A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day...02-05-04....A Massive Breakdown in Intel?

JohnHuang2; Aquamarine; Billie | JohnHuang2

[Aquamarine]

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A Massive Breakdown in Intel?

by JohnHuang2

President Bush, affirming he wants to know how "we can do better in this war against terror," announced Monday he would appoint an outside commission to probe pre-war intelligence on Iraq, specifically, why no biological or chemical weapons have been found, and to assess the quality of U.S. intelligence generally. The panel will be styled after the Warren Commission. (Was Bush the lone gunman in Iraq, as Democrats charge? Or were there allies like Britain and Australia behind the grassy knoll?)

Democrats had been pushing for a full Iraq probe on WMD (wait, isn't that what we're doing there now?), demanding a probe of information used for attacking Iraq. (While we're at it, how about a Blue-Ribbon Commission probe of information used for attacking Bush?) They want to know the tragic intel failures tragically leading up to U.S. victory in Iraq last April (these questions aren't frivolous -- this war nearly claimed the life of Saddam! -- see angry Democrats).

What gaps in C.I.A. intelligence led Saddam to think he had Weapons of Mass Destruction? David Kay, former U.S. weapons chief in Iraq, says a massive breakdown in U.S. intelligence was the problem. This massive intelligence breakdown was so massive, it caused all of Saddam's top scientists to massively dupe Saddam into thinking he had unconventional weapons. Kay, who quit his post last Friday, says these top scientists feared Saddam intensely. That's why they intensely duped him and intensely stole from him. They pocketed the money Saddam paid them to cook up WMD, laughing all the way to the bank. Chemical Alli? Dr. Germ? Mrs. Anthrax? Ha! Guilty of no more than petty theft. No chemicals, no germs, no anthrax here. Building on this incredibly compelling theory, Kay notes Saddam's top scientists, now in U.S. custody (thanks to Bush's failed post-war planning), are, shockingly, unwilling to confess involvement in WMD programs -- i.e., unwilling to *out* themselves as war criminals -- which proves there were no war criminals in Iraq and Saddam had no WMD. Kay says the hunt for WMD wasn't even finished when he quit, which is why his report is so reliable, and there's no better time than now to leap to conclusions, to this final verdict: There were no WMD. Sen. John F. Kerry says the War on Terror should be waged on law enforcement grounds (so perhaps if Bush had obtain proper search warrants he'd have found WMD).

Clearly, gaps in intelligence led C.I.A. to file spurious reports on innocent dictators (that's just so wrong! There must be a better system to safeguard dictators) and Bush to make half-cocked statements like the following: "Saddam must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons...(Saddam) presents a clear and present danger to the stability of the Persian Gulf and the safety of people everywhere...if we had delayed for even a matter of days from (the U.N. report), we would have given Saddam more time to disperse his forces and protect his weapons (of mass destruction)."

Oh, wait, that was Clinton in '98, ordering military action.

With this new commission, to be set up by Executive Order shortly, Democrats accuse Bush of launching a full-court press to scapegoat the C.I.A., which Democrats charge provided faulty intelligence, by claiming the C.I.A. provided faulty intelligence. Democrats are convinced Saddam was wrongly accused -- that he was not armed with WMD, rendering the invasion unjustified. Democrats also accuse Reagan and Rumsfeld of arming Saddam with WMD, rendering the invasion unjustified. (We gave Saddam those weapons -- and he didn't have them, too! The gassing of Kurds was just a case of not having your WMD and using it, too.)

Democrats, coming undone like Janet Jackson's outfit during halftime, complain that a report won't be filed until after the elections -- that Bush is trying to delay things. Hmmm, I'm not too sure I buy that. If Bush were trying to delay things, he'd call for a U.N. mandate and 12 years to comply. Another charge is that Bush, who accused Saddam of hiding WMD pre-invasion, is trying to hide something himself. Hmmm, again not too sure about that either. Knowing what we know now, if Bush were trying to hide something -- indeed, keep it from ever being uncovered -- wouldn't he appoint David Kay to find it? Kay, who couldn't detect a hooker at a brothel, would be appointed Commission Chairman. Long before the probe is complete, Kay quits his post and declares, 'We were all wrong' about Bush hyping intelligence. End of story.

Bush's move to seek an inquiry on why no weapons were found has prompted ally Britain to seek an inquiry on why no weapons were found. Australia is mulling an inquiry on why no weapons were found. (After the Janet Jackson 'costume reveal' Sunday, CBS wants an inquiry on why a 'weapon' WAS FOUND and shown on live TV).

