Reply #115: A relatively simple response [View All]

[quaker bill]

Gathering the "facts" is apparently not so helpful when the "facts" are cooked up to match the policy.

I had enough facts in my possession to know that the election of Bush meant war in Iraq and that it would turn out poorly, which I why I worked for Al Gore.

I had a firm understanding that the country was composed of three major factions that were ripe for civil war once Saddam was removed. I knew that the Sunni and slaughtered the Shia at the end of desert storm. I knew that the Sunni had nerve gassed the Kurds during the Iran-Iraq war. Millions of people understood this, there is no rocket science here, the needed information was in the public domain and had been for many years.

I also knew that no WMD programs existed and that the most we would find, if anything, was leftovers accidently missed when the old stockpiles were destroyed in 92 and 93. We (the US and the UN) knew where the weapons were being produced because our "agricultural assistance" grants (under the Reagan admin) bought and paid for the "dual use" facilities, which Rummy and Cheney helped Saddam get German contractors and engineers to build. Because we bought and paid for it, we knew precisely where to inspect and what to disable to prevent more production, and did so in 92 and 93.

I knew that Al-Queda had issued a death warrant (fatwa) against Saddam, and accordingly that it was quite unlikely that Saddam would provide them any weapons. In general principle, brutal dictators do not arm their enemies, it is why they survive.

While I knew plenty to make such a speech, I am guessing in that I am a botanist with no intent of running for national office, and Barack on the other hand had such aspirations, he probably knew a bit more.