Rumsfeld Forced To Deny His Own Words
In Atlanta today Donald Rumsfeld was forced to deny he ever said he knew the locations of WMD in Iraq. A former CIA analyst stood up and confronted him. The analyst also confronted Rummy with a quote from him in 2002 saying there was "bullet proof" evidence that Al Queda was in Iraq before 9/11. It's these very lies that are driving the presidents poll numbers. These two Rumsfeld lies were just part of a larger Bush administration propaganda machine in the lead up to the invasion of Iraq. Now the chicken hawks are coming home to roost.
I remember an administration official being quoted in 2004 as telling a reporter, you all live in the reality based community, as if living in reality were somehow our burden. We are histories actors. And while you are busy studying what we have done. We are busy creating a new reality... This was a rare moment of candor on the part of anyone from the Bush administration. By pointing the finger and saying reporters are part of the reality based community, the administration official is acknowledging the disconnect between their own stated policies and the actual behind the scenes policies of the neocons. Lies, in other words. Lies that I have pointed out for the entire life span of this blog. (go back and check it out) And I'm just a simple river boat pilot.
How could I have known what the Secretary of Defense says he didn't know before the invasion. The answer is, he did know. Why do you think every time the questions about the invasion, given in hindsight, to virtually any official, including the President and Vice-President, their answers always begin, after the attacks of 9/11, the world changed. 9/11. The justification for every lie this administration has told. 9/11. They pimp this tragedy out for their own Project For A New American Century agenda.
The idea of invading Iraq and establishing permenant bases was laid out by the neocons, Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld, et al, during the Clinton administration. This neocon think tank presented their findings to the Clinton administration and pentagon. The result of which was formally adopting "regime change" as a stated goal of the United States. Yes, it was Clinton who formally embraced "regime change." Cynical right wing pundits like to point this out by stating, Bush was just carrying out Clintons stated policy of regime change in Iraq. Right. Clinton was also a big fan of the Kyoto accords but Bush managed to drop that one pretty quick. These neocons did and do what they want to do when they want to do it regardless of the truth. Regardless of the consequences.
Of course the consequences are becoming more and more apparent. Poll numbers. I don't know about what poll numbers really mean. I don't feel any different now about Bush than I ever have. I know every night, every twenty four hour news cycle, Bush's dismal poll numbers are discussed. And now, more and more, the reasons behind them. The lies.
Which brings me back to Rummy. He looked uncomfortable as hell up on that dais. It wasn't just deer in the headlights uncomfortable. He seemed troubled by this thing he helped create. After the torture at Abu Ghraib pictures came out it was reported that Rumsfeld went to the president and offered his resignation. Of course W wouldn't have it. At first I thought it was Bush's well known loyalty which wouldn't allow him to accept the departure of his point man at the pentagon. Now I believe Bush needs to keep Rumsfeld there, because he knows too much. He knows where all the bodies are buried. And there is safety in numbers. And above all Rumsfeld is loyal. The guy who came up with the "less is more" stategy of invasion. Which by the way replaced the "Powell doctrine" of overwhelming force and clear exit strategy. (Interesting to note Powell took off as soon as his first term was over, and has since expressed sorrow for his role in selling the war.) He's sorry he lied. Rummy on the other hand is still there and not sorry. But the lies are lies. And even when confronted with his own words, all Rummy could do was deny them. The Bush administration is becoming the theater of the absurd. Except it's not theater, it's all to real. And we as a country pay the price every day. Including today, 1099 days since mission accomplished was declared in Iraq.
I remember an administration official being quoted in 2004 as telling a reporter, you all live in the reality based community, as if living in reality were somehow our burden. We are histories actors. And while you are busy studying what we have done. We are busy creating a new reality... This was a rare moment of candor on the part of anyone from the Bush administration. By pointing the finger and saying reporters are part of the reality based community, the administration official is acknowledging the disconnect between their own stated policies and the actual behind the scenes policies of the neocons. Lies, in other words. Lies that I have pointed out for the entire life span of this blog. (go back and check it out) And I'm just a simple river boat pilot.
How could I have known what the Secretary of Defense says he didn't know before the invasion. The answer is, he did know. Why do you think every time the questions about the invasion, given in hindsight, to virtually any official, including the President and Vice-President, their answers always begin, after the attacks of 9/11, the world changed. 9/11. The justification for every lie this administration has told. 9/11. They pimp this tragedy out for their own Project For A New American Century agenda.
The idea of invading Iraq and establishing permenant bases was laid out by the neocons, Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld, et al, during the Clinton administration. This neocon think tank presented their findings to the Clinton administration and pentagon. The result of which was formally adopting "regime change" as a stated goal of the United States. Yes, it was Clinton who formally embraced "regime change." Cynical right wing pundits like to point this out by stating, Bush was just carrying out Clintons stated policy of regime change in Iraq. Right. Clinton was also a big fan of the Kyoto accords but Bush managed to drop that one pretty quick. These neocons did and do what they want to do when they want to do it regardless of the truth. Regardless of the consequences.
Of course the consequences are becoming more and more apparent. Poll numbers. I don't know about what poll numbers really mean. I don't feel any different now about Bush than I ever have. I know every night, every twenty four hour news cycle, Bush's dismal poll numbers are discussed. And now, more and more, the reasons behind them. The lies.
Which brings me back to Rummy. He looked uncomfortable as hell up on that dais. It wasn't just deer in the headlights uncomfortable. He seemed troubled by this thing he helped create. After the torture at Abu Ghraib pictures came out it was reported that Rumsfeld went to the president and offered his resignation. Of course W wouldn't have it. At first I thought it was Bush's well known loyalty which wouldn't allow him to accept the departure of his point man at the pentagon. Now I believe Bush needs to keep Rumsfeld there, because he knows too much. He knows where all the bodies are buried. And there is safety in numbers. And above all Rumsfeld is loyal. The guy who came up with the "less is more" stategy of invasion. Which by the way replaced the "Powell doctrine" of overwhelming force and clear exit strategy. (Interesting to note Powell took off as soon as his first term was over, and has since expressed sorrow for his role in selling the war.) He's sorry he lied. Rummy on the other hand is still there and not sorry. But the lies are lies. And even when confronted with his own words, all Rummy could do was deny them. The Bush administration is becoming the theater of the absurd. Except it's not theater, it's all to real. And we as a country pay the price every day. Including today, 1099 days since mission accomplished was declared in Iraq.
posted by RBP at 7:57 PM
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