Bush sought Rice's advice about war

[Enrique]

Source: AP

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hKpEQIrrhV61kdYe8c7oqLdHjNbAD8TFHRJ80

WASHINGTON (AP) — Alone in the Oval Office three months before the U.S. led-invasion of Iraq, President Bush asked Condoleezza Rice whether she believed war was the proper course, a new book about the close presidential adviser said.

"Yes," the book quotes Rice as telling Bush, the United States would have no choice unless Saddam Hussein suddenly yielded to international pressure over his supposed weapons of mass destruction.

"Everybody knew what the consequences meant," Rice said in an interview for "Condoleezza Rice, an American Life." "We would have to carry through."

Rice, then Bush's White House national security adviser, is often portrayed as a go-between or neutral broker before the war, keeping her opinions to herself while managing the differing prewar views among Bush's advisers.

The biography published Tuesday makes clear that Rice was on board. The book says Rice was surprised by the sudden question from Bush. Despite months of White House discussions about Iraq, Bush had never asked her opinion point-blank, the book said.

"Do you think we should do this?" Rice quoted Bush as saying.

Rice told author Elisabeth Bumiller that she knew Bush meant war.

(...)

Rice appears as almost an extension of the Bush family, routinely spending weekends with Bush and his wife, Laura, at Camp David or tagging along when the first couple dined alone or with another couple. Rice doesn't care for the weather at the Bush ranch in Texas, but likes the opportunity for long walks with Laura Bush, the book said.

(...)



Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hKpEQIrrhV61kdYe8c7oqLdHjNbAD8TFHRJ80

[yourout]

1. Dumb and Dumber

[Buns_of_Fire]

12. The blind leading the stupid

Tweedledum and Tweedledumber
(Add your own here)

Seriesly, would he have listened to anyone who told him different? :shrug:

[tabasco]

2. What a load of crap.

Bush and the oil cabal were determined to attack Iraq and seize the oil long before 9-11.

The Bush mafia executed a criminal scheme to deceive the American People and there was no meeting like described here.

The author is a Bush ass-kisser who made this pathetic statement in explanation why she never asked Bush tough questions in the run-up to the war:

"I think we were very deferential because ... it's live, it's very intense, it's frightening to stand up there. Think about it, you're standing up on prime-time live TV asking the president of the United States a question when the country's about to go to war. There was a very serious, somber tone that evening, and no one wanted to get into an argument with the president at this very serious time."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisabeth_Bumiller

[PSPS]

5. You're certainly right about that.

This is a fantasy scenario created out of whole cloth.

Bush and cheney had already carved up Iraq's oil fields well before 9/11. In fact, here are the maps themselves.

[chelsea0011]

10. O'Neil and Sussman's book said that O'Neil told Sussman that

at the very first security meeting of the Bush administration, they brought out the map of Iraq thus began the overthrow.

[Supersedeas]

14. Does Lizzy Watercarrier Bullmiller discuss the oil connections...I wonder?

[gratuitous]

18. Bumiller's name jumped right off the screen at me, too

Holy smokes, will this book be a steaming pile of odoriferous offal, or what? I can't wait for it to hit the remainder bin (probably about two weeks after its publication date, even with the usual big push from Bumiller's employer) to read this. The humor value of the first chapter alone will be worth the dollar.

[grytpype]

3. The biggest failure in Presidential history.

[niceypoo]

4. He bothered asking someone?

Are we supposed to be impressed?

[otohara]

6. Well, If You Only Ask Those Who Agree

with you, what do you get?

[tecelote]

7. Wait... I thought Congress pushed him in to it?!

[SlingBlade]

8. Then that settles it for me

They are both stupid fckus !!!

[truthisfreedom]

9. "likes the opportunity for long walks with Laura..."

Makes one wonder how her house-owning partner feels about that.

[SpiralHawk]

11. Condi is SOOO pathetically incompetent

We have never had a worse Sec of State.

I wouldn't ask her for advice on toilet paper, never mind matters of state.

[rockybelt]

13. That

bitch is just as guilty as bush and cheney. String them all up.

[LynnTheDem]

15. So he asked her in 1999?

‘If I have a chance to invade….if I had that much capital, I’m not going to waste it."

http://houstonpress.com/2004-11-18/news/chasing-its-tale/

[Javaman]

16. So advice now is the new code word for sex? check. nt

[Enrique]

17. Condi gives good advice

if you know what I mean...

[Robbien]

19. Rice and Bumiller.

Someone quick get the Maalox, tummies are rumbling all over the country.

[tanyev]

20. The same person who had numerous warnings that Al-Qaeda was trying to attack us

and yet couldn't imagine that they would? Her advice isn't worth a plugged nickel.