Iraq "weapons of mass destruction" stories a hoax
CBS's Sixty Minutes' reporter Bob Simon finally told the factual story that had been swirling in rumor for nearly seven years: that the person who provided stories about "weapons of mass destruction" supposedly being developed by Sadam Hussein were completely false.
His nickname was Curveball, an Iraqi refugee who wanted to live and work in Germany. To help his cause, he fabricated stories he thought might give him a leg up to get the equivalent of an American green card to live and work in Deutchland. Phony stories of manufacturing biochemical materials in Iraq.
All untrue, and in fact, German intelligence, when they released his stories, noted in every case that everything he said "could not (as in NOT) be confirmed."
UN inspectors reported there was no evidence of Iraq developing "weapons of mass destruction." They were pulled out when President Bush sent in soldiers to fight his imaginary villain.
The Bush administration was so adamant about going to war with Iraq, they passed on the bogus stories. Even US UN Representative Colin Powell quoted a report about the "eyewitness" who was in fact no eyewitness at all.
Curveball claimed to be a biochemist, and by golly, wouldn't you know, the slightest, most elementary investigation of his education and work history showed everything he claimed about his background to be false.
This is why nearly 4,000 Americans have lost their lives in the civil war that the US fomented, why nearly 30,000 of our troops have been injured, most of them seriously.
The head of the CIA, George Tenent, did not pay attention to German intelligence warnings that "Curveball's" stories could not be confirmed, nor Tenent's bosses, who also received the same information.
This is the reason other nations objected to the incursion of a sovereign nation, Iraq, by the US. They consider the war illegal because there was not a shred of evidence that showed American security was in jeopardy. Some argue even planning the war against Iraq and Iran is illegal, against international law.
When you go to the CBS 60 Minutes page, the video of the story is nearly 15 minutes long; one US intelligence officer who warned others that the information was not enough to start a war is included in this report and has a stand alone statement as well.
By the way, the Iraqi refugee who lied to German intelligence did get his card to live and work in the country and could not be found.
Please remember this malfeasance, incompetence and misfeasance of office when you hear about the need to bomb Iran and start another war. The only result of George Bush's "avoid a third world war" rhetoric is higher gas prices, filling the already full pockets of his oil industry and stock market playing buddies beyone their wildest dreams.
Nothing has changed in Iran over the past several years, but since the Bush administration won't talk with them, apparently the President wants to go to war with people he doesn't talk to.
Meanwhile, because the Bush adminstration moved troops from the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, where Osama bin Laden (behind the 9-11 attacks on the US), al qeda, and the Taliban are holed up, havoc is now wrecked in that area. Unless that area is restabilized, ultra-conservative Muslims stand a chance to take over there, which could be a frightening development because Pakistan, thanks to the US, already has nuclear weapons. Iran does not.
Congress tried - and failed - to impeach Bill Clinton for a reprehensible personal, but private, failing.
I don't understand why impeachment proceedings are not already underway against George Bush and Dick Cheney for their reprehensible and unforgivable public failings to every person who has lost life and limb in a senseless, useless, never ending war in the Middle East - a war that has destabalized the world - for which there was not a single fact, no endangerment of our national security or a single reason to fire the first shot.
Sadly, there are those uninformed people who drank the Bush Kool-Aid and continue to spread venomous, inflammatory anti-Muslim, anti-Middle Eastern information, based only on hateful bigotry.
His nickname was Curveball, an Iraqi refugee who wanted to live and work in Germany. To help his cause, he fabricated stories he thought might give him a leg up to get the equivalent of an American green card to live and work in Deutchland. Phony stories of manufacturing biochemical materials in Iraq.All untrue, and in fact, German intelligence, when they released his stories, noted in every case that everything he said "could not (as in NOT) be confirmed."
UN inspectors reported there was no evidence of Iraq developing "weapons of mass destruction." They were pulled out when President Bush sent in soldiers to fight his imaginary villain.
The Bush administration was so adamant about going to war with Iraq, they passed on the bogus stories. Even US UN Representative Colin Powell quoted a report about the "eyewitness" who was in fact no eyewitness at all.
Curveball claimed to be a biochemist, and by golly, wouldn't you know, the slightest, most elementary investigation of his education and work history showed everything he claimed about his background to be false.
This is why nearly 4,000 Americans have lost their lives in the civil war that the US fomented, why nearly 30,000 of our troops have been injured, most of them seriously.
The head of the CIA, George Tenent, did not pay attention to German intelligence warnings that "Curveball's" stories could not be confirmed, nor Tenent's bosses, who also received the same information.
This is the reason other nations objected to the incursion of a sovereign nation, Iraq, by the US. They consider the war illegal because there was not a shred of evidence that showed American security was in jeopardy. Some argue even planning the war against Iraq and Iran is illegal, against international law.
When you go to the CBS 60 Minutes page, the video of the story is nearly 15 minutes long; one US intelligence officer who warned others that the information was not enough to start a war is included in this report and has a stand alone statement as well.
By the way, the Iraqi refugee who lied to German intelligence did get his card to live and work in the country and could not be found.
Please remember this malfeasance, incompetence and misfeasance of office when you hear about the need to bomb Iran and start another war. The only result of George Bush's "avoid a third world war" rhetoric is higher gas prices, filling the already full pockets of his oil industry and stock market playing buddies beyone their wildest dreams.
Nothing has changed in Iran over the past several years, but since the Bush administration won't talk with them, apparently the President wants to go to war with people he doesn't talk to.
Meanwhile, because the Bush adminstration moved troops from the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, where Osama bin Laden (behind the 9-11 attacks on the US), al qeda, and the Taliban are holed up, havoc is now wrecked in that area. Unless that area is restabilized, ultra-conservative Muslims stand a chance to take over there, which could be a frightening development because Pakistan, thanks to the US, already has nuclear weapons. Iran does not.
Congress tried - and failed - to impeach Bill Clinton for a reprehensible personal, but private, failing.
I don't understand why impeachment proceedings are not already underway against George Bush and Dick Cheney for their reprehensible and unforgivable public failings to every person who has lost life and limb in a senseless, useless, never ending war in the Middle East - a war that has destabalized the world - for which there was not a single fact, no endangerment of our national security or a single reason to fire the first shot.
Sadly, there are those uninformed people who drank the Bush Kool-Aid and continue to spread venomous, inflammatory anti-Muslim, anti-Middle Eastern information, based only on hateful bigotry.
Labels: 60 Minutes, Bob Simon, CBS News, Colin Powell, Dick Cheney, George Bush, German intelligence, United Nations, US intelligence, weapons of mass destruction hoax
posted by cp @ 9:25 AM
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