Senate Intelligence Report Undermines McCain’s Claims That ‘Every Assessment’ Justified War In Iraq
Senate Intelligence Report Undermines McCain’s Claims That ‘Every Assessment’ Justified War In Iraq
Last week, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) sought to excuse his constant and vociferous cheerleading for the Iraq war in 2002 and 2003 by claiming that “every intelligence agency in the world” believed that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction:
I know why I supported [the war] because I believed Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction as did every intelligence agency in the world and every assessment.
Unfortunately for McCain, the Senate Select Intelligence Committee released the final two sections of its report today on the White House’s use of prewar intelligence, which proves the wide discrepancies between war hawks’ claims and intelligence available at the time. Chairman Jay Rockefeller said his committee “has concluded that the Administration made significant claims that were not supported by the intelligence”:
In making the case for war, the Administration repeatedly presented intelligence as fact when in reality it was unsubstantiated, contradicted, or even non-existent. As a result, the American people were led to believe that the threat from Iraq was much greater than actually existed. … Sadly, the Bush Administration led the nation into war under false pretenses.
The report also notes that pre-war statements by Bush administration officials “regarding the postwar situation in Iraq” — including Vice President Cheney’s infamous declaration that the U.S. would be “greeted as liberators” — “did not reflect the concerns and uncertainties expressed in the intelligence products.”
Like Cheney, McCain was not shy about assuring Americans that we would be “greeted as liberators.” Right before the war began, McCain told MSNBC’s Chris Matthews that “absolutely” a “large number of Iraqis” will “treat us as liberators“:
MATTHEWS: Are you one of those who holds up an optimistic view of the post-war scene? Do you believe that the people of Iraq or at least a large number of them will treat us as liberators?
MCCAIN: Absolutely. Absolutely. [Hardball, 3/12/03]
In fact, the Senate Intelligence report on pre-war statements specifically notes a pre-war intelligence report that directly refuted this claim. A January 2003 Intelligence Community Assessment acknowledged that “Iraq was a deeply divided society that likely would engage in violent conflict unless an occupying power prevented it.”
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Ruh roh
June 5th, 2008 at 1:34 pmIs anybody keeping count of the number of times McWrong makes a sweeping general statement containing at least one absolute, like this one?
Even if The Daily Show were to do one of their famous montages of the one’s he’s made, it would take too long for the show.
June 5th, 2008 at 1:35 pmMcCain: blackwater we can believe in. McCain: bombing we can believe in. McCain: coathangers we can believe in. McCain: corruption we can believe in. McCain: cronyism we can believe in. McCain: diebolding we can believe in. McCain: fascism we can believe in. McCain: lies we can believe in. McCain: retroactive immunity we can believe in. McCain: senility we can believe in. McCain: spying we can believe in. McCain: torture we can believe in. McCain: treason we can believe in. McCain: tyranny we can believe in. McCain: wars we can believe in.
June 5th, 2008 at 1:35 pmThe Repug Doctrine on Intelligence: We don’t need ALL the intelligence…..just that which defends our re-ordained position.
And to steal and paraphrase an old Army adage:
Repug Intelligence is an oxymoron.
June 5th, 2008 at 1:35 pmI don’t suppose McCain has read (or even cracked open) Scotty’s book yet?
June 5th, 2008 at 1:36 pmGoodbye McSame and bushco. Now time to repair the country.
June 5th, 2008 at 1:37 pmIt is becoming quite obvious that Johnny Boy has about the same reading comprehension skills as Dubya; non-existent.
Also, since both were “bought” their entrance to their respective colleges by their Pappys, and had the same level of success (at or near the bottom of their class), this really shouldn’t surprise us, should it?
June 5th, 2008 at 1:39 pmMcCain is just following party line, “didn’t happen, didn’t say that.” Your video tape must be wrong. Or I was misquoted.
June 5th, 2008 at 1:40 pm“Sadly, the Bush Administration led the nation into war under false pretenses.”
Chairman Jay Rockefeller
“the Bush Administration engaged in a misleading marketing campaign to rush the country to war.”
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
So what are you going to do about this??!!
Offer immunity to the telecom companies? Oh, ok then!(snark)
June 5th, 2008 at 1:40 pm“Misleading Marketing Campaign”????
Harry, these are “high crimes” against the American people, so don’t try to sell this like an “but McDonald’s said their chicken nuggets were pure white meat” apologist.
Folks, we can and must never rest until these criminals are brought to justice. And Nancy, I’d be happy to bring the table if you’re prepared to impeachment back on it!
PEACE
June 5th, 2008 at 1:42 pmAided and abetted by the conservative echo chamber, John McCain this week launched a campaign to rewrite his dismal history of faulty forecasts and disastrous predictions on Iraq. Demonstrating that experience is truly no substitute for judgment, John McCain like President Bush was sadly wrong at almost every turn in promoting the invasion and occupation of Iraq. From his predictions of a short war and claims U.S. troops would be greeted as liberators to his announcements of mission accomplished, his ongoing confusion over friend and foe in Iraq and so much more, McCain’s is an unbroken legacy of error.
