McCain Still Can’t Come Clean on Iraq
McCain Still Can’t Come Clean on Iraq
In the run up to the Iraq war, the American people were repeatedly told false information about Saddam Hussein’s WMD capacity. What’s amazing is, years later, the people still aren’t being told a the straight story. Here is what Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said today on CNN’s Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer:
MCCAIN:…There was no doubt in anybody’s mind that if he remained in power that he would continue that attempt and the sanctions were not — the status quo wasn’t prevailing.
But according to Charles Duelfer, the Bush administration’s hand-picked weapons inspector, the sanctions — and the status quo — were working very well. Here’s a summary of the Duelfer’s finding from the 10/7/04 Washington Post:
Duelfer said one of Hussein’s main strategic goals was to persuade the United Nations to lift economic sanctions, which had devastated the country’s economy and, along with U.N. inspections, had forced him to stop weapons programs.
Let’s be clear. According to the definitive report produced by the Bush administration, had the sanctions remained in place, Saddam Hussein would not have been able to acquire WMD. Had the administration chose sanctions instead of war, Iraq would still not have had WMD and more than 1600 American troops killed in Iraq would be alive today.
It’s little wonder why most Americans think the Iraq war wasn’t worth it.
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
I watched that interview and noticed McCain’s inability to accept reality. Rarely have I seen a politician who is so on target on so many issues, but so blind on even more. I think his problem is that if he ever accepts the facts about Iraq he will also have to accept the fact that Bush has to be impeached. And, that he will never accept.
May 29th, 2005 at 6:55 pmThis relatively small number of American losses is not enough to cause much concern among the majority of voting Americans. Sure, there is a lot of noise coming from the young crowd, but very few of them voted, and very few will vote the next time, unless they are worried about being drafted.
That was precisely the reason the draft proposals were brought up by Democrats; as an attempt to rally the youth vote. Didn’t work. GOP snuffed the draft talk, and the youth stayed home in droves. Most of them didn’t even know there was an election.
May 29th, 2005 at 7:43 pmsftt.org blog contends that there are some 5 thousand plus US soldiers have deserted to Ireland. Maybe a bogus assertion, but the numbers concerning the war in Iraq are very doubtful, to be sure.
Just another day of more lies and deception by the US gov. What else is new?
May 29th, 2005 at 8:19 pmI bet it wasn’t a relatively small number of losses for the families of the brave men and women who gave their lives.
May the “young crowd” continue to make noise, just as the founders of this country did….
May 29th, 2005 at 8:22 pmYou know how to whistle don’t you, Buckshot? You just put your lips together and blow. Whistle past that graveyard, Buckshot. You see, Jennifer? Give it time and you will be hoping he gets hit by a bus, too.
May 29th, 2005 at 8:25 pmI wonder how they manage to keep all their lies straight. Maybe that’s McCain’s problem: he forgot which was the lie of the week for the Iraq War
May 29th, 2005 at 9:56 pmMcCain is trolling for votes both from the religious right and the so-called “moderates” for his 2008 run. He’ll bring down Bush only if it is in his interests. The truth to him is whatever will get him elected.
May 29th, 2005 at 10:28 pmMemorial Day weekend and Buckshot proves to all that he/she is the most callous person on the planet.
The most callous award goes to Buckshot and the prize is: LIFE AS BUCKSHOT, ALONE AND PATHETIC.
May 29th, 2005 at 10:32 pmSaddam was bulldozed into power by the same machine (Corporate Monopoly State cartel via the British and CIA) that took him out and for the same blood money motives. And although McCain is certainly brighter than global village idiot GW Bush, he is a shill cum front man who will do virtually anything to keep a lid on the sting.
May 29th, 2005 at 10:47 pmWhat’s 1600 dead mean to me? War fodder. I got mine but I still want more. They should be happy to give their lives for us shareholders. Oink Oink
May 29th, 2005 at 10:58 pmg archer. As a Jew who opposed Bush II’s Iraq war, I must state that your post was highly offensive AND in violation of the Terms of Use of this blog. Citing chapter and verse
“You agree not to:
• Post any messages or provide links to any messages that endorse or oppose a particular political party or candidate for office.
• Post any private information or otherwise harvest, collect or disclose information, about another Blogger without his or her express consent.
• Post any content to the Blog that is unlawful, racist, hateful, libelous, defamatory, obscene, or that intentionally discriminates against or harasses particular individuals or groups.”
You are in violation of the third of these terms. You can’t paint every individual of a group with a broad brush for a very good reason, we’re NOT all the same!
