FORMER TREASURY SECRETARY PAUL ONEILL SAYS INVASION OF IRAQ WAS PLANNED IN THE FIRST DAYS...

Drudge ^ | 1/10/04 | Drudge

[Thebaddog]

The whole story sounds made up. Who would talk like that about tax cuts?

[KQQL]

hmmmmmmm...lol

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[J. L. Chamberlain]

This really isn't news to anyone who has been following the Iraq story closely.

J

[dirtboy]

This will futher anger those already angered. And that's about it. If Saddam had been taken out years ago, the Middle East would already be a much different place.

[babaloo]

I expect we'll see Mr. O'Neill in Iowa in the next few days wearing a "Dean for President" t-shirt.

[KQQL]

Bush savaged by former Treasury chief
By Alan Beattie in Washington
Published: January 9 2004 21:47 | Last Updated: January 9 2004 21:47


President George W. Bush's performance at cabinet meetings resembled that of "a blind man in a room full of deaf people", according to Paul O'Neill (pictured), who was fired as Treasury secretary in 2002.
http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1073280927272&p=1012571727088

[Jim Noble]

"For me, the notion of pre-emption, that the U.S. has the unilateral right to do whatever we decide to do is a really huge leap," says O'Neill.

What a curious quote.

"When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them..."

Which law of nature, or of nature's God, does O'Neill think the invasion of Iraq violates?

[rintense]

I can't imagine that I am going to be attacked for telling the truth."

Another 'I'm the victim of Bush' story, even from O'Neill. Anyone know how close Bush and O'Neill were before he left? IMO, anyone who decides to tell inside info so soon after leaving has a huge grudge.

[Flashlight]

so this shows the Bush team took the Saddam threat seriously and was doing something about it earlier than we thought. that's good, not bad.

[facedown]

Gee, where's the obligatory reference to "neocons"?

[TheEaglehasLanded]

The plan was probably handed over from the Clinton Administration considering Clinton's determination that he had WMD's and we had bombed them with the British the last 2 years of his presidency, operation Desert Fox. Also, official US policy was that Regime Change was the policy when Bush Entered office IRAQ LIBERATION ACT.

O'Neill is not mentioning anything about this and trying to make it look like Bush cooked this whole thing up.

[Print]

Wasn't he sworn to secrecy?

[DoctorMichael]

......and THIS comes from someone who cavorted around Africa with Boner indulging his elitist pity "for-the-children" instead of "watching-the-store".

[Rokke]

We've had a plan for military action against Iraq for decades. Here's a news flash...we also have one for North Korea, Iran, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Cuba...

[DB]

It would be nice if the White House could provide an actual transcript. Then we'd know the truth.

[handy]

Glad to hear they were planning way before. I'm hoping they have a plan for N Korea (and France haha) as well. A good manager develops plans for possible future events, even somewhat remote possibilities. That way you don't get caught off guard & unprepared when surprises like 9-11 come along. Best way to no move up in management is to be caught flat footed when events & circumstances change.

Rats complain GWB has no plan, now O'neill complains he had an advance plan. Sheesh.

[DoctorMichael]

Oops, sorry!

{/rhetorical statement}

[handy]

Good catch. What a loser. Reveals contents of secret memos so the press will like him and he'll be popular at dinner parties. Sounds like he needed a little ego boost.