For the details, see:
June 5th, 2008 at 1:46 pm“McCain and Friends Rewrite History on Iraq.”
bush went beyond “misleading” the Congress and the American public, call it like it is….outright lying, fabrication and concealment of facts. Why is everyone still tiptoeing around this bunch of crooks and liars ? I would call it treason to lie and send troops into harms way.
June 5th, 2008 at 1:47 pmGotta love McCreepy — the CryptCandidate.
NOT.
June 5th, 2008 at 1:51 pmWhere’s RHF to tell us why he’s voting for McCain?
June 5th, 2008 at 1:52 pmspencers mom Says:
Harry, these are “high crimes” against the American people, so don’t try to sell this like an “but McDonald’s said their chicken nuggets were pure white meat” apologist.
June 5th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
And these are high crimes of which Harry was a willing accomplice:
Reid (D-NV), Yea
June 5th, 2008 at 1:52 pmI guess if Reid calls it a misleading advertising campaign instead of blatant propaganda he can excuse himself for not pursuing impeachment of these criminals.
June 5th, 2008 at 1:54 pmMc same, are YOU going to bring back to life our 4,000+ dead solders and the all the dead Iraq’s?????…your just a fake and a lier.
June 5th, 2008 at 1:55 pmI can’t get by the misleading marketing campaign comment, misleading is your laundry will be cleaner with X instead of Y. It doesn’t kill 4090 troops, wound thousands, some permanently. This administration is guilty of treason and our lazy Representatives need to get off their duffs and call it like it is. How much louder does the public have to demand ?
June 5th, 2008 at 1:58 pmThis sort of leaves McCain holding the bag doesn’t it?
June 5th, 2008 at 1:59 pmHe’s the one who will have to answer all those pesky questions now.
All this is better news than leaving it alone. To me it’s like the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter. Regardless of impeachment proceeding, keeping the NeoCon’s agenda in the news is only going to be good news for the future.
June 5th, 2008 at 2:02 pmLetters from the troops in 2004 called this war what it was, “bush’s get even for his dad.” Strange how young men and women 18, 19 and up are more honest than our elected Representatives. And we thank those who died for this quagmire by sending more to die. Who is proud to be an American under this administration ?
June 5th, 2008 at 2:03 pmthe Bush Administration led the nation into war under false pretenses.
“the Bush Administration engaged in a misleading marketing campaign to rush the country to war.”
These are grounds for Impeachment. Are they not? Where is the rule of lwa? Misleading is misleading whether it is done with mallice or sincerity. Please Congress, do something before they bomb or invade Iran.
June 5th, 2008 at 2:04 pmHow much louder does the public have to demand ?
The poor public has been beaten down so badly by the bullies on the right side. Think about the first few years of the war. If you even suggested that the war was a mistake, you were labeled a terrorist sympathizer. That is how the Bush administration kept the lid on its activities – sheer threat of force. After so many years of being beaten down, it will take a while for us to find our way back.
For many of us, this news is not news. We knew a long time ago that the entire debacle was a planned illegal invasion, built on bad or purchased information, from dubious and shady characters. It reads like a bad dime store novel.
June 5th, 2008 at 2:05 pmThat last Update showing Wyden going after Rummy to testify. If he is successful, we will be exposed to some interesting “inside information”.
June 5th, 2008 at 2:05 pm……. or not.
“In a statement, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said that the Senate Intel report confirms that “the Bush Administration engaged in a misleading marketing campaign to rush the country to war.”"
Duh!
June 5th, 2008 at 2:05 pmLike Scotty’s book, this all falls under the category of tell me something i don’t already know.
Law, lwa: same diff for these criminals.
June 5th, 2008 at 2:05 pmCould all of this be laying the groundwork for trying these a**holes, later?
One can only hope.
June 5th, 2008 at 2:05 pmDo we dare hope out the hope of seeing this band of miscreants, this cabal of criminals heading off to prison?
June 5th, 2008 at 2:12 pmAs a military prognosticator, McIIIrd makes a wonderful donut taster.
Hey! It’s got sprinkles!!
June 5th, 2008 at 2:18 pmMarie I would be so happy to see some kind of punishment for these criminals, for our lost troops, for what they have done to our country. The 25% will slowly find out the debacle they supported.
June 5th, 2008 at 2:18 pmMeanwhile, Senator Rockefeller brokers a new FISA cave directly with the Bush administration. Get on the phone and call your representatives!
June 5th, 2008 at 2:20 pmwhere are my comments?
June 5th, 2008 at 2:22 pmthis election is about as fun to watch as watching flies DO it.