May 30th, 2005 at 12:57 amIf the sanctions kept Saddam, our erstwhile beneficiary, from building WMD, then it was at the cost of the devastation of the Iraqi economy and the consequent misery of the Iraqi people. Saddam was, however, able to build palaces while this was happening. This is not to justify the American invasion and occupation of the country. While we honor and mourn our fallen soldiers, I’d hope that at least the liberals among us would also acknowledge the price that the Iraqis have paid due to our dealings with Saddam over the last couple of decades.
As for our casualties, they include far more than our killed and maimed. We ought not to ignore those who must live with the memory of the gruesome consequences of what they were asked to do in our name.
May 30th, 2005 at 2:58 amI had no idea McCain was Jewish. Are you sure about that, g archer? Are you related to Buckshot? Do you think your favorite WWF wrestler, Goldberg, might be Scottish?
May 30th, 2005 at 5:29 amg archer,
Take your crap and spew it somewhere else.
May 30th, 2005 at 7:57 amMisery loves company.McCain is a Brainwashed Criminal of the right.Supporting an Illegal and Criminal proxy war for Israel,a failed state.Meanwhile Fashism is on the March in THIS country.The US had no enemies in the Mideast till 1948 Co-incidence?
May 30th, 2005 at 8:31 amIf the sanctions kept Saddam, our erstwhile beneficiary, from building WMD, then it was at the cost of the devastation of the Iraqi economy and the consequent misery of the Iraqi people.
Sure, Aslam, just as soon as those people are better off than they were…
May 30th, 2005 at 8:43 amActual U.S. deaths are over 7,000,if you include the folks who died, not on the battlefield, but enroute to the hospital or at the hospital after their battlefield injuries. Just another case of misleading or false information from the Bush administration
May 30th, 2005 at 9:25 amOnce again you angry Libs show how much your hate for Bush has damaged your ability to read. While alot of people on here love to call us conservatives brainwashed I have to wonder the same about all of you. Judd must have known none of you would actually read the Post article to see how badly he cherrypicked his quote.
” Duelfer said Hussein hoped someday to resume a chemical weapons effort after U.N. sanctions ended, but had no stocks and had not researched making the weapons for a dozen years.”
(He didn’t have to research since he already had the knowledge and the people who knew how to make them)
” Hussein, the report concluded, “aspired to develop a nuclear capability” and intended to work on rebuilding chemical and biological weapons after persuading the United Nations to lift sanctions.”
(The real reason and justification for the war was the fact that Hussain never complied with the agreement he made the last time he invaded another country and killed alot of people)
“Among the most diplomatically explosive revelations was that Hussein had established a worldwide network of companies and countries, most of them U.S. allies, that secretly helped Iraq generate $11 billion in illegal income and locate, finance and import banned services and technologies.Among the most diplomatically explosive revelations was that Hussein had established a worldwide network of companies and countries, most of them U.S. allies, that secretly helped Iraq generate $11 billion in illegal income and locate, finance and import banned services and technologies. Among those named are officials or companies from Belarus, China, Lebanon, France, Indonesia, Jordan, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.”
I suppose we should have just ignored all this and removed the sanctions. Hell the worst that could have happened was that saddam would have murdered and tourtured a few hundred thousand more Iraqis. Let France got the sanctions removed so they could start making money on all their oil contracts. So what if they would have given this madman have the ability to reconstitue his weapons program. He couldn’t threaten anywhere important only: Turkey, Isreal, The Suez canal, Saudi.
SJS wants to talk about whisling past graveyards I guess you all should know. Blame the Jews, forget about the 12 year olds getting raped, the half a million in mass graves, the past acts of aggression and murder. Its not like anyone here cares about racial bigotry, genocide, and war crimes as long as we can rant against America and Bush.
Happy Memorial Day
May 30th, 2005 at 9:31 amFacism is the last step in the death of Capitalism.Next step is slavery boys and girls.
May 30th, 2005 at 9:35 amA major reason we had to go into Iraq is that the weapons inspectors were proving that Saddam did not have WMD. That fact, coupled with an honest weapons declaration submitted to the UN by Iraq, showed that Iraq had fulfilled the terms of the UN resolution.
By fulfilling the terms of the resolution, Iraq faced the real possibility of having the sanctions removed by the UN. Since France and Russia had oil deals in place a waiting for the sanctions to be removed, Saddam was prepared for immediate oil sales and was reported to have considered basing those sales on the euro instead of the dollar basically placing the dollar in jeopardy of becoming just another currency.
