Home
Archive
Columnists
Video
Blogs
Discuss
About
Search
Donate
Advertise
100 words for 100 days: submit your 100 word essay and get published on AlterNet
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
  • AlterNetYour turn

Support AlterNet
Do you value the information you're getting from AlterNet? Please show your support with a tax-deductible donation.


Feedback
Tell us how we're doing.

Advertisement
Advertisement

We Told You So

By Rahul Mahajan, AlterNet. Posted April 6, 2005.


The latest WMD report merely confirms what anti-war activists were claiming all along -- way before the invasion of Iraq.
Advertisement

Last week, the "Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction" issued what may be the last in a series of in-depth reports by U.S. government on the "intelligence failures" surrounding the invasion of Iraq.

Wade through the close to 3,000 pages of these reports and one conclusion is inescapable: those of us who opposed the invasion of Iraq were right on every count.

We knew that the Bush administration's case of war was no more than a mish-mash of evasion, misdirection, and outright lies -- and we didn't need the vast resources of these investigative commissions to figure it out. The evidence – be it in the form of intelligence leaks, news reporting (though less often in the U.S. and rarely on the front page), or congressional testimony -- was out in the open for all to see.

The al Qaeda Connection

In the lead up to the war, Bush administration officials constantly insinuated a connection between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda, and even the 9/11 attacks. Vice President Cheney, over and again, referred to a cock-and-bull story about a Prague meeting between Mohammed Atta and the Iraqi intelligence. The Atta story was debunked in The New York Times as early as October 2002 – more than four months before the invasion.

The other "damning" piece of evidence of this al Qaeda connection was a sighting of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Baghdad. As it turns out, the only person who helped out Zarqawi was George Bush. By eliminating Saddam, the U.S. has created a power vacuum that has made Zarqawi a major player in post-war Iraq. There was never any evidence emerged that he was getting resources, assistance, or cover from the old regime. The 9/11 commission later confirmed that there was absolutely no evidence linking Iraq to al Qaeda.

The N-Bomb Scare

Starting in August 2002, Dick Cheney and others raised the specter of Iraq armed with a nuclear bomb, ready to take out New York or Atlanta. On March 16, 2003, Cheney even said, of Saddam, "We believe he has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear weapons."

According to the WMD Commission report, the CIA believed that Iraq had reconstituted its nuclear weapon program – which is still quite different from actually having nuclear weapons. But even this modified judgment was based on controversial evidence, such as the presence of a certain kind of aluminum tubes. As news reports before the invasion show, intelligence analysts were split over these tubes; where the CIA and the Defense Intelligence Agency thought they were designed to serve as uranium-enrichment centrifuges, the State Department and the Department of Energy were convinced they were conventional artillery shells.

The latter were right, but we didn't need to wait for the WMD report to tell us that. The International Atomic Energy Association's Mohammed el Baradei told The Washington Post exactly that in January, 2003: "It may be technically possible that the tubes could be used to enrich uranium, but you would have to believe that Iraq deliberately ordered the wrong stock and intended to spend a great deal of time and money reworking each piece." He repeated his assessments with even greater force in a report to the U.N. on March 7 – two weeks before the invasion.

There is, of course, also the now long-debunked claim made by President Bush in his January, 2003 State of Union speech – the claim that Iraq had been trying to buy uranium from Niger.

In February 2003, IAEA inspectors – having finally gained access to the Niger documents – pointed out that they were very crude forgeries, a fact that was covered in some newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune, well before the war. The Bush administration did not, however, abandon its claim until six months later, when former Ambassador Joe Wilson revealed that the administration knew there was no evidence of any attempt to buy uranium a full year before the Bush speech.

What WMDs?

As the WMD commission report reveals, when it came to Saddam's much-touted biological weapons program, the Bush administration relied entirely on "evidence" provided by an Iraqi defector code-named "Curveball." He provided over 100 detailed reports, claiming, for example, that Iraq had mobile biological weapons laboratories.


