"Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast"
-Oscar Wilde		 Brilliant at Breakfast title banner "The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth, shall be watered also himself."
-- Proverbs 11:25
"...you have a choice: be a fighting liberal or sit quietly. I know what I am, what are you?" -- Steve Gilliard, 1964 - 2007

"For straight up monster-stomping goodness, nothing makes smoke shoot out my ears like Brilliant@Breakfast" -- Tata

"...the best bleacher bum since Pete Axthelm" -- Randy K.

"I came here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum." -- "Rowdy" Roddy Piper (1954-2015), They Live
Thursday, August 18, 2005

Even Limbaugh can't spin this
Posted by Jill | 6:42 AM

Though I'm sure he'll try. After all, this is a guy who basically accused Cindy Sheehan of fabricating a son who died in Iraq just to embarrass Bush. I swear, the knots into which these people will tie themselves just to sustain their delusions about him are amazing to behold.

But he can't spin this one. Because newly declassified documents from the State Department vindicate the Downing Street Memos AND Richard Clarke, proving that the Bush Administration planned to invade Iraq as early as 2001, and NOT because of intelligence about WMD. And what's more, the State Department advised CENTCOM about the postwar difficulties we're now experiencing:

Newly declassified State Department documents show that government experts warned the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in early 2003 about "serious planning gaps for post-conflict public security and humanitarian assistance," well before Operation Iraqi Freedom began.

In a February 7, 2003, memo to Under Secretary of State Paula Dobriansky, three senior Department officials noted CENTCOM's "focus on its primary military objectives and its reluctance to take on 'policing' roles," but warned that "a failure to address short-term public security and humanitarian assistance concerns could result in serious human rights abuses which would undermine an otherwise successful military campaign, and our reputation internationally." The memo adds "We have raised these issues with top CENTCOM officials."

By contrast, a December 2003 report to Congress, also released by the State Department, offers a relatively rosy picture of the security situation, saying U.S. forces are "increasingly successful in preventing planned hostile attacks; and in capturing former regime loyalists, would-be terrorists and planners; and seizing weapons caches." The document acknowledges that "Challenges remain."

Since then, 1,393 U.S. military fatalities have been recorded in Iraq, including two on the day the report went to Congress.

The new documents, released this month to the National Security Archive under the Freedom of Information Act, also provide more evidence on when the Bush administration began planning for regime change in Iraq -- as early as October 2001.

The declassified records relate mainly to the so-called "Future of Iraq Project," an effort, initially run by the State Department then by the Pentagon, to plan for the transition to a new regime after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003. They provide detail on each of the working groups and give the starting date for planning as October 2001.

Entire sections of a Powerpoint presentation the State Department prepared on November 1, 2002 -- including those covering "What We Have Learned So Far" and "Implications for the Real Future of Iraq" -- have been censored as still-classified information.


PDFs of the documents in question can be found here.

So now we have proof that regime change in Iraq was a policy that was underway at LEAST since the aftermath of 9/11, as Richard Clarke stated in his book Against All Enemies, and for which he was soundly blasted by the gasbags on the right:

"Look," he told us. "I know you have a lot to do and all … but I want you, as soon as you can, to go back over everything, everything. See if Saddam did this. See if he's linked in any way."

I was once again taken aback, incredulous, and it showed.

"But, Mr. President, Al Qaeda did this."

"I know, I know, but … see if Saddam was involved. Just look. I want to know any shred."

"Absolutely, we will look … again." I was trying to be more respectful, more responsive. "But, you know, we have looked several times for state sponsorship of Al Qaeda and not found any real linkages to Iraq. Iran plays a little, as does Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, Yemen."

"Look into Iraq, Saddam," the President said testily and left us.


We also have the now documented failure to apprehend Osama Bin Laden at Tora Bora as a result of inadequate ground troop deployment.

And now, the Transportation Security Agency wants to lay off airport screeners and reduce screenings, particularly for Administration officials and other VIPs -- and to allow martial arts throwing stars, knives of less than five inches, and other weapons on board. Remember the official story about 9/11? It involved 19 guys with boxcutters.

Now, I don't happen to think that the next attack on the U.S. will take place with boxcutters on airplanes; I think it'll be worse.

But every day more evidence comes out that indicates an Administration that allowed the United States to be attacked because it played into the hands of PNAC neocons in the Administration who wanted regime change in Iraq as a first salvo in the building of an American Empire, then used people's fears about that attack to gut the U.S. Constitution and start an unnecessary war.

Keep in mind also that the Bush presidency was already being touted as a possible failure when the 9/11 attacks happened, and now Bush's ratings are in the toilet again.

I have really tried over the last four years to NOT don the tinfoil hat, but when you do the math, it's becoming increasingly difficult to keep it in its box where it should belong, if we lived in a sane world.
0 comments
Bookmark and Share