Bush invaded Iraq because they DIDN’T have WMD.
May 30th, 2005 at 10:13 amDont focus solely on the dead. There is never any mention of the tens of thousands of soldiers who’ve been wounded, many of them permanently. Many will never walk again. Many have been burned so bad their own mothers can’t even recognize them.
They will live with these wounds for the rest of their lives, courtesy of a pack of lies. Death would likely be more merciful for many of these forgotten soldiers.
May 30th, 2005 at 11:01 amBush invaded Iraq for a number of “reasons”. The “mission creep” has been amazing and not even covered by the “liberal” MSM. None of the reasons has anything to do with what we were told initially, WDM and mushroom clouds, nor do they have anything to do with spreading democracy or making life better for the average Iraqi. I happen to agree with blaze that the reason we went in when we did was because to have waited any longer would have removed any possible doubt that they posessed the WMD being used as justification.
May 30th, 2005 at 11:25 amI’d hope that at least the liberals among us would also acknowledge the price that the Iraqis have paid due to our dealings with Saddam over the last couple of decades.
aslam, it is the liberals who have been opposing Saddam the longest. It was Reagan and Bush who are responsible for our decades of support. I sincerely hope the conservatives remember that.
Sometimes I feel like conservatives are actually pretending it is the other way around, that liberals supported Saddam and jihad in the 1980s. Remember also the price Iraqis are paying today for our rather messy “fixing” of the situation.
May 30th, 2005 at 12:52 pmPerhaps old news, but very carefully documented and related stories you might all find interesting:
It’s often pointed out that we were “supporting Hussein” when he allegedly killed Iraqis. Although the head CIA analyst in charge of Iraq intelligence at the time has been on a lecture circuit around the US for years now saying that in fact, it was IRAN that gassed the Kurds, that’s perhaps less important than pointing out that we didn’t just “support” Hussein with money, transport, conventional weaponry, manpower and logistical intelligence, we INSTALLED him in power and GAVE him the gas gangrene, botulin, anthrax, cholera and nuclear detonators we used as an excuse to invade and kill so many Iraqis–well, not “WE” literally, more specifically, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Bush Sr., Baker, Reagan and the very same mob of insane neocons that have dragged us into this amoral, murderous sinkhole….
http://aliberaldose.blogspot.com/2004/08/how-we-came-to-own-iraq.html
http://aliberaldose.blogspot.com/2004/07/i-saddam-all-american-hitman.html
http://aliberaldose.blogspot.com/2004/08/smoking-gun-that-may-take-bush-down.html
http://aliberaldose.blogspot.com/2004/07/americas-mad-bomber-new-iraq-pm.html
http://aliberaldose.blogspot.com/2004/08/halliburton-honey-what-have-you-done.html
http://aliberaldose.blogspot.com/2004/09/remarkable-journey-of-americas-vice.html
May 30th, 2005 at 1:09 pmLet’s not forget McCain doesn’t believe the Downing street Blair memo which details Bushs’ WMD lies and and Iraq warmongering, supports Bush’s social security ripoff, is totally silent on the treasonous “inside job” events of 911 and supported Bush’s presidential candidacy even after being hinself reamed by Bush during his own presidential candidacy race.
May 30th, 2005 at 1:23 pmTHe neo Nazi right wing wing is imploding. Keep the pressure on. 2006 will very well be the year Bush gets impeached. Next stop for BUsh, War crimes court, life behind bars. Republican party shamed goes into remission like a cancer, hopefully never tt show it’s ugly face again. Democracy prevails. Sit back and enjoy the show as the neo nazi’s self destruct.
May 30th, 2005 at 2:01 pmMcCave showed us his true colors in 2000 when he went on to support W. after the lies and innuendo put forth by Rowe and Co. That no one stands up to the Bush machine and their constant manipulation of the truth is proof positive that politicos on both sides of the aisle are simply bought and paid for the, Hon. John McCain included.
May 30th, 2005 at 2:26 pmI think that American’s need to be asking themselves why they have allowed this to happen. And make no mistake, each American citizen should accept some responsibility for this situation. The Iraq’s were innocent. The number of American dead is poultry compared to the number of dead Iraqi civilian’s – elderly, woman, children – all Innocent. There is a name for this. It is called genocide.
These people that you keep in power are concerned only about maintaining that power. They care not about you. They care not about the Iraqi people. They care only about power. You should be out on the streets screaming – demanding impeachment. It is time. Do not wait. The world will support you.
