The War in Iraq

I have been saying all along that The 9/11 Commission is a waste of time--whether Clintonistas or Bushmen were testifying. The "bipartisan" (a media term meaning hard-core Democrats and some liberal-moderate Republicans that Democrats don't find too objectionable) Commission very quickly took it upon themselves to pass judgment upon the current war in Iraq (including the Bob Kerrey rant during Condoleeza Rice's testimony, wherein he spouted off for 10 minutes about the current situation in Iraq, then complained when his time for questioning was up).

This Commission's charge: "chartered to prepare a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, including preparedness for and the immediate response to the attacks. The Commission is also mandated to provide recommendations designed to guard against future attacks."

What in God's name are they doing questioning the Iraq war, the reasons for going to war, etc. There was never any statement by the Bush administration that Iraq-Saddam planned 9/11. (There is still that CIA report that Mohammed Atta was at the Iraq embassy in Prague in July 2001, which George Tenet called "not proven or disproven"). Furthermore, the "no Iraq-Al Qaeda links" came from the Commission Staff Report (overwhelmingly Democrats by the way), and was immediately repudiated by the Co-Chairmen of the Commission, Tom Kean and Lee Hamilton. The staff of the Commission has been notoriously circumspect with regards to information--numerous leaks have been detected and the Chairmen have had to appear on network television more than they would have liked. (I will say this for the Chairmen--they have been very professional, which is more than can be said for many memebers of the commission and the collective staff). See Bill Safire's excellent column today, Monday 21 June, for some unanswered questions: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/21/opinion/21SAFI.html

If the liberals want to make a big deal out of the causes for going to war in Iraq, then they may investigate (provided they get a Congressional mandate, etc.) with a separate Commission. But the current Iraq war has nothing to do with the 9/11 planning and intelligence, our state of readiness on that fateful Tuesday, or the immediate response (which is an off-shoot of the state of readiness).

This Commission has become what the President feared it would be when he opposed it at first--a vehicle for Democratic politics, "bipartisan" bullshit, and obtuse generalizations. This is not a creature of the administration, it is a creature of politics.

As for the American people being misled...

Saddam Hussein had NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical weapons (I hate the term WMD or weapons of mass destruction--say what they are, damnit!) They cannot be found now. Yet, there is no evidence from UNMOVIC or from the David Kay team that Saddam destroyed them, as he said he would and as he was required to do under the numerous UN resolutions. In fact, Kay says so in the report. So, if I am to understand correctly, Spin, you and the anti-war crowd (liberal Democrats and the UN-European peace coalition) would have us believe that a man who spent more than 10 years consistently disobeying U.N. resolutions and flaunting his malfeasance in regards to banned weapons had destroyed them just because they cannot be found.

The UN teams have admitted that there are thousands (possibly millions) of liters of sarin and other chemicals that are unaccounted. Likewise, there is evidence that he imported nuclear material and parts for reactors, etc. and no evidence that he destroyed those parts. Saddam Hussein has ties to Syria (the origins of the Baath party lie there) and with the terrorists running rampant in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as through Arafat's oraganization (particularly Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah). The sheer fact that those banned weapons are unaccounted should place his relations with any known or suspected terrorist group or sypathetic state under intense scrutiny and action.

It is true that Al-Qaeda had more links to Iran and Saudi Arabia (there is evidence now that the Saudi security forces aided the bastards who captured and killed that LockheedMartin engineer last week). Iraq had connections too--just because Saddam did not plan in the 9/11 attacks does not negate his involvement with a group that has professed their hatred of all things Western. Any aid or comfort that Saddam gave to Al Qaeda warranted the war. Any aid or comfort Saddam gave to Syrian terrorists warranted the war; likewise, for Palestinian terrorists.

This is a war on terrorism--not just Islamic terror, but all terror, be it religious, nationalist, or cultural. And tell those Sheiks and Mullahs in Iran, and that corrupt government in Saudi Arabia, as well as the IRA and the South East Asian groups, we are not putting up with their shit anymore.