Category Archives: Iraq

Readers who would like to salt the debate that arose in the comments to my item on It's Official: Grounds for Iraq War Were Imaginary might like to look at Juan Cole's Guest Comment: “Bush is Lying” by Kevin McMillan, and especially the links he gives regarding WMD in Iraq.

The CIA has at last admitted the obvious: there never were WMDs in Iraq:

In his final word, the CIA’s top weapons inspector in Iraq said Monday that the hunt for weapons of mass destruction has “gone as far as feasible” and has found nothing, closing an investigation into the purported programs of Saddam Hussein that were used to justify the 2003 invasion

Contrast to this in June 2003:

Bush confident of finding banned Iraqi weapons: President hits back at critics on WMD question. President Bush dismissed what he called “revisionist history” about the war in Iraq on Tuesday, and his spokesman said the president is still confident a Pentagon-led search will find Iraq's suspected weapons of mass destruction.

How many soldiers and civilians died in pursuit of this mirage?

Update: Here's a fuller account of the Iraq Survey Group's final report and a link to the GPO's official edition of the Comprehensive Revised Report with Addendums on Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction (Duelfer Report).

Reuters.com—Bush: U.S. Actions on Iraq Made America More Secure: CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) – The U.S.-led invasion of Iraq has made America more secure and inspired movement toward democratic reforms across the Middle East, President Bush said on Saturday, the second anniversary of the military action that toppled Saddam Hussein.

Uh-huh. And why are we still on yellow alert? And how exactly have higher oil prices and a bigger trade deficit, not to mention a bigger government defict (fueled in part by the costs of the Iraq war) made us safer or stronger? And let's not even ask the families of the casualites how they feel….

Mission Accomplished? I've heard that one before. By the way, anyone seen my exit strategy anywhere?

Newsweek runs a good profile of the most powerful man in Iraq, What Sistani Wants.

First Draft – Deomocrazy reports that a full five — count them, five! — days before the election, the Iraqi voters get to know who the candidates are! Such great democracy.

In a few days, they'll even get to know where some of the polling places are! (I am not making this up—many voters, except of course for those in the three provinces where we aren't bothering with elections at all, will be eligible to learn where the polling places are on election day.)

And no cars, just in case you wanted a ride to the polls.

And we closed down a major opposition newspaper months ago. And are enforcing Saddam's anti-union laws.

And… oh, what's the point?