May 30th, 2005 at 2:29 pmMcCain is being set up, by the Repubs, for a Presidential run. Hence his past about-face about Bush, his support of the Iraqi invasion, his continued dishonesty about the war, and the A&E special presentation of ‘Faith of My Fathers’ ?this weekend?
May 30th, 2005 at 2:46 pmBob, you too are in violation of the Terms of Use. Take the Anti-Semitic tripe elsewhere.
Many Israelis opposed the US going into Iraq because they believed that it would cause a flareup of hostilities in the region and undermine efforts to achieve a lasting peace in the region.
May 30th, 2005 at 3:14 pmHow can I as a retired Navy man believe bush when he praises todays servicemen and women and fallen comrades when he himself failed to step up to the plate when it was his turn. To me he lies every time he praises todays military for what they are doing for America. They are not doing it for America, they are doing it for bush This his war and nobody elses.
May 30th, 2005 at 3:23 pmI believe quotes on the truth of these issues by those who experienced it first hand should be ground zero for any understanding. Times change human nature, does not.
“OIL IS MUCH TOO IMPORTANT A COMMODITY TO BE LEFT IN THE HANDS OF THE ARABS.�
“MILITARY MEN ARE JUST DUMB, STUPID, ANIMALS TO BE USED AS PAWNS IN FOREIGN POLICY.�
HENRY KISSINGER (ex American Secretary of State as a member of the Trilateral Commission & Builderberger Group. Henry Kissenger appointed Paul Bremer to oversee the conquest and occupation of Iraq on 5/6/2003. Living. Quotes 1991 & 1990)
“WAR IS A RACKET. IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN… A RACKET IS BEST DESCRIBED, I BELIEVE, AS SOMETHING THAT IS NOT WHAT IT SEEMS TO THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE. ONLY A SMALL ‘INSIDE’ GROUP KNOWS WHAT IT IS ABOUT. IT IS CONDUCTED FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE VERY FEW, AT THE EXPENSE OF THE VERY MANY. OUT OF WAR A FEW PEOPLE MAKE HUGE FORTUNES.�
May 30th, 2005 at 4:41 pmSMEDLEY DARLINGTON BULTER (Major General – United States Marine Corps. Butler was awarded two Congressional Medals of Honor, for capture of Vera Cruz, Mexico, 1914, and for capture of Ft. Riviere, Haiti, 1917. He was also awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, 1919. 1881-1940)
Short of changing human nature, therefore, the only way to achieve a practical, livable peace in a world of competing nations is to take the profit out of war.
–RICHARD M. NIXON, “REAL PEACE”; (1983)
I’m not sure what Tricky Dick would make of Bush.
May 30th, 2005 at 5:03 pmthink Buckshot’s point was missed.
I felt that his comment was meant to be ironic. I don’t believe that he feels personally that not enough Americans have died. Only, that this is the way it will be viewed by the uninvolved masses. And he is probably right.
That was my diatribe earlier comparing the American losses to Iraq losses. In comparrison, the American losses are poultry. But every single life – whether it’s one of your citizens or an Iraqi citizen, is precious far beyond statics or this discussion.
May 30th, 2005 at 5:15 pmNobody missed Buckshot’s point. It’s under his hat on top of his head.
May 30th, 2005 at 7:13 pmSusan M,
It is interesting how the public opinion sways back and forth. During the build-up to this war, I spoke out on a local forum, and was promptly cursed, chastised, and ridiculed from every direction.
I predicted then, (and I still expect) 150,000 American deaths before it’s all over. At that time, many, many vehicles were seen with little plastic (Chinese made) American flags waving from antennas. Little flags were in storefronts, on bumpers, on lapel pins, and flying from every available pole or tree branch.
How DARE I not “support our troops”???? – They all wanted to know. What kind of a scumbag would not support our troops????
My reply was that I supported keeping our troops right here at home – alive and in one piece – until we had good reason to send them into harms way. What a scumbucket I was – according to 99% of the forum participants.
Well, I don’t see too many American flags flying from antennas any more, or hanging in storefronts. The tide is now the opposite. If I were to state that we were justifiably in Iraq, I would be cursed, ridiculed, and insulted for being such a scumbag.
So what’s changed? Certainly not me. I still feel exactly the same way, and for exactly the same reasons. I didn’t believe what the GOP were saying – even when they got Colin Powell to step forward and back them up, I could see he was not comfortable tellin such lies.
