How the United States could have invaded Iraq on the grounds of weapons of mass destruction, and then not find weapons of mass destruction, amazes me. That's like the cops calling in the press to stage a massive raid on a celebrity's mansion, only to discover that the weapons and drugs that were supposed to be in the place aren't there after all. Talk about embarrassment on a large scale.
The man responsible for the global screw-up on WMDs was, of course, CIA director George Tenet. He wasn't the only one alleging weapons of mass destruction in Saddam Hussein's Iraq, but certainly his view that the WMD charge amounted to a "slam dunk" must have counted for something. After all, the United States spends upwards of $50 billion (yes, billion) a year on its intelligence services and one would expect something intelligent to come out of them once in a while.
Well, it turns out to have been too much to ask. Tenet got the WMD issue completely, disastrously wrong. And now this fellow is back with a new book that seeks to divert attention from his own failures by charging that the Bush administration had its own unrelated reasons to invade Iraq. Not just the fear of WMDs, you see, but other motives.
Sure enough, the left is trumpeting this "revelation" to publicize its own crackpot theories about how Bush and Cheney invaded Iraq to benefit themselves and their oil buddies financially, or why they did it to further vainglorious dreams of empire. In reality there were other motives to invade Iraq, but they were good ones. After 9/11, senior people in the U.S. government realized that, following a catastrophe of this magnitude, it would not be sufficient to go to Afghanistan and shoot some people on the monkey bars. America needed to go into the Middle East itself and send a message that this sort of thing would not be tolerated.
In addition, Iraq is a country of great strategic importance. Consider its neighbors: Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia. Following 9/11 the U.S. felt it important to establish a presence in this critical region to prevent a jihadist conflagration from spreading through these vitally-important regions. It's not always easy to discuss considerations of realpolitik in American public discourse, but that does not mean these considerations do not weigh heavily on decision makers. I find it remarkable that Tenet shows no awareness of this. Is he truly ignorant, or is he playing dumb? Either way, my opinion of Tenet continues to go down, down, down.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 2)
1. Your support of invading countries only because they may have a stragetic interest to us is very disturbing. As a country we always railed against such things. When done by the Soviet Union, we pointed fingers and said how evil they were. What is good about turning our country into the New Soviet Union?
John Lysek at 11:32AM on Apr 30th 2007
2. Dang DD' - I suppose the "monkey bars" comment was a demonstration of that superlative knowledge of "realpolitik"?
It's sort of interesting, in that it is indicative of exactly the sort of non-thinking that got us into the mess we are in today in the Middle East. White man's (or in your case semi-white) Burden...
Indeed.
The fact is there are 15 seperate Intelligence Agencies providing information to the Executive. None of those intelligence agencies, from anything that has been made public at least - said anything about there being WMDs in Iraq. What they repeatedly said was this is the evidence we have for and against the existence of such...
The Dick and his hangers on chose to totally ignore any evidence which pointed to the dismantlement of Saddam's arsenal - and in several cases made up information. And while it is probably true, a petroleum tank truck can be used to transport thousands of gallons of poison gas in liquid form, the average pick up truck could also carry 1/2 ton of dried chemical agent (which The Dick confused with camel shit)...
Short of counting every pick up truck in Iraq, and every gas truck at a filling station...
NOBODY but The Dick and his cronies was coming up with "1000 Tons of VX" as reported by Powell at the UN.
Saddam having "Nukular" weapons was a lie made up by the Dumb/Dick administration. With the amount of surveillence avalaible, they knew where every radium dial Rolex that Rummy bribed the Iraqi Government officials with when he gave them the precursors to the Biological weapons under Raygun were buried...
Much less enough processed uranium to heat a thimble full of water.
Now you neo-nits are tring to claim "it was all a big misktake"...
Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
Yet the neo-nitwits were unabashed in their criticism of Clinton for bombing an "asprin plant" in Sudan.
Let's see.. Bombing Sudan cost 0 (Zero, ziltch, nada) American lives...
Invading Iraq has cost at least 3500 American lives and 30,000 wounded (and we know you are lying about those numbers).
Hmmm... This is easy!
BOMB the hell out of that "Asprin Plant" Clinton!
Now the rest of us really don't give a good damn about you neo-nits preferred sport of wringing your wee weenies in a circle while reciting the word's to Michael Jackson's song "Bad"...
But when you screw the country - it's time to take out the trash.