Digg!

Rahul Mahajan is publisher of the blog Empire Notes. He has been to occupied Iraq twice and reported from Fallujah during the April 2004 siege. His most recent book is "Full Spectrum Dominance: U.S. Power in Iraq and Beyond." He can be reached at rahul@empirenotes.org.

Liked this story? Get top stories in your inbox each week from AlterNet! Sign up now »

Advertisement
Advertisement

 

Comments Turn comments off sitewide Give us feedback »
Comments closed.
The comments for this story have been closed. Thank you to everyone who participated.
View:
But you know what they'll say...
Posted by: gazevans on Apr 6, 2005 3:25 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
"It was worth it to get rid of Saddam". You'd think that they could come up with a better excuse. Iraq was less of a threat than my cat - and he's a pussy. The Elite Guard? What happened to those fearsome troops? 45 minutes? Whatever. You just freaked out, guys...it happens to everyone now and again. It's not too late to jump OFF the bandwagon. You wont look silly. Honest.

"But, but...think of all the bad stuff he did: he had to go!". Erm, he'd been better behaved in the run-up to Gulf War Episode II: Revenge of the Bush. He was no saint, obviously, but the timing of the invasion, coupled with that lame excuse just doesn't make enough sense.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Tyrants and Wimps
Posted by: joncee on Apr 6, 2005 6:22 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The fact that there is not a whisper about impeachment proceedings on The Hill indicates that they, in their entirety, have little regard for truth, responsibility, or humanity.

I'm sure their collective campaign coffers are overflowing thanks to the happy world of munitions and war services suppliers. Dubyah represents the fourth consecutive generation of Bush war time profiteers.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: Tyrants and Wimps Posted by: sethx9
» Vomit Posted by: Kanefire
Monsters, Inc.
Posted by: sethx9 on Apr 6, 2005 6:30 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I live in a country of monsters. Period. I remember growing up under the shadow of the Vietnam war. One could almost understand though how, in a pre-Internet, pre-satellite news world an entire nation could be fooled.

By the time of Bush I's invasion of Iraq things were changing. Access by the general public to the Internet was dawning. News reports with video footage that was hours, not days, old were common. "Now, motherfuckers, you won't be able to bullshit us anymore", was the common thought. It would be impossible, in this new Communications Age, for the power structure to foist another Tonkin Gulf onto the masses. How naive I was. The people of the US deserve whatever crows come home to roost. There are no innocents anymore. There can not be.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: Monsters, Inc. Posted by: woodford54
IT'S TIME TO GO PROACTIVE
Posted by: rudyaub on Apr 6, 2005 6:55 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
We need to stop convincing the idiots of things we KNOW.
We need to act- we need to infiltrate this government and take it over.

Please take the time to read my book...everything I have to say is in it -->

bidrevolution.com/detail.asp?id=42

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: IT'S TIME TO GO PROACTIVE Posted by: artonarts@centurytel.net
another whitewash
Posted by: benu67 on Apr 6, 2005 7:06 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
this gov't has had a lack of accountability for many years, but now it's so blatant thanks to the arrogance of bushco. it's been one lie after another ever since this president was appointed in 2000. i believe the biggest act of betrayal was congress giving bush a blank check to "save" us from any more 9/11-type attacks, which pretty much everything about that day just goes back to the white house. how many more must die while this administration keeps on judging (and clearing) itself?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: another whitewash Posted by: Koolauser
SHHH! don't tell! (i know where the WMD are!)
Posted by: cami0 on Apr 6, 2005 8:39 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Does anyone want to know why our troops couldn't find WMD in IRAQ?
Because they are stored here in the Bluegrass, in Richmond, Madison County, Kentucky.
They would have been disposed of, BUT we may need them, so the goverment will not let them be transported OR destroyed.
They are contained for now, but for how long?
Let's just hope terrorists don't figure out where our stash is.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

This is old news. The question is: Why did he lie?
Posted by: han on Apr 6, 2005 8:45 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
What is the masterplan of bush and friends. What does he aim to achieve? As lots of iraqi's stated: it's all about oil.

