Posted on 08/18/2004 9:34:16 AM PDT by jfangio
Retiring GOP Rep.: Iraq War Unjustified
36 minutes ago
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LINCOLN, Neb. - A top Republican congressman has broken from his party in the final days of his House career, saying he believes the U.S. military assault on Iraq (news - web sites) was unjustified and the situation there has deteriorated into "a dangerous, costly mess."
"I've reached the conclusion, retrospectively, now that the inadequate intelligence and faulty conclusions are being revealed, that all things being considered, it was a mistake to launch that military action," Rep. Doug Bereuter (news, bio, voting record) wrote in a letter to his constituents.
"Left unresolved for now is whether intelligence was intentionally misconstrued to justify military action," he said.
Bereuter is a senior member of the House International Relations Committee and vice chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. He is stepping down after 13 terms to become the president of the Asia Foundation effective Sept. 1.
The letter, sent to constituents who have contacted him about the war, was reported by the Lincoln Journal Star in its Wednesday editions.
In 2002, Bereuter had spoken out in support of a House resolution authorizing the president to go to war.
President Bush (news - web sites) has continued to argue the war was justified because Saddam represented a threat to the United States, his neighbors and the people of Iraq.
In addition to "a massive failure or misinterpretation of intelligence," Bereuter said the Bush administration made several other errors in going to war despite warnings about the consequences.
"From the beginning of the conflict, it was doubtful that we for long would be seen as liberators, but instead increasingly as an occupying force," he said. "Now we are immersed in a dangerous, costly mess, and there is no easy and quick way to end our responsibilities in Iraq without creating bigger future problems in the region and, in general, in the Muslim world."
Bereuter said as a result of the war, "our country's reputation around the world has never been lower and our alliances are weakened."
Lincoln City Council member Jeff Fortenberry, a Republican, is facing off against Democratic state Sen. Matt Connealy to replace Bereuter said.
Bereuter.....Reuter's........Coincidence ?
Another Hegel Republican.
Every turncoat leaves, makes some nasty parting shots and then expects to become the left's hero.
Who was that no-name New England Senator who flipped on the GOP back in '02? I don't even remember his name. Boy, those Dems sure have made him a household name.
Or that Michael Lind dude who became a liberal journalist - I guess that editorship of Newsweek didn't materialize for him either.
Mess of pottage.
That will score him some points in the bath-house tonight.
Good thing he is leaving.
(hanging head in shame)
Big woop. What about congressional Democrats who support the war? Don't hear much about them, do ya?
TRANSLATION: He has lined up a cushy job as chief lobbyist for a bunch of foreign nations -- including several communist ones (China, Vietnam, etc.) -- and is starting to spout the party line to please his new bosses.
I thought there were laws against such blatant "double-dipping" WRT U.S. gov't employees representing foreign nations...
Well, all I have to say is that Doug Bereuter has been my own congressman for a long time, and usually a good one at that--but this is further illustration that the longer these guys stay in Washington, the more they forget their home base, their own people, their values.
Good riddance to him.
Oh, you mean Jumpin' Jim Jeffords - who the Left fawned all over for being so "principled" when he back-stabbed the Republican Vermonters who worked hard to get him elected............
If he pisses off the Republican Party, I would hope that he does not bring get good results for his new masters in Asia.
I cannot imagine that Jim Jeffords would get good results as a lobbyist right now.
But, like Benedict Arnold, he assumes that the Democrast will win the Presidency in November, and perhaps even believes that they will regain their "rightful" hegemony in Congress, too.
The problem with this Iraq diagnosis is that it is wrong. Iraq is actually looking very promising right now.
From his bio: "Although they retain their Nebraska home on the Platte River, they have resided in the San Francisco Bay area since September of 2004."
Infected with the Berkley virus most likely...
And he wrote a book - which was about 60 pages long and set in 16pt type with 2" margins.
And Sharon Stone said that she wanted to meet him and thank him in person for flipping.
I couldn't agree more
Its worse than that; he has drawn the wrong conclusion based on his own wishful thinking - a dangerous delusion, indeed. Its obvious he cannot see the "big" picture in that we have undertaken World War IV - or rather, it has been thrust upon us. Who will replace him in Congress?
I can't believe that anyone would even be upset about this...even so, we loved it when Zell Miller stood with the President, against his own party. I think this is a doble standard.
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