Okay, that wasn't nice. I deeply regret my crass remark which occurred in the prior paragraph during this essay halftime. My remark was unrehearsed, unplanned and completely unintentional. (I hate when that happens!) That remark did not conform to "JohnHuang2" standards, and I would like to apologize to anyone who was offended.

Oh, incidentally, while we're on the subject of apologies, if Democrats are waiting for some 'We were all wrong' apology from Bush on Iraq, forget it. For ridding the world of Saddam's regime and making America safer, Bush has nothing to apologize for.

Happy Birthday, President Reagan!
by JohnHuang2
February 6, 2002

Ronald Reagan is the reason I became interested in politics in the first place.

I didn't know much about 'issues' back then, beyond what I knew from high school; monetary policy, the Laffer curve, M1 -- none of that stuff particularly interested me. Yet.

Back in those days, I shared a typical cynicism for politics in general.

'They're all crooks', my dad would tell me. 'Every last one of them'.

Ronald Reagan changed all that.

There's something so utterly different about him. Something so honest, so genuine, so real. Intuitively, you know you could trust him. Believing in him comes so naturally.

It's hard to believe more than twenty years have slipped by since that grand and glorious night of triumph. The former governor of California -- written off by the media as a Hollywood joke and a loser-- had swept the nation in a landslide, crushing incumbent President Jimmy Carter, 51%-40%. In electoral votes, Reagan's victory was truly colossal: 489-49.

The Reagan revolution was born -- and America never looked back.

Candidate Reagan promised a renaissance; President Reagan delivered.

The 'Laffer curve' burst onto the scene -- and into the lexicon. The presstitutes derided the idea with burlesque contempt. To the pompous elite set, who clung to Keynesianism like some pagan religion, the notion of lowering taxes was itself anathema. But the Laffer curve went beyond that, promising, if implemented, to revive the economy, kill inflation while raising revenues.

'Sheer lunacy! Unvarnished buffoonery!', the liberals scoffed.

They mockingly dubbed it "Reaganomics".

Eight years later, guess who had the last laugh?

Not only did Reagan put the kabosh on the Carter recession, he sparked the longest peace-time expansion in American history. Revenues, contrary to the naysayers, exploded as lower taxes restored incentives to work, save and invest. Inflation? Ha! Are you kidding? A little dose of "Reaganonics" and poof! It was gone. Interest rates -- as high as 22% under Carter -- followed suit, plummeting back into single digits.

The "experts" had egg on their faces.

But Reagan's Presidency was more than just about economics. A lover of liberty, Reagan hated communism, and all the evil it represented. He spoke out against it at every opportunity, loudly, clearly, fervently -- even against the counsel of his closest advisors. "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down these walls!", Reagan thundered before a cheering crowd at the Brandenburg Gate. Bureaucrats from Foggy Bottom weren't too happy -- they kept trying to scratch out that line from his speech! They just didn't get it.

President Reagan loved freedom, passionately, fervidly, fiercely. His Presidency was a tribute to it. It's why he called the Soviet Union the Evil Empire, rightfully condemning its appalling record on human rights. The shilly-shally "establishment" had a conniption fit.

But President Reagan was also the quintessential optimist. He knew communism's days were numbered, turning the cherished policy of containment on its head.

At a Notre Dame commencement address in 1981, President Reagan, in these immortal words, confidently predicted communism's eventual demise:

"The years ahead will be great ones for our country, for the cause of freedom, and for the spread of civilization. The west will not contain communism, it will transcend communism. We will not bother to denounce it; we'll dismiss it as a sad, bizarre chapter in human history whose last pages are even now being written."

In less than a decade, those words were vindicated. The west went on to win the Cold War, with President Reagan leading the way. The critics, yet again, were wrong.

Small wonder why an overwhelming majority of Americans remember the Gipper so fondly.

President Reagan's poise and grace -- even under the most excruciating circumstances -- is the stuff of legends. Barely two months into his Presidency, an attempt was made on his life.

As the nation anxiously waited for word on the Gipper, his famous wit and charm was unflinching.

Reagan had just regained consciousness in the emergency ward at George Washington University Hospital, when he jokingly said to a nurse who was holding his hand: "Does Nancy know about us?"

"Honey, I forgot to duck", he told Nancy Reagan moments later.

He uttered his most memorable quip that day as he laid on the operating table just before surgery. Gazing up at his surgeons, he said: "Please tell me you're all Republicans".

Yep, that's the Gipper we all know and love.

Happy Birthday, President Reagan!

My two cents.. "JohnHuang2"

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 02-02-04...Military Monday 02-03-04...February is Funnest at the Finest 02-04-04...Meet GailA's Freedom's Rocket!

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
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[The Mayor]

February 5, 2004

Does He Care?

