White House Backs Off Claim on Iraqi Buy

[Crossbow]

White House Backs Off Claim on Iraqi Buy

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23777-2003Jul7.html

The Bush administration acknowledged for the first time yesterday that President Bush should not have alleged in his State of the Union address in January that Iraq had sought to buy uranium in Africa to reconstitute its nuclear weapons program.

...

Asked about the British report, the administration released a statement that, after weeks of questions about the president's uranium-purchase assertion, effectively conceded that intelligence underlying the president's statement was wrong.

...

Well, imagine that! It took them almost seven months, but the White House has finally got around to admitting an obvious error that was in the State of the Union address that was largely used to justify the last Gulf War.

Of course, they never bothered to correct this error prior to the time when the shooting started since to do so, would undercut the pretext for the said war. And the reason why the correction was made now, was due to the conclusions that were made in regards to an investigation of British Intelligence that was completed the other day.

Now then, does anyone still wonder why so many people hate Americans?

[JamesM]

Originally posted by Crossbow

And the reason why the correction was made now, was due to the conclusions that were made in regards to an investigation of British Intelligence that was completed the other day.


FWIW, the British Government is standing by the claim (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3054240.stm), due to it being based on "separate intelligence" from the forged Niger document - although what that separate intelligence is, has not been specified.

[Skeptical Greg]

Originally posted by Crossbow
White House Backs Off Claim on Iraqi Buy

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23777-2003Jul7.html

The Bush administration acknowledged for the first time yesterday that President Bush should not have alleged in his State of the Union address in January that Iraq had sought to buy uranium in Africa to reconstitute its nuclear weapons program.

...

Asked about the British report, the administration released a statement that, after weeks of questions about the president's uranium-purchase assertion, effectively conceded that intelligence underlying the president's statement was wrong.

...

Well, imagine that! It took them almost seven months, but the White House has finally got around to admitting an obvious error that was in the State of the Union address that was largely used to justify the last Gulf War.

Of course, they never bothered to correct this error prior to the time when the shooting started since to do so, would undercut the pretext for the said war. And the reason why the correction was made now, was due to the conclusions that were made in regards to an investigation of British Intelligence that was completed the other day.

Now then, does anyone still wonder why so many people hate Americans?


Interesting story, but I think it's a stretch to suggest that many of the people who ' hate America ', even know or care about this...

[Jon_in_london]

Originally posted by Diogenes



Interesting story, but I think it's a stretch to suggest that many of the people who ' hate America ', even know or care about this...

Define many.

And whos suprised that bliar now claims to have seperate evidence about saddam trying to by uranium from Niger?
Of course, no-one is actually allowed to see this evidence. We just have to shut up and trust him.

Trust Bliar? of course! why not! mans as trustworthy as a £5 rolex.

[Flo]

Originally posted by Jon_in_london


Define many.

And whos suprised that bliar now claims to have seperate evidence about saddam trying to by uranium from Niger?
Of course, no-one is actually allowed to see this evidence. We just have to shut up and trust him.

Trust Bliar? of course! why not! mans as trustworthy as a £5 rolex.


Er ... at least you can find a £5 rolex that gives the correct time ... :D

[Crossbow]

Originally posted by Diogenes



Interesting story, but I think it's a stretch to suggest that many of the people who ' hate America ', even know or care about this...

Oh no?

Well then perhaps you should take a look at the some of the comments made by Iraqis which involved the killing of one person (as opposed to an entire war) who ran a US check point.

Grisly death enrages town in Iraq

http://www.swisspolitics.org/en/news/index.php?section=int&page=news_inhalt&news_id=4013690

...

"You will see what will happen to the Americans now. You will see what we will do to them," hospital administrator Taha Hussein told Reuters.

...

"The Americans are terrorists. They don't respect us. They enter our houses and frisk our women. They handcuff us at checkpoints and step on our necks," said Abu Mohsen.

"Now look at this. They just shoot at cars and kill innocent people," he said pointing to the body of the decapitated man on a stretcher outside the morgue.

...

Or perhaps take a look at this article which shows just how much bad information there is in Iraq right now, how quickly it spreads, and the large segment of the Iraqi public that believes it to be accurate.

Lies take hold on Iraqis

http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Jul/07072003/nation_w/73143.asp

...

Lies and half-truths -- readily believed by a nation of people who learned long ago to be skeptical of rulers' motives -- are complicating America's mission in Iraq, fueling anti-U.S. sentiment as troops struggle to quell a growing uprising.

...

After an Iraqi newspaper claimed U.S. Marines raped a young girl and left her for dead, U.S. officials persuaded the publisher to run a retraction and fire the offending reporter.

...

