So the Democrats distributed a perfectly timed, campaign-season indictment of the Bush adminstration’s action in Iraq on the heels of an anti-war candidate clinching the party’s nomination. And their cohorts in the media picked up with the “Bush lied” meme and ran with it, full force.

ABCNews:

Bush ‘falsely led US to Iraq war’, says report

CBSNews:

Report: Bush Misled U.S. On Iraq Intel

USAToday:

“President Bush and his top officials deliberately misrepresented secret intelligence to make the case to invade Iraq, according to the Senate Intelligence Committee.”

CNN:

Senate report slams Bush over prewar intelligence

And many, many more…

Sounds mighty damning… if only any of it were true. Unfortunately for Democrats in Washington and in the media, the whole story is readily available to the average person. And the report that they all claim bashes the Bush administration for “lying”, “misleading”, “duping” and “misrepresenting” intelligence information for the purposes of launching an unnecessary war doesn’t come close to accusing the Bush administration of malfeasance… in fact, it bolsters the administration’s case.

On Iraq’s nuclear weapons program? The president’s statements “were generally substantiated by intelligence community estimates.”

On biological weapons, production capability and those infamous mobile laboratories? The president’s statements “were substantiated by intelligence information.”

On chemical weapons, then? “Substantiated by intelligence information.”

On weapons of mass destruction overall (a separate section of the intelligence committee report)? “Generally substantiated by intelligence information.”

Delivery vehicles such as ballistic missiles? “Generally substantiated by available intelligence.”

Unmanned aerial vehicles that could be used to deliver WMDs? “Generally substantiated by intelligence information.”
…
[S]tatements regarding Iraq’s support for terrorist groups other than al-Qaeda “were substantiated by intelligence information.”

Statements that Iraq provided safe haven for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and other terrorists with ties to al-Qaeda “were substantiated by the intelligence assessments,” and statements regarding Iraq’s contacts with al-Qaeda “were substantiated by intelligence information.”

Here’s the report, read it for yourself. (Of course, if you’ve been paying attention, you know that even the Clinton administration tied Saddam & Iraq to bin Laden and al-Qaida on multiple occasions in the 1990s and often even warned us of the threat Iraq posed)

Sure, lying and deceit has been a big part of the Iraq war… but it’s been on the part of disingenous and politically-motivated Democrats and their liberal friends in the media… It’s their specialty, so it’s not surprising they’re so good at it.

1. Great site!

   I work for Senator Cornyn and would enjoy catching up via e-mail if you could shoot me one at vincent@johncornyn.com when you have a chance…thanks!

   Comment by Vincent Harris — 2:05 pm
   

2. But isn’t it the presidents job to ensure the intelligence is at least somewhat correct? How can anyone be that far off? And if he lets the intelligence slide shouldn’t he still be accountable for his own screw ups? After all, over 4000 Americans have died and thousands more injured because of this so called intelligence, sorry but the buck stops in the oval office! It was his call!

   Comment by truthteller — 10:32 am
   

3. There were a whole more people relying on the intelligence agencies than just the President… including the Congress that voted to authorize force against Iraq, including the former administration who sent missles into Iraq (and Sudan) and issued an indictment acknowledging a relationship between al-Qaida and Iraq, including other countries who joined us in Iraq… Sure, the President is Commander-in-Chief, but at some point he can’t go out and dig up or verify every piece of intelligence himself, he must rely on others who were supposed to be capable of doing such (some of whom were leftovers from the prior incompetent administration).

   Of course, I know the routine. Had we done nothing in Iraq and something bad happened to Americans as a result, you guys would be picking out the piece of intelligence that were right and using that as a stick to beat the President. ‘Round and ’round we go…

   Comment by Texas Rainmaker — 5:13 am
   

4. Unfortunately TR, the average person won’t read the report…they will barely read the headline before buying it hook, line, and sinker. The same findings have been produced before, yet the same “bush lied” mantra continues.

   Truthteller, you have a good point that the buck stops at 1600 Pennsylvania avenue. But that doesn’t for a second support the statement “President Bush and his top officials deliberately misrepresented secret intelligence to make the case to invade Iraq, according to the Senate Intelligence Committee.” or countless others similar to it. It implies that he was a poor manager and should not have relied so heavily on staffers from previous administrations.

   If the same level of evidence is required to condemn President Bush, then it should also condemn President Clinton, Senator Clinton, Senator Kerry, and numerous others who reviewed the same evidence and reached the same conclusion.

   Comment by thegentlecricket — 12:50 pm
   

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