Because I'm Bad, I'm Bad - Come On
(Bad Bad - Weally, Weally Bad)
You Know I'm Bad, I'm Bad - You Know It
(Bad Bad - Weally, Weally Bad)
And The Whole World Has To Answer Right Now
Just To Tell You Once Again,
Who's Bad...
Indeed...
BT at 11:40AM on Apr 30th 2007
3. Wow, Dinesh, your ability to get things wrong never ceases to amaze me. The WMD thing was for public consumption, not the real reason for the invasion. From various sources we know that the decision to invade Iraq preceded the disclosure of the so-called evidence for an Iraqi WMD program. Sure, Tenet wasn't the brightest match in the pack, but then look who picked him. Interesting that you fail to see that connection.
And are you denying that the cronies of the current administration have made huge profits on this whole debacle? The evidence says otherwise... But then, when did evidence ever mean anything to you?
You are either very obtuse, very deluded, or both. Had coffee with Ann Coulter lately? You two have so much in common.
Randy at 12:15PM on Apr 30th 2007
4. Tenet will go down in history as the source of the biggest CIA mistake in history, and The Young Turks say he doesn't appear bright - and that essentially, he's too dumb to lie. I believe that.
Condi is supposed to be an expert in history. People used to think Cheney was a realist? Given that the Palestineans were cheering 9-11, what did they think the Arab world's reaction would be to an invasion with no tangible purpose. Saddam ran a secular government that was a buffer to Iran and now that the buffer is gone, even with our troops there, Iraq is now essentially the new province of Iran. Why didn't Condi pick up on the history throughout time of the general reaction of a long-oppressed majority what they suddenly gain power over their former oppressors?
And, speaking of war profiteering, how about Halliburton. They get a no bid contract worth a huge chunk of our national treasury, and now that the Bush administration is waning, are planning a prompt more to Dubai. Under the current Republican incentives to outsource jobs, when a company moves its headquarters to another country, they only have to pay US taxes on money they reinvest in the US. What amount do you think Halliburton will reinvest here?
I was talking with a cab driver right after 9-11, who was soon to go into the Army. My theory at the time was that we were an empire and that sometimes preemptive strikes were necessary to preserve our security and standing in the world.
Four years later, we've been kicked to the ground by Bush's domestic and foreign policies, and in particular the Iraq war paid for with borrowed money (as was the tax cut). If any reasonable person at the White House doubted the intelligence at all and was so inept that they ignored the lessons of history, they should have expected the fiasco, and why they insist on continuing to stay, when Vietnam showed us a land occupation does not work, is beyond me.
The country has been hijacked by the 30% who support the war, but don't have the brains to know when and where to attack or even previous examples of the results of their attack. What I think is unfair is the other 70% of us who want to stop the real and financial bleeding of this obvious mistake that cannot be righted will be stuck paying the bill.
Phil at 12:37PM on Apr 30th 2007
5. Isn't it amazing that this Clinton administration hold over and "Mr. Slam Dunk America" would have credibility extended to his position by turning and accusing the Bush administration of mischaracterizing his words. The people who hate George Bush will buy the book and call it evidence. It appears that he wants the liberal camp to welcome him home, so he is giving them a gift and a sacrifice for an offering; he has no credibility with those who now understand that Tenet was able to pass of bad intelligence and blame it on the President and Vice-President. He even blamed the errors in the Presidents 'State of the Union' address as a mistake made by his subordinates - he passed off his responsibility to go over the speech to someone else, he says. I guess he was just too busy to do his job.
It is no surprise, but still shocking that this man can sit down at another man's table to eat, wipe his mouth and say that he has done no wrong. I will be less shocked by the liberals who will accept this most holy sacrifice and embrace Tenet back into the fold, chanting:
"You are absolved, Bush is a liar."
I admire the opportunist that Tenet is, being able to take advantage of the current "Hate Bush Campaign" and have his integrity restored in the eyes of the liberals. He was insightful enough to wait until the liberals were in control and suddenly his tongue was loosed! George Tenet has got religion and speaks in tongues! Hallelujah!
I don't have to allow the outhouse into my house before it starts to smell. I would waste time looking for the Clinton connection and accept the fact that these people are far superior liars than we could ever be.
dalosophy at 12:47PM on Apr 30th 2007
6. Randy,
Please enlighten everyone on your "evidence" that "the cronies of the current administration have made huge profits on this whole debacle?"
