Bush Vindicated On Iraqi WMDs By Hussein’s FBI Interview

File this one in the “we’ve been telling this to liberals all along” folder.  Saddam Hussein intentionally made the world believe he had WMDs.  Liberals can finally stop bad mouthing former CIA director George Tenet.

The National Security Archives has just published reports of more than two dozen conversations between Saddam Hussein and Arabic speaking FBI agent George Piro.

The conversations make clear that America had a very good reason to invade Iraq in search of weapons of mass destruction in 2003 and Saddam Hussein supplied that reason himself.

By way of background (for the sake of liberals who ignore it or conveniently pretend not to know it) Saddam Hussein agreed to no longer have weapons of mass destruction at the conclusion of the first Gulf War in 1991.  It was either agree to that, or risk Stormin’ Norman Schwartzkopf continuing through Iraq and deposing him.

Consistent with the ceasefire agreement, UN Resolution 687 was passed and Iraq agreed to it.  In UNR 687 Saddam agreed not only to forgo having WMDs, but to two other very important things:

1. The public destruction of the WMDs he possessed, and

2. Continuing inspections to make sure he didn’t produce more.

Schwartzkopf once noted how badly Saddam Hussein tended to miscalculate on the battlefield.  The FBI interviews now reveal his political miscalculations gave George W. Bush no choice but to invade Iraq. 

In a conversation with Piro on February 13, 2004, Hussein admitted that Iraq accepted UNR 687, but said that he made a mistake in destroying some weapons without UN supervision.

Mistake?  That’s an understatement.  Consider where that “mistake” ultimately left America – having to take Saddam Hussein at his word that he destroyed the weapons privately, in the face of his agreement to do so publically.  Consider too that weapons inspector Hans Blix’ admitted Iraq had fooled him in the 1980’s by hiding their nuclear program form him as an IAEA inspector, and it’s clear Bush had no reason to take Saddam at his word.

Which raises the issue of the foreign policy inexperience of our current President who, while knowing the above, was against America going into Iraq to look for weapons and therefore would have taken Hussein at his word.

If you are thinking of letting President Obama off the hook because ultimately no weapons were found, consider that in June 2000 Hussein gave a speech saying he WOULD NOT disarm unless the whole region had disarmed.  That’s an admission that he still had the weapons.

In a conversation with Piro on May 13, 2004, Hussein said he actually didn’t consider that his June 2000 statement would give the impression that he still had weapons of mass destruction, and he would be glad to make a statement clearing that up.  Talk about closing the barn door after the horse is out – America had already invaded and Hussein was in American custody by then.

In a conversation with Piro on June 13, 2004, Hussein reversed himself and spoke of his reason for giving the June 2000 speech that led the world to believe he still had WMDs.  He felt Iran wanted to invade and annex all of southern Iraq.  He felt that the rest of the Arab countries were too weak to do anything about it.  This passage from Piro’s report sums up best why Hussein intentionally led the world (Obama included) to believe he still had WMDs:

“Hussein stated he was more concerned about Iran discovering Iraq’s weaknesses and vulnerabilities than the repercussions of the United States for his refusal to allow UN inspectors back into Iraq.  In his opinion, the UN inspectors would have directly identified to the Iranians where to inflict maximum damage to Iraq…Hussein indicated he was angered when the United States struck Iraq in 1998.  Hussein stated Iraq could have absorbed another United States strike for he viewed this as less of a threat than exposing themselves to Iran.”

There’s that miscalculation Schwartzkopf spoke of.  Hussein thought it better for America to think he had WMDs than for Iran to know that he didn’t.  Someone should have told him to be careful what he wished for.

Iraq agreed to UN 687 as a quid pro quo for ending the 1991 war.  He not only violated it by refusing to publically destroy weapons or allow inspections, but he subsequently ignored almost a dozen UN resolutions commanding he comply, some of which warned him of military consequences for non-compliance.  Now we know why – fear of Iran.

Assume you are President of the United States in 2003.  Would you invade Iraq to look for Weapons of Mass Destruction if you know this? –

1. Hussein used WMDs in previous wars;

2. He had in the past tricked IAEA inspector Hans Blix and hid his nuclear program from Blix;

3. Hussein violated his agreement to publically destroy WMDs, and asked UN inspector Hans Blix to please believe him this time that he did;

4. Hussein stopped the UN inspections in Iraq;

5. Hussein made a speech in June 2000 that made clear he still had WMDs.

It’s unfathomable that President Obama, knowing the above, would not have gone in to look for WMDs. What would it take to move him, a mushroom cloud on US soil? President Bush responded correctly by not taking Hussein the liar at his word. He made the right call by invading Iraq to confirm the status of WMDs once and for all.

Case closed.

Comments

[Goffredo]

Condi and Colin went before the world in February of 2001 and stated that Iraq did not have WMD. Fact.
We were going into Iraq whether Saddam had WMD or a Super Soaker. If you don't know that, you must spend your time "hiking in Appalachia".

"Slam dunk"
"We know for a fact..."
"Our intelligence proves that..."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA....YOU ARE NOW IN THE WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT WITH THIS BLOG. CONGRATULATIONS!

[Goffredo]

Correction: Powell stated that Iraq was not a threat in regards to WMD in February 2001, Condi said it in July 2001. 60 days later Iraq has WMD? Amazing!

Go back to offering the 10G for Obama's birth certificate. You and your fellow NeoConned were taken more seriously then.

[Robert]

Not to mention the fact that Hans Blix was in Iraq for three months before shock and awe began, searching for weapons that were never found. We all know Hussein bluffed about weapons - to his neighbors. That does not absolve the US's obligation to find the weapons if they thought they existed. We looked, found nothing, then told Blix and the rest of the inspectors - in his pre bombing speech - to get out of the country because hell was about to break loose. This is a piss poor attempt at "vindication" of the Bush crime family...