Read: Matthew 6:25-34

I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. —Galatians 2:20

Bible In One Year: Exodus 36-38; Matthew 23:1-22

---

If you are ever tempted to write yourself off as insignificant among the billions of people on earth, consider this: You are a one-of-a-kind creation of God (Psalm 139:13-14). That's true even of identical twins. There never has been and never will be another person exactly like you.

Even more important, God values you (Matthew 6:26-30) and has gone to great lengths to show His love. The Bible says that His Son Jesus loves you so much that He gave His life for you (Galatians 2:20).

If you were to ask a loving mother of a large family which child she would be willing to give up, I'm sure she would think your question was absurd. Susannah Wesley, for example, had 19 sons and daughters. Among them were John and Charles, who spearheaded the evangelical revival in 18th-century England. Yet if you were to read the letters she wrote to each of her children, you would marvel at her concern for their unique personalities and problems. It was as if each child was her one and only offspring.

That's a picture of how much God cares about you. If you are ever tempted to wonder if He knows you exist or cares what happens to you, remember what Jesus did for you on the cross. That's how much He loves you. —Vernon Grounds

Not the nails, but His wondrous love for me,
Kept my Lord on the cross of Calvary;
Oh, what power could hold Him there—
All my sin and shame to bear! —Keller

God loves you as much as if you were His only child.

[nicmarlo]

Thanks for finding and posting that, Mayor (thanks for all your posts, actually). I needed that!


Good morning and hope you have a good day today.

[nicmarlo]

Democrats are convinced Saddam was wrongly accused -- that he was not armed with WMD, rendering the invasion unjustified.

But, John, surely there must be ONE senator who agrees with what Bush has done and is doing......why, he said this under the Klintune Administration:

"Look, we have exhausted virtually all our diplomatic effort to get the Iraqis to comply with their own agreements and with international law. Given that, what other option is there but to force them to do so? The answer is, we don't have another option. We have got to force them to comply, and we are doing so militarily."

Two guesses who that was!

[GailA]

Good Morning FRiends..it's pouring rain in Memphis this morning. Another home run John, just when I think you've hit the top you sail another one over the fence.

[The Mayor]

Mornin nic, coffee sure tastes good.

we are all unique in our own way, each one special in Gods eye.

[lonestar]

....served with coffee and donuts!

REFILL!!!!!!

[The Mayor]

Thankyou Aqua for another great thread,
John knows how to writem and you know how to postem.

Love the pics..

[nicmarlo]

Yes, we are. I remember, when my girls were very little, trying to think of ways to "show" them that God cares about every thing we do, and everything important to us, no matter how "little."

I came up with an idea of how to impress upon them the "realness" of God's care....(they were probably about 2 and 4 when I began doing this)....For instance, when we lived in Palm Springs, CA area, the summer's were so hot and dreadful, parking your car in a lot, with no shade, well, the seat belts would burn your skin and I needed a potholder to use to turn on the ignition....so, I always had the girls pray with me that, when we got to the mall or store, God would give us a shady spot to park, beneath a tree. I prayed aloud....and before I got done praying, there'd be a car pulling out from beneath the only tree under which to park. Happened EVERY time.MP<

The girls still remember these answers to prayers....which is exactly why I did this. I knew that God would answer those prayers, every time, because they weren't prayers made in selfishness, but, rather, prayers to impress upon my kids that God even cares about parking spaces at a mall....how much "littler" can you get than that?

[The Mayor]

Thankyou for posting that, it says alot..

[Aquamarine]

Good morning Lady, looks like I just missed you last night. What a great addition your Dear John letter was to his post above!

Thank you for finding the graphic that was used to make the pledge graphic. You and Gail have a gift for finding unusual flag graphics.

[Aquamarine]

Good morning Knighthawk, it's always nice whenever you drop by.

[The Mayor]

What a great story, my wife does the same thing with my kids.

I know exactly what you mean about hot. I lived in Tucson for 8 years.
Cars get extremely hot inside, dashboards crack and you could probably bake a cake inside.

My brother broke an egg on the hood of one of his cars, it cooked, not as fast as a frying pan
of course but it goes to show ya that cars get hot enough to burn you.

