Conscientious Warfare: the Option of Choice
In his October 7 speech Mr. Bush directed his wrath not to Iraq as a nation, but to the person of Saddam Hussein. It was his regime that posed the mortal threats, and the solution was clear. The President said, "And that's why two Administrations--mine and President Clinton's--have stated that regime change in Iraq is the only certain means of removing a great danger to our nation." (Italics added.)
Two months after the speech Mr. Bush could have encouraged a peaceful "regime change." In December of 2002 the Iraqi intelligence agency contacted Mr. Vincent Cannistraro, a former CIA head of counter-terrorism, offering to prove Iraq was in no way involved in the events of 9/11. Iraq was willing also to have U.S. troops enter the country to search for weapons of mass destruction. In regard to regime change, Saddam Hussein was willing to undergo an internationally-monitored election. Mr. Cannistraro said later the proposals were forwarded to the White House, but were "...turned down by the president and vice president."(6)
In January of 2003 the falsehoods tallied by the Center for Public Integrity shot up again. The Bush Administration issued almost 80: the White House Iraq Group was working feverishly. Many of lies appeared in the President's incendiary State of the Union address:(7)
...25,000 liters of anthrax--enough doses to kill several million people...38,000 liters of botulinum toxin...millions of people...death by respiratory failure...500 tons of sarin, mustard gas, and VX nerve agent....30,000 munitions capable of delivering chemical agents...an advanced nuclear weapons development program...The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa....
America will not accept a serious and mounting threat to our country...The United States will ask the U.N. Security Council to convene on February the 5th to consider the facts of Iraq's ongoing defiance of the world. Secretary Powell will present information and intelligence about Iraq's...illegal weapons programs, its attempts to hide those weapons from inspectors, and its links to terrorist groups.
We will consult. But let there be no misunderstanding: if Saddam Hussein does not fully disarm, for the safety of our people and for the peace of the world, we will lead a coalition to disarm him.
The zenith of the Bush Administration's dissembling occurred in February of 2002 when it spun 140 lies, according to the Center for Public Integrity. The most brilliantly illuminated lying was displayed by the U.S. Secretary of State testifying before the Security Council on February 5. Colin Powell waved a vial of simulated anthrax; he showed photos of mobile chemical warfare laboratories; he said there was "no doubt in my mind" about Saddam's nuclear development program.
Mr. Powell lied to the world innocently, because he believed the information he'd been provided was accurate and genuine. He learned otherwise only much later, and eventually he lamented the Security Council speech as a "lasting blot on his record."(8)
Powell's appearance before the Security Council was pure theater, bearing the fingerprints of the White House Iraq Group. Hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops were already deployed along the Iraqi border,(9) and the invasion was certain to take place with or without Security Council approval: only the timing was in question. Mr. Powell learned this only years later as well. Interviewed in 2016 he said, "You have to remember that at the time I gave the speech on February 5, the president had
already made this decision for military action. The dice had been tossed. That's what we were going to do."(10)
Soon after Mr. Powell's performance, Iraqi officials contacted Mr. Richard Perle, Chairman of
the Defense Policy Board at the Pentagon. They had a new offer: now the FBI could visit Iraq to search at will for weapons of mass destruction; Iraq would support the U.S. position in the Israel/Palestine dispute; some limited access to Iraqi oil could be arranged; and Saddam Hussein was willing to leave Iraq for voluntary exile, perhaps in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, or Turkey.(11)
"Regime change in Iraq is the only certain means of removing a great danger to our nation," President Bush had proclaimed. Here was regime change handed to him again, this time with Saddam Hussein's guaranteed departure. Mr. Perle briefed the Central Intelligence Agency about the Iraqis' offer, only to learn a decision had been made: the CIA replied to him, "Tell them that we'll see them in Baghdad."(12)
If the CIA knew the war was certain, clearly President Bush did. On February 22, he met with Condoleezza Rice and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar in Crawford, Texas to discuss the Security Council's deliberations about Iraq.(13) Saddam Hussein's offer of voluntary exile was
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