Wait till the draft begins – some of these spoiled rotten progressive kids will really have something to complain about then! Ha. (hope for a high draft number)
May 30th, 2005 at 8:01 pmI live in a blue state, flags all over the place. So I think he needs to get out more. BS is Peroutka or Buchananista, both probably opposed the war, not sure about Peroutka, but opposing the war and supporting Bush? In any case, Anti-War.com is a right libertarian site that I recommend for their stance on the war and some social issues, but we part company on the economics. All the spoiled kids are probably progeny of Republicans, and won’t have to go in any case, like Bush, Rush, and all the other chickenhawks. Oddly, BS and I probably agree on one small issue: Earned income shouldn’t be taxed at all. I’m a Georgist or Geo-libertarian and think only wealth and property need to be assessed. Owners of property and other assets should pay tax in the form of rent to the commons for what they own. It does work in some communities in this country and England to this very day. You know the rich hate that idea. BS’s idea of libertarian utopia has never been put into practice anywhere, wouldn’t work if they tried.
May 30th, 2005 at 8:31 pmThis Iraq invasion is another case of America sticking its nose into the affairs of sovereign, foreign nations. If we had been attacked, fine, turn the whole place into a parking lot if necessary. Use the lives of our fighting men and women to defend America. ALso, we need to stop spending tax dollars overseas and use them right here. Of Americans, by Americans and for Americans.
May 31st, 2005 at 12:35 amcomplaining to a republican congress of gwb war
May 31st, 2005 at 1:24 amatrocities would be like expecting saturn to punish his decipiles for throwing fire on the
residents of hell.
Speaking of John McCain
May 31st, 2005 at 7:01 amThink Progress points out that McCain is still repeating the extremist party-line on Iraq. Moderate, or opportunist?
Speaking of John McCain
May 31st, 2005 at 7:02 amThink Progress points out that McCain is still repeating the extremist party-line on Iraq. Moderate, or opportunist?
I sometimes wonder how McCain can put on a happy face around Bush, whom he obviously despises. I guess he put up with worse while he was tortured in Vietnam while Bush tortured himself with booze and drugs. Maybe his willing to work with Bush goes back to his involvement in the Bush orchestrated Savings and Loan rip-off.
May 31st, 2005 at 8:25 amI watched a debate on CSpan between McCain and his democratic opponent who happens, like myself, to be a teacher, and when the debate addressed education Issues like No CHild Left Behind the teacher had some excellent Ideas while McCain spewed the usual BS about education – totally unrealistic and ignoring the real problems. I had respected the man for standing up for the truth occasionally. But no more – he is just another political slime ball. And while we are on that subject you might want to look at the Democratic “leadership” and consider their stand on the war. Not only did most of them vote for it (not a courageous as Buckshot – but probably a little more diplomatic ;-)) but look at what happened to Iraqi civilians during Clintons watch. We were lobbing cruise missles and bombing the “Free Fire Zone” during his term as well. I have a friend in Basra whose Son has shrapnel in his spine form a missle that hit Basra back in 1999! So while the curtain on political expediency and general slimeyness is lifted lets look at all our rulers and realize they have common interests and are funded by the same corporations despite the so-called divisions. Another words we are in Deep you know what!
May 31st, 2005 at 9:06 amMcCain…WRONG on a variety of issues: the war in Iraq, social security,The Downing Street Memo,education in America…This guy is a loser…carrying water for Bush? Yes, after Bush smeared him in the 2000 GOP primary in the Carolinas…accused McCain of fathering a black child and not being supportive of vets…More Bush bashing and what does McCain do??? Kisses the eyes of Bush…And too many Arizonaians believe that this guy McCain is a truthful man and a leader??? He is just aiming for the 2008 Presidential Election and kissing up to the Bushes to get their support for 2008…He ought to take a legimate stand and call for the impeachment of Bush…but that would derail his 2008 plans…everything for that election!!
May 31st, 2005 at 10:27 amMary,
I agree that the Dem’s biggest problem, and the reason they lost the election is that they cannot TAKE A STAND on ANYTHING. (except bashing the GOP)
You pick a topic, and the Dems are all over the map, depending on who they are talking to. They need a serious backbone transplant, or they are doomed for years to come.
May 31st, 2005 at 3:28 pmSusan M #32
That’s ‘paltry’ not poultry —altho I agree there is something chickenshit about the neocons.
On McCain—he is proof that the concept of a
May 31st, 2005 at 3:31 pm“moderate” republican is a gross error, it just does not exist.
I agree, both the Republicans and the Democrats are warmongering capitalists. Progressive social democrats are the only way to go.
June 1st, 2005 at 7:35 am