It's one thing to say there is evidence, it is quite another to back it up with, well, evidence! Actual proof rather than liberal posturing and theories.
To date I have heard countless times how much money the Pres, Vice Pres, etc. are making of the war in Iraq, yet I have not been able to find anyone to provide actual proof.
So, come on Randy, out with the evidence. Prove to everyone you're right and they are wrong.
Les at 12:54PM on Apr 30th 2007
7. Evidence of war profiteering?
(Guffaws!)
http://www.democracyrising.us/content/view/57/81/
And which companies?
http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/41083/
Bushthwak at 1:08PM on Apr 30th 2007
8. Did I mention our satunchest ally in the Middle East now publically is saying Dumbo screwed up?
""...during a speech before Arab heads of state in Riyadh three weeks ago, the king (of Suadi Arabia)condemned the American invasion of Iraq as “an illegal foreign occupation.” "
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/29/washington/29saudi.html?ei=5088&en=9a862f7355e5f13b&ex=1335499200&adxnnl=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1177860246-Z/rUSRlMTXHGhsY6WwHgrQ
Bushthwak at 1:17PM on Apr 30th 2007
9. Wes- Start with Bob Woodward's 'Plan of Attack' and Barry Lando's 'Web of Deceit'. And before you say something dumb like 'Do you believe everything you read?", Wes, take a look at their sources. These are extremely well-documented books with sources of info very high up the chain. (By the way, I would counter with 'Do you believe everything Bush says?') The conflict of interest between Halliburton and the current administration should already raise red flags, but the ineptitude since is even worse. The evidence for that? Thousands of dead American soldiers and no strategy, exit or otherwise. Thanks Bushthwak for some other sources of profiteering.
Randy at 1:33PM on Apr 30th 2007
10.
Well so long as we're talking geopolitics here, there is nothing better for preventing a regionwide jihadist conflagration (or suppressing radical ideologies in general) than a ruthless secular dictator, if history is any judge. Extremism thrives on freedoms, and that's exactly what we gave the Iraqi people.
We also removed the counterweight to Iran in the region, which could eventually result in a threat to Saudi Arabia as a result of this and therefore our energy supplies. All of this to send a message? Send a message to who? To Saddam? For what? There were far worse offenders for supporting terrorism out there to send a message to. Sudan, Somalia, Algeria, and most of those are already very much in need of a little nation building anyway. In fact that's why terrorists can operate in those countries with relative ease. Syria especially would've been a great first choice, but now that's pretty well off the table.
Peter at 2:26PM on Apr 30th 2007
11. 500.OO PHIL.
steve england at 3:06PM on Apr 30th 2007
12. Extremism thrives on freedom . . .
Now that I am enlightened and understand I see how we American citizens need to give up our freedoms! We should be like the pig committed to providing the bacon for breakfast.
And now, we have the ability to classify people as too stupid to lie, making it simple to pass along the sins of the father of misinformation onto someone else!
I am suffering from the effects of a public education, but with such great teaching, I can't help but learn something!
Are there any Eskimos out there that need some ice before global warming melts it all?
dalosophy at 4:41PM on Apr 30th 2007
13. It just goes to show you it is best to clean house occasionally. Rather than allowing this Clinton hold-over to keep slurping at the public trough, Bush should have canned Tenet and his crowd on his (Bush's) first day in office.
It is no surprise that Mr. Tenet (a Democrat appointee) is now trying to cover his own backside by trashing the Republican who did not appoint him.
It is also not surprising how Democrats have long chanted that in order to have a more broad view of the world, that Bush should appoint more Democrats to serve in his administration.
Ken Berg at 5:16PM on Apr 30th 2007
14. It is worth noting that since much of the information that CIA types use in covering their collective derrieres is classified, nobody can tell if they are lying or not.
In fifty years or so, the freedom of information act will de-classify the documents on which Tenet is making his claim of innocence and martyrdom, but by then he and those who actually paid money to buy his book, and spent time reading it either be spent forces or dead.
Ken Berg at 5:25PM on Apr 30th 2007
15.
That's just the sentiment the right has had from 9/12 Dal, I didn't come up with it but I don't entirely disagree either. If stewardesses hadn't had the freedom to move freely in and out of the cockpit on 9/11 and the door had instead been sealed we would probably still have two towers.
What were those last few sentences even about? I know I heard words in there but couldn't make sense of your intended meaning.
Peter at 5:52PM on Apr 30th 2007