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A conveniently-timed and carefully-framed admission

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the 'debate' the President of the United States....

George W. Bush Press Conference - August 21, 2006

THE PRESIDENT: You know, I've heard this theory about everything was just fine until we arrived, and kind of "we're going to stir up the hornet's nest" theory. It just doesn't hold water, as far as I'm concerned. The terrorists attacked us and killed 3,000 of our citizens before we started the freedom agenda in the Middle East.

Q What did Iraq have to do with that?

THE PRESIDENT: What did Iraq have to do with what?

Q The attack on the World Trade Center?

THE PRESIDENT: Nothing, except for it's part of -- and nobody has ever suggested in this administration that Saddam Hussein ordered the attack. Iraq was a -- the lesson of September the 11th is, take threats before they fully materialize, Ken. Nobody has ever suggested that the attacks of September the 11th were ordered by Iraq. I have suggested, however, that resentment and the lack of hope create the breeding grounds for terrorists who are willing to use suiciders to kill to achieve an objective. I have made that case.

Yes, let's just take it as read that neither the US nor the UK did anything in the Middle East to foster "resentment and the lack of hope" before September 11, 2001... or since (see: illegal detention, torture, napalm, etc. etc. etc.)

As for the other outright lie contained in this exchange, ThinkProgress has the poop:

ThinkProgress - Bush Now Says What He Wouldn't Say Before War: Iraq Had 'Nothing' To Do With 9/11: To justify the war, Bush informed Congress on March 19, 2003 that acting against Iraq was consistent with "continuing to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations, or persons who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001." As ThinkProgress has repeatedly documented, Vice President Cheney cited "evidence" cooked up by Douglas Feith and others to claim it was "pretty well confirmed" that Iraq had contacts with 9/11 hijackers. More generally, in the lead-up to the war in Iraq, the administration encouraged the false impression that Saddam had a role in 9/11. Bush never stated then, as he does now, that Iraq had "nothing" to do with 9/11. Only after the Iraq war began did Bush candidly acknowledge that Iraq was not operationally linked to 9/11.

Finally, a few words about this and the ever-effective game of diverting attention from questionable foreign and domestic policy announcements and developments with an ongoing series of terror alerts. Here's a lovely point made with the benefit of 'hindsight'. Enjoy your read:

John Pilger - Lies, damned lies and terror warnings (3 December 2002)

UPDATE (9 Sep) - Wouldn't you know it? Just over a week after this 'candid' answer (and on a Friday afternoon, naturally) a 2005 CIA report is released by the Senate Intelligence Committee stating this very same thing. Way to stay ahead of the game, George. Well done. Now go play with your magic time machine that lets you suggest that you thought this way all along. You lying, murdering, money-grubbing snotrag.

Posted by Manic on August 29, 2006 10:27 AM in the category The War on Stupid

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