget their own quotes. I think we have posted several quotes by the Clintons, Kennedy, Kerry, and other democrat leaders who supported the use of force in Iraq, but yet all the liberals now want to pretend like those words were never spoken. Seems to me that they just can't stand the fact that it was not a liberal president who finally had the guts to do what needed to have been done and tell the UN to get out of the way. Bush Sr. and Clinton let the UN get in the way, but Dubya was having none of it!

Like Piglet said, I guess we were supposed to go back to the pre-9/11 mentality and waif for them to do something on our soil before we did anything. To use an overly used cliche', "Hindsight is 20/20". Everybody, including the democrats, thought Saddam had WMDs and was building a nuclear bomb. Democrats make me think of the person who wants to take credit for a great idea, only if everything comes out rosey, but if a little something comes out wrong, they act like they were never for it.

159948[/snapback]

agreed

Yep, even Kerry voted to go to war, but when things didn't come out rosey..... he was misled, misguided, felt he didn't have to take responsibility, felt he could blow it off on someone els. Hey, that's most democrats mentality. Blow it of on somebody.. maybe someone else can pick up the tab.