[Vnbiz] Study: False statements preceded war

[Craig Stevenson]

No offense to the few or many who read this and might disagree, but this is
not a shock to any American who is studied and knowledgeable of such things
and perhaps a shock to the uneducated, or simple-minded too wrapped up in
their own parochial affairs to notice a wider world around them.  I could go
on for days about the stupidity of my nation as they follow the few who
desire such for the benefit of an even fewer number of people.  I await the
next FDR, despite the baggage that some see in him, and cannot wait until
the Thachter Reaganites are deposed from their throne upon a media who
blinds and makes the dumb even more dimwitted.  Having said that I believe
that any who follow/allow the policies of elites, anywhere in the world, are
similarly disposed, and dimwitted.  Anh Hoanh, speaks to the stupidity of
Communism of which I cannot disagree, not for a flaw in Philosophy but a
flaw in Man that is as yet unresolved, as it may never be resolved before
the troubles of a thousand years should we progress so far in such a short
time.  Anyway, Marx was not wrong, it is simply we in our hearts that are
wrong, and that (most likely) will not change in 5 or 50 lifetimes.

Plain and simple the Baathist Party, of which Saddam Hussein belonged was
founded by a Christian, and Saddam was, even more, hated than a Saudi Prince
with 12 western wives, by Islamic fundamentalists.  Only those studied in
such things would know it.  Further the instability may have brought other
benefits masked by a "dollar crisis" which many decry as they base
judgements upon a timeframe of 36 years relative to the amount of time that
world currencies whave been backed with nothing more than paper. More paper,
and numbers in computers as everyone has wondered how quickly each could
"meaningfully" multiply numbers before someone noticed the jig to be up.
But then could we maintain levels of development, resource consumption,
etc...with out it, hear a resounding, "NO!"

As to weapons of mass destruction they could be in Syria or Iran (as was
similar to the Iraqui Air Force in the war that proceeded it, frankly
immaterial as Saddams survival was forced into opposing the "powers" that be
and if they weren't existent they would have been in short time and Western
oil Companies are flush with profits after a decade, that preceded the
invasion, of rock bottom oil prices, in a time of predictable Soveriegn
Wealth Funds, where MNC's are reluctant to repatriate profits, retrench
their proposed investmnts, as Sheiks are buttressed in their positions.

The War, rather than reactive, was proactive however we might perceive it.
This is what is groundbreaking, striking, and scary for any who objectively
analyze such matters free of philosophical or national perspectives.  It was
an attempt to create a future, rather than respond to the future being
created.  In saying that, do not confuse any implied support because I
believe them all to be idiots, and any Bible bangers clinging to inefficient
4 wheel drive SUV's similarly disposed.

Anyway could talk on this topic for days, and await any who would retrench
my land back to the perspectives, policies, and inclinations of my
forefathers.  Rather than a pervasive greed which corrupts for I was raised
by people who did things differently, whoi weren't concerned with the bottom
dollar, who lend a hand and not by a corrupt few who who sacrfice the ftures
of their children for the benefit of a Wall Street few, my people built my
country and I don't appreciate how the values of my fathers, my father, have
been degraded.

As to Iraq, it was pure calculated risk without a guiding Philosphy which
drove it despite how we might decry the policies of a Kennan.

Sorry if this might flame a few,

Craig

Craig

On Jan 23, 2008 8:02 AM, Tai Phan <k.phan007 at gmail.com> wrote:

> [ Vietnam Business Forum ]
>
>
> Study: False statements preceded war
>
> By DOUGLASS K. DANIEL, Associated Press Writer 1/23/08
>
> WASHINGTON - A study by two nonprofit journalism organizations found that President
> Bush and top administration officials issued hundreds of false statements
> about the national security threat from Iraq in the two years following
> the 2001 terrorist attacks.
>   ADVERTISEMENT
>
> The study concluded that the statements "were part of an orchestrated
> campaign that effectively galvanized public opinion and, in the process, led
> the nation to war under decidedly false pretenses."
>
> The study was posted Tuesday on the Web site of the Center for Public
> Integrity, which worked with the Fund for Independence in Journalism.
>
> White House spokesman Scott Stanzel did not comment on the merits of the
> study Tuesday night but reiterated the administration's position that the
> world community viewed Iraq's leader, Saddam Hussein, as a threat.
>
> "The actions taken in 2003 were based on the collective judgment of
> intelligence agencies around the world," Stanzel said.
>
> The study counted 935 false statements in the two-year period. It found
> that in speeches, briefings, interviews and other venues, Bush and
> administration officials stated unequivocally on at least 532 occasions that
> Iraq had weapons of mass destruction or was trying to produce or obtain
> them or had links to al-Qaida or both.
>
> "It is now beyond dispute that Iraq did not possess any weapons of mass
> destruction or have meaningful ties to al-Qaida," according to Charles Lewis
> and Mark Reading-Smith of the Fund for Independence in Journalism staff
> members, writing an overview of the study. "In short, the Bush
> administration led the nation to war on the basis of erroneous information
> that it methodically propagated and that culminated in military action
> against Iraq on March 19, 2003."
>
> Named in the study along with Bush were top officials of the
> administration during the period studied: Vice President Dick Cheney,
> national security adviser Condoleezza Rice , Defense Secretary Donald H.
> Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul
> Wolfowitz and White House press secretaries Ari Fleischer and Scott
> McClellan.
>
> Bush led with 259 false statements, 231 about weapons of mass destruction
> in Iraq and 28 about Iraq's links to al-Qaida, the study found. That was
> second only to Powell's 244 false statements about weapons of mass
> destruction in Iraq and 10 about Iraq and al-Qaida.
>
> The center said the study was based on a database created with public
> statements over the two years beginning on Sept. 11, 2001, and information
> from more than 25 government reports, books, articles, speeches and
> interviews.
>
> "The cumulative effect of these false statements — amplified by thousands
> of news stories and broadcasts — was massive, with the media coverage
> creating an almost impenetrable din for several critical months in the
> run-up to war," the study concluded.
>
> "Some journalists — indeed, even some entire news organizations — have
> since acknowledged that their coverage during those prewar months was far
> too deferential and uncritical. These mea culpas notwithstanding, much of
> the wall-to-wall media coverage provided additional, 'independent'
> validation of the Bush administration's false statements about Iraq," it
> said.
>
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