[Aquamarine]

God Bless Our Military ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Below are names of some of our FReepers' loved ones who are serving our country. If you have someone you would like to add, please address a post to Billie; Mama_Bear; Dansangel; Dutchess; Aquamarine; deadhead and we will add their name to this list. As we pray for them, we pray also for all our nation's leaders, and military personnel, and their families and friends. May God hold them close to His heart.

~~~~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~~~

We ask Lord, that You guide the leaders of our great country in their hour of decision. The burden that has been placed on their shoulders is overwhelming. We ask that with Your infinite wisdom You guide them gently to the right decisions.

Please give us the strength, Lord, to get through each difficult and devastating day that faces each of us and our country. Protect and guide our Military that are now being called to duty, strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OhioWfan........................son mystery-ak..........son, husband Gogrammy................grandson Inspectorette...................son Blessed American..........nephew Slip18..........................nephew anniegetyourgun...........nephew Pippin....niece,nephew,loved one Doug from Upland......son-in-law weldgophardline.....brotherinlaw Future Snake Eater..........cousin WaterDragon..son-in-law,grandson BeforeISleep...................son The Mayor........................niece LadyX.........................grandson fawn796.....................nephew ValerieUSA................2 sons Warrior Nurse...........active duty SK1 Thurman...........active duty David Osborne.........active duty fc2tomschermuly......active duty bkwells..................activve duty LongCut..................active duty Trish.......................active duty StarCMC.........brother Atomic Conspiracy............half-brother....niece....nephew TexKat......son.....and stepson ODC-GIRL............active duty cookcounty................son Donaeus..............nephew thumperusn...........active duty katykelly..................son

Maigrey................cousin ladtx....................2 sons Mama_Bear...........2 nephews gator girl............husband severa................husband, brother Hostel....................cousin MozartLover......son, nephew LBGA........................son SpookBrat...........nephew Himyar.....................son boxerblues............2 sons the piper...................son sheeza...............husband kemathen7...........husband Tiffee4Bob.......boyfriend Diver Dave.......niece, nephew deadhead................cousin JimRobinson.....2 nephews Armymarinemom.....3 sons Consort..2 daughters,son-in-law Darheel..................niece dixie sass.............nephew BeAllYouCanBe.........son AgThorn...............2 sons homeschoolmama.......nephew kneezles.................son kimmie7...........brother Spruce.............daughter visualops....cousin, adopted Marine Dubya..............nephew SunflowerGal.......grandson RoseBear......cousin's husband

[knighthawk]

Thanks! Hope you are doing fine.

[Aquamarine]

Great post! Thanks for bring us such good news. :)

[Aquamarine]

"Look, we have exhausted virtually all our diplomatic effort to get the Iraqis to comply with their own agreements and with international law. Given that, what other option is there but to force them to do so? The answer is, we don't have another option. We have got to force them to comply, and we are doing so militarily."

Two guesses who that was!

Would that be the man behind the curtain?

[Billie]

Excellence In Reading....

The absolute best way to describe our Thursdays at the Finest! And the way it's presented every Thursday adds so much to the 'fine' print! Thanks, you two!

Aqua, you do know how much that photo looks like you, don't you! :)

[The Mayor]

A little humor from my father

Bush Took My Job & Killed my Sons

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak my mind with your e-mail friends. I lost my job this past year. When Clinton was president I was secure and prosperous, but in the last year, we had to close our operations. We simply could not compete with foreign labor. This foreigners worked for low pay under very bad conditions. They worked very long shifts, and many even died on the job.

This competition could hardly be called "fair." I was forced out of the place where I had worked for 34 years.Not a single government program was there to help me.How can Bush call himself "compassionate?" Far worse, I lost two of my sons in Bush's evil war in Iraq. They gave their lives for their country, and for what? So that Bush's oil buddies can get rich. My pain of losing my sons is indescribable.

While it is trivial next to the loss of my sons, I regret to say that I also lost my home. I simply have nothing left. How can Bush call himself a Christian when he neglects people like me? I am a senior citizen with various medical problems. I'm not in a position where I can begin a new career. I was reduced to the point where I had to live in whatever facility I could come across , all because of President Bush.

And when the folks finally came to me there, did they have any compassion for my misfortune and ailments? No, in fact I was arrested. Mr. Bush, I dare you to look me in the face and tell me you are a compassionate man! I dare you to look me in the face and tell me you are a Christian! If I had any money left, I would donate it to the Democrat Party.

If Al Gore had been elected in 2000 I would still have a job, a home, and most importantly, my dear sons!

Regards, Saddam Hussein

[Billie]

Oh, this is priceless! Poor man - he would be SO much better off if bore had won. Bush doesn't care about Senior Citizens - this is proof. LOL

[Aquamarine]

John knows how to writem and you know how to postem.

Thanks! If you only knew the difficulties I was having yesterday. We have a new computer with Windows XP and I have to click on word wrap before copying and pasting my work in. If you'll look at the Topper you can see where the bottom half of the text is missing. I apparently forgot the word wrap, it may take a while but I'll learn. lol