Well that sounds quite odd when the investment in the whole invasion is so enormous. He could have put the same money in a solarpark in one of the deserts and have a permanent source of energy for generations to come, creating independence from oil.

But no. He invaded iraq, at the cost of many lives and lots of polution.

Why? What is his objective?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: Why did he lie? Posted by: Iamnotafruittree
» Why did he lie? Posted by: joncee
No Stopping Them Now
Posted by: nakis on Apr 6, 2005 8:52 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
With the lies, the deceipt, the treason, the failure to America and mankind, there is just no stopping their blatant actions of disregard. They can lie to get us to go to war for which they planned from far before 9/11. They outed a CIA operative and were not held accountable. They lied about the cost and affectiveness of the medicare bill. They used their power in the Supreme court to steal an election. They are putting wolves in to guard the chickens(look at every agency). The nominations of Bolton, Wolfowitz, Meyers, et all are just a slap in the face. They have the White House, Congress, House and are taking the Judicial and by so are saying all the rest of the world can go fornicate themselves.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

No Stopping Them Now
Posted by: nakis on Apr 6, 2005 8:57 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This is what the framers of the Constitution feared. Wholesale manipulation of the powers to control the government at the cost to the people. The sad fact is that it works and that so many of us have fallen for the lies and deciept. Believing that America is about taking. About us vs them. About removing civil liberties. About fear and loathing. About voting against your own self interest. WE have no one to blame but ourselves.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: No Stopping Them Now Posted by: Mythsaje
President
Posted by: artonarts@centurytel.net on Apr 6, 2005 9:01 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
There are so many who know the truth already about the criminals in our entire government, and we just say "what can we do about it"? Well this we can do TALK to all the rest of the imbeciles who support the international crimes occurring on a dail basis!
Jail the Bushits, stop the ignored facts, no more cover-ups, the treasonous jerks are in the white house and other government bodies!
Are we going to wait until they commit another 911, or jail us "domestic terrorists" in the already built US concentration camps, only the US government had the "power" and convenience to commit 911. Iraq was beaten to no war abilities in '91, as said before we all knew there could NOT be any WMD's in Iraq! We have therm all here in the US and making many more at this time!

The illuminati have nearly destroyed the world now, "in all respects", when is the ultimate accident going to happen? Hey, become serious and do something creative to end the official's violen

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Bush Rage
Posted by: Sharon on Apr 6, 2005 10:32 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
"I told you so" is pretty week about the lies of WMD. We should all be marching in the streets. For my part, I'm doing performance readings at local venues from my book, Bush Rage, to stir some action. It amazes me how little people know about the evil-doings of this administration. There is still way too much complacency out there. We all need to speak out, shout out, and laugh down those who would be king. Sharon E. Streeter, Portland, Oregon

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

A Call to Action
Posted by: elmysterio on Apr 6, 2005 11:35 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Ok. So the US gov't is corrupt and power-mad. The people are cowed into submission. They're planning world domination by military and economic means. They're going to put nukes in space so they can blackmail the rest of the world. They refuse to address the root causes of why they're hated therefore perpetuating the war. So what do you do about it? The ONLY thing that can be done is for the US Citizentry to stand up and take your Gov't Back. Everybody Strike. Shut the country down. March on Washington. Demand your country back. EVERYBODY! EVERYBODY! It's more than politics now. The fate of the world depends on it! Things are just going to keep getting worse until the US stops being so freekin stupid and greedy. The only hard part is waking up the ignorant fools who think "Bush is a good man". Bush is NOT a good man!!! He doesn't have the people's intrest at heart. WAKE UP EVERYONE!!! The Fascists have taken over your country and are trying to take over the world!!!

