[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.

[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.

[AD from SpringBay]

In other words, Mr. O'Neil was aware of a contingency to invade Iraq (similar to many other contingencies created by those that do such things). Additionally, Mr. O'Neil has the wonderful ability to ad lib and take quotes out of context. Finally, he hired a ghost writer and found a willing publisher.

[Monti Cello]

in the first three months of 2001, the administration was looking at military options for removing Saddam Hussein from power and planning for the aftermath of Saddam's downfall, including post-war contingencies like peacekeeping troops, war crimes tribunals and the future of Iraq's oil

Wait a second, the left told me for months that there was no post-Iraq plan.

This is simply more indication that Bush's plans on Iraq were practically a seamless continuation of Clinton's policy and the near-unanimous opinion on Saddam held in Washington.

[TUX]

Another petty little corporate elitists with a overblown opinion of himself with a mouth to match.

Obviously the reason W. caned his a$$.

[11th Earl of Mar]

Sounds like he is really trying to hype his book.

BTW, the US must have contingency plans to invade N. Korea, if circumstance would ever demand it.

I'm sure we 'have plans' to invade nearly every country in the world. We have plans to evacuate the capitol if it gets nuked, plans for burying the dead if the Andreas Fault finally ruptures and sends the West Coast into the ocean.

What's the big deal?