June 5th, 2008 at 2:23 pm.
Yes, we know…
THEY LIED!
And McLame backs the W.H.
.
June 5th, 2008 at 2:24 pmSen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) is also calling for a full review of congressional testimony by former Defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
Hey! Rummy! Can you spell P E R J U R Y?
June 5th, 2008 at 2:25 pmor maybe you’d rather spell Paraguay?
And this is the basis for McIIIrd’s ridiculous claims that he has ‘experience’ in foreign affairs?
June 5th, 2008 at 2:27 pmThis kind of experience would lead one to believe his isn’t qualified to be a dogcatcher, let alone a Senator, let alone the President of the United States.
A careful reading of the blog post shows that John McCain and Jay Rockefeller were mislead by the Bush administration; Several years ago. So were other intelligence agencies. The report giving the new version of intelligence was issued AFTER McCain made his statement. The new report is only a few days old.
So, if Bush lied to McCain, it’s McCain’s fault?
June 5th, 2008 at 2:40 pm“rots the very fiber of democracy”
If that’s not enough to impeach, I don’t know what is. We don’t want the blue dress to be a mushroom cloud.
June 5th, 2008 at 2:45 pm38 – Rick Y – YES, it *IS* McLame’s fault — as long as McLame keeps repeating those lies.
Duh.
June 5th, 2008 at 3:18 pmGrampy McSame needs to tell us all a story now…
June 5th, 2008 at 3:27 pmI recommend a new columns:
June 5th, 2008 at 3:27 pmMcLames lie of the day.
Tomorrows flip flop.
One could get whip lash from all the flips and flops out of this guys mouth.
Yet, want to bet, he’ll be russerts butt buddy until November.
take care
tony and guidedog Lido
Grampy McSame says – My friends back in the day I was right about everything, yes, the moon is indeed made of green cheese, and cows can jump over the moon, my rich c**t wife told me about that one, says she saw it herself, but then when she takes a fist full of those happy pills she sees lots of stuff, why I’ve never been wrong about anything because I make it up as I go, everyone used to just make it up as they went along in life, when you are asked a question, just make up some answer that you like, what was I talking about again, oh, yeah, country fairs have cotton candy and chilly dogs, I love those, I keep some in my pants for safe keeping.
Grampy if you keep repeating things it won’t make them any truer.
June 5th, 2008 at 3:28 pmStart impeachment proceedings NOW! It is not too late. This administration still have about 7-1/2 months left in power, and they must simply be stopped. If it takes “preventive detention” to keep them from doing anything crazy (like attacking Iran or declaring martial law), then DO SO!
June 5th, 2008 at 3:30 pmSo each candidate has been decided why is a convention needed ? Just a big party for the Dems and the repubs to spend money ?
June 5th, 2008 at 3:39 pmHey McShame, you will need more then 10 debates to explain the crap that stews from your mouth. How are you going to explain this report that goes against your annalisis???
Now that it’s donw to two people, there is nowhere to hide once the stupid unvarified words spew from the hole you call a mouth.
June 5th, 2008 at 3:45 pmhttp://www.zeitgeistmovie.com Learn how the Republicans Industrialized War Machine needs war to put the country in dept. This is a three part combined into one movie…2:02 time code to varify the full length version.
Pass the info…time to change this disaster we call Republicans. Your view of Government will change, this is why Obama said NOW IS THE TIME. Trust him when he says it. PEACE
June 5th, 2008 at 4:03 pmNOLIESPLEASE,
It’s not just the republican industrial war machine, it’s the American War Machine. Hillary DID give her O.K. to commit an act of aggression against a country the DID NOT pose an imminent threat. In fact, several Democrats joined in that party. It is insulting to the intelligence of Americans to further attempt to paint this blunder JUST on Republicans.
I will support the notion that PNAC(a Fascist club) has a heavy hand behind all this. However so, the complexity isn’t as simple as calling it a republican failure and crime.
America is suffering from a bad case of Fascism.
It’s a majority of the People that went along to do the bidding that caused the problem. So please, call it what it is.
Is Hillary a Republican?
I can name many, MANY more Democrats that did much bidding for the Fascist club.
.
June 6th, 2008 at 1:49 amso we now can say with certainty, that sen. mc cain used false evidence, wrongful intelligence, and wrong judgement and thinking when he made up his mind about what the next moves for America should have been! sen. mc cain…are you sorry, have you apologized to the american people for this wrongful war, you like so much? why should we be eager to allow you even more power, when the limited power you have now, does not seem to lead you to be worthy of it.
July 3rd, 2008 at 10:51 pmat the very least, you owed us the same research of the available intelligence that sen barack obama read, and based his decision on, no? who cares if you made a good guess on the surge…not me. because now that the surge has lessened the violence in Iraq, you still don’t seem to have a plan for bringing our troops HOME.
obama ‘08