Despite these efforts, Iraqis, who grew up on a steady diet of anti-American rhetoric, are being bombarded by a fresh wave of disinformation. Some of the claims are breathtaking:
* The Assaah newspaper on Saturday claimed that the Israeli government is trying to flood Iraqi markets with Israeli goods. The paper urged Iraqis to carefully check Taiwanese or Chinese-made appliances for hidden Stars of David.
* Word is traveling on Iraqi streets that U.S. patrols are blaring messages from loudspeakers telling people they won't have electricity until attacks on Americans stop.
* A shadowy Iraqi group calling itself "Wakefulness and Holy War" issued a statement on Iranian television claiming responsibility for recent attacks and announcing that Jews have arrived in Baghdad to spread "sex, prostitution and drugs among young people."

...

[Skeptical Greg]

Originally posted by Crossbow


Oh no?

Well then perhaps you should take a look at the some of the comments made by Iraqis which involved the killing of one person (as opposed to an entire war) who ran a US check point.

Grisly death enrages town in Iraq

http://www.swisspolitics.org/en/news/index.php?section=int&page=news_inhalt&news_id=4013690

...

"You will see what will happen to the Americans now. You will see what we will do to them," hospital administrator Taha Hussein told Reuters.

...

"The Americans are terrorists. They don't respect us. They enter our houses and frisk our women. They handcuff us at checkpoints and step on our necks," said Abu Mohsen.

"Now look at this. They just shoot at cars and kill innocent people," he said pointing to the body of the decapitated man on a stretcher outside the morgue.

...

Or perhaps take a look at this article which shows just how much bad information there is in Iraq right now, how quickly it spreads, and the large segment of the Iraqi public that believes it to be accurate.

Lies take hold on Iraqis

http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Jul/07072003/nation_w/73143.asp

...

Lies and half-truths -- readily believed by a nation of people who learned long ago to be skeptical of rulers' motives -- are complicating America's mission in Iraq, fueling anti-U.S. sentiment as troops struggle to quell a growing uprising.

...

After an Iraqi newspaper claimed U.S. Marines raped a young girl and left her for dead, U.S. officials persuaded the publisher to run a retraction and fire the offending reporter.

...

Despite these efforts, Iraqis, who grew up on a steady diet of anti-American rhetoric, are being bombarded by a fresh wave of disinformation. Some of the claims are breathtaking:
* The Assaah newspaper on Saturday claimed that the Israeli government is trying to flood Iraqi markets with Israeli goods. The paper urged Iraqis to carefully check Taiwanese or Chinese-made appliances for hidden Stars of David.
* Word is traveling on Iraqi streets that U.S. patrols are blaring messages from loudspeakers telling people they won't have electricity until attacks on Americans stop.
* A shadowy Iraqi group calling itself "Wakefulness and Holy War" issued a statement on Iranian television claiming responsibility for recent attacks and announcing that Jews have arrived in Baghdad to spread "sex, prostitution and drugs among young people."

...

And what does that have to do with people hating America because of misinformation in Bush's State of the Union address ?

[Crossbow]

Originally posted by Diogenes


And what does that have to do with people hating America because of misinformation in Bush's State of the Union address ?

Yes, I guess you are right. I have not seen any Iraqi surveys, or interviews, or other such things which show that they are ticked off by what George W. said back in January about how Saddam was trying to buy uranium from Africa.

I have see numerous reports that show how ticked off the Iraqis are about the War, about America, about Israel, about the almost daily attacks on the USA forces in Iraq however.

Do any of these latter events help show you why so many people hate Americans?

[Skeptical Greg]

Originally posted by Crossbow


Yes, I guess you are right. I have not seen any Iraqi surveys, or interviews, or other such things which show that they are ticked off by what George W. said back in January about how Saddam was trying to buy uranium from Africa.

I have see numerous reports that show how ticked off the Iraqis are about the War, about America, about Israel, about the almost daily attacks on the USA forces in Iraq however.

Do any of these latter events help show you why so many people hate Americans? Yes, for the particular incidents you showed.

Should I counter with anecdotes praising the good that America does around the world, for the oppressed, poor, sick and starving?

Do you think everyone who hates America has a rational reason?

Or do you thing some of them might just be envious or misinformed?

[Crossbow]

Originally posted by Diogenes
Yes, for the particular incidents you showed.

Should I counter with anecdotes praising the good that America does around the world, for the oppressed, poor, sick and starving?

Do you think everyone who hates America has a rational reason?

Or do you thing some of them might just be envious or misinformed?

Of course you are correct, the USA does plenty of good things around the world, and as a result the USA now has many supporters that it may not have otherwise due to the good will that has been generated.

By the same token, when the USA makes war for the wrong reasons it serves to destroy good will, foster hatred, and make enemies that it would not have otherwise.