| As we approach the holiday season, we surely will reflect and remember the soldiers who are serving in America's latest ill-begotton wars in Iraq and Agghanistan.
OPINION AND COMMENT: June, 2003 - By Bob Weaver
Most Americans seem unconcerned about the months of scripted rhetoric from President George Bush and his administration
prior to the Iraq war.
We believe, or want to believe, our leaders.
Daily they warned of weapons of mass destruction, covert terrorist activities, and imminent threats to the United States.
Photos and facts were presented to the United Nations.
WORDS OF PRESIDENT BUSH:
"Right now, Iraq is expanding and improving facilities that were used
for the production of biological weapons." -
United Nations Address
September 12, 2002
"Iraq has stockpiled biological and chemical weapons, and is rebuilding
the facilities used to make more of those weapons."
"We have sources that tell us that Saddam Hussein recently
authorized Iraqi field commanders to use chemical weapons -- the very
weapons the dictator tells us he does not have." -
Radio Address
October 5, 2002
"The Iraqi regime . . . possesses and produces chemical and biological
weapons. It is seeking nuclear weapons."
"We know that the regime has produced thousands of tons of chemical
agents, including mustard gas, sarin nerve gas, VX nerve gas."
"We've also discovered through intelligence that Iraq has a growing
fleet of manned and unmanned aerial vehicles that could be used to
disperse chemical or biological weapons across broad areas. We're
concerned that Iraq is exploring ways of using these UAVS for
missions targeting the United States."
"The evidence indicates that Iraq is reconstituting its nuclear weapons
program. Saddam Hussein has held numerous meetings with Iraqi
nuclear scientists, a group he calls his "nuclear mujahideen" - his
nuclear holy warriors. Satellite photographs reveal that Iraq is
rebuilding facilities at sites that have been part of its nuclear program
in the past. Iraq has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum
tubes and other equipment needed for gas centrifuges, which are used
to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons." -
Cincinnati, Ohio Speech
October 7, 2002
"Our intelligence officials estimate that Saddam Hussein had the
materials to produce as much as 500 tons of sarin, mustard and VX
nerve agent."
- State of the Union Address
January 28, 2003
"Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt
that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the
most lethal weapons ever devised." -
Address to the Nation
March 17, 2003
Then came regime change and liberation of a persecuted people, which appealed to most good-hearted Americans.
It was a means-to-an-end, pre-emptive strike on one of the world's evil empires. We were told it will benefit democracy,
freedom loving people and our national interests, so why not.
Lots of talking heads like Bill O'Reilly, told their audience that people who oppose the Iraq war should be charged with
treason.
It seemed like a flashback to the Vietnam war, even after the Bay of Tonkin lie... There was only one trouble. There was no battle. There was not a single intruder, never mind six of them. Never mind Russian designed Swatow gunboats armed with 37mm and 28mm guns. They never opened fire. They never sank. They never fired torpedoes. They never were...Ben Bradlee, 1987 It became "America-Love it or Leave It!" If
you don't agree with our war, you are unpatriotic. You cannot support our soldiers unless you support our war. Vietnam, as
now recalled by most national leaders and historians, was carried on year after year by "bright, shining lies."
Most Americans are hopeful the Iraq War is a "good" war. Weapons of mass destruction will be found and history will say
America was moral, strong and purposeful in solving world problems, liberating a nation and establishing democracy.
Syndicated conservative columnist George Will wrote "Unless America's foreign policy is New Age therapy to make the
public feel good (about the success of the war) .... it does not obviate the need to assess the original rationale for the action.
Until Weapons of Mass Destruction are found, or their absence accounted for, there is urgent explaining to be done."
I love America, the Constitution and Democracy, and my right to ponder and question these actions which are plunging the nation into national debt from which we might not recover.
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