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: A Call to Action Posted by: itchyvet
Just wondering
Posted by: Boronia on Apr 6, 2005 11:49 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Just my wondering mind
Is Iraq going to sue?
And what is the UN doing?
War crimes?
international law?
Not anytime soon, for the U.S is no longer a signatory to the International Criminal Court in the Hague

COUNTRIES BOMBED BY THE UNITED STATES SINCE THE END OF WORLD WAR II :

China 1945-46
Korea and China 1950-53 (Korean War)
Guatemala 1954
Indonesia 1958
Cuba 1959-1961
Guatemala 1960
Congo 1964
Peru 1965
Laos 1964-73
Vietnam 1961-73 (Vietnam War)
Cambodia 1969-70
Guatemala 1967-69
Grenada 1983
Lebanon 1983, 1984 (both Lebanese and Syrian targets)
Libya 1986
El Salvador 1980s
Nicaragua 1980s
Iran 1987
Panama 1989
Kuwait 1991 (Iraqi Targets)
Iraq 1991-
Somalia 1993
Bosnia 1994, 1995 (Bosnian Serb Targets)
Sudan 1998
Yugoslavia 1999
Afghanistan 1998,

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: Just wondering Posted by: elmysterio
lastmarx
Posted by: lastmarx on Apr 6, 2005 3:04 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
We Americans weren't only ones to have "told you so." For some reason, no one seems to remember that the Iraqis also denied having WMDs and they even provided the UN with tons of documents supporting their claim.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Historian
Posted by: Mawgil on Apr 6, 2005 9:02 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The point not being made by all who rehash the attack on Iraq and the lies told by the administration, is what was the real aim--reason if you like--behind going to war against a Third World country? No one, but no one, discusses the objective of the war that surely history is going to record somewhere along the way.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: Historian ~ Clarify Posted by: Kanefire
» RE: Historian Posted by: itchyvet
It's Just a Matter of Time
Posted by: steve expat on Apr 7, 2005 4:44 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The terrorism-9/11 teflon is chipping for Bush and food is beginning to stick. It is going to be a long 3 and half years for him. He has no issues to push. Social Security privatization is not going to fly, the war in Iraq is a mess, Terry Schiavo was a disaster for the Repubs, the economy is going to get worse. They aren't going to get their silly anti- gay marriage amendment. They don't have enough troops to start a new war/distraction. The DeLay/Plame/WMD/Enron/etc. scandals will continue to fester. In fact, their biggest problem is that they control the House, Senate, Presidency and Supreme Court. They have no one to blame as things continue to spiral downward. They should be secretly hoping that the Dems take control of the Senate in 2,006 so they can have someone to blame for the mess they have created. It will be a sadistic joy to watch the fall of these cretins. And they are going to fall hard. Too bad Americans have to pay for it, but they allegedly voted for the guy, so careful what you ask for...

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

americangenocide@hotmail.com
Posted by: rwolfe6943 on Apr 7, 2005 6:38 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
"Where is it written in the Constitution, in what article or section is it contained, that you may take children from their parents and parents from their children, and compel them to fight the battles of any war in which the folly and wickedness of the government may engage itself? Under what concealment has this power lain hidden, which now for the first time comes forth, with a tremendous and baleful aspect, to trample down and destroy the dearest right of personal liberty? Who will show me any Constitutional injunction which makes it the duty of the American people to surrender everything valuable in life, and even life, itself, whenever the purposes of an ambitious and mischievous government may require it? ... A free government with an uncontrolled power of military conscription is the most ridiculous and abominable contradiction and nonsense that ever entered into the heads of men." -- Daniel Webster (1782-1852), US Senator Source: Speech in the House of Representatives, January 14, 1814

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Who Told You So?
Posted by: AlterHank on Apr 7, 2005 7:45 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I felt compelled to write in, to add some depth to and to challenge the points brought out in the referenced article.

But I couldn't think of anything to add.

If this isn't enough for you to fully believe you are being manipulated by the greedy and the powerful, to agree with events that are against your own best interests, then I have just one more word for you.


Osama?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]