In challenging war's critics, administration tinkers with truth

The Mercury News ^ | Nov. 16, 2005 | JAMES KUHNHENN AND JONATHAN S. LANDAY

[dnmore]

WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney turned up the White House rhetoric Wednesday in attacking critics of the Iraq war, accusing some unnamed lawmakers of lacking "backbone."

Cheney's rough-edged remarks were the latest in the Bush administration's campaign to challenge critics of the war, accusing them of twisting the historical record about how and why the war was launched. Yet in accusing Iraq war critics of "rewriting history," Bush, Cheney and other senior administration officials are tinkering with the truth themselves.

The administration's overarching premise is beyond dispute - administration officials, Democratic and Republican lawmakers and even leaders of foreign governments believed intelligence assessments that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. That intelligence turned out to be wrong.

But Bush, Cheney, and other senior officials have added several other arguments in recent days that distort the factual record. Below, Knight Ridder addresses the administration's main assertions:

...

ASSERTION: In his speech, Bush noted that "more than a hundred Democrats in the House and the Senate - who had access to the same intelligence - voted to support removing Saddam Hussein from power."

...

The resolution that authorized use of force against Iraq didn't specifically address removing Saddam. It gave Bush the power to "defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq" and to "enforce all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq."

[dnmore]

To state that it didn't specifically address removal of Saddam is disengeneous in that regime change is one of the explicit justifications (Wheras-es) in the resolution. And I quoteahem....

From H.J. 114 "JOINT RESOLUTION To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq." we have:

"Whereas the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 (Public Law 105– 338) expressed the sense of Congress that it should be the policy of the United States to support efforts to remove from power the current Iraqi regime and promote the emergence of a democratic government to replace that regime;"

[Fenris6]

Another MSM hatchet job. These guys must be stupid. How can any "journalist" not bother to access the same info you just posted? Tar & feather the weasel.

[nuconvert]

"That intelligence turned out to be wrong."

And therein lies the crux of the matter. Thank you for stating it Mercury News. Since when is repeating information that then turns out to be inaccurate, a lie??
So, now Mercury News (as other media outlets are having to do) is on record as admitting that the President didn't lie.
Thank you.

[MNJohnnie]

Yep, Simply amazing how they lie daily for years and then get so indignant when the Bush Admin simply points out how they are lying. The Dinosaur Media are total scum. The sooner they go bankrupt, the better for the USA.

[river rat]

Those of us in San Jose --- Republic of Kalifornicate ---- learned long ago that the "Murky News" is suitable only for ass wipes and fish wrap.....

Believe it or not, the ignorant leftist bastards here use it in that order.

Semper Fi

[DustyMoment]

The administration's overarching premise is beyond dispute - administration officials, Democratic and Republican lawmakers and even leaders of foreign governments believed intelligence assessments that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. That intelligence turned out to be wrong.

Actually, you lying scum buckets, it didn't. The only thing that turned out to be wrong is this editorial. What has been proven is that Saddam MOVED his WMDs, and the evidence suggests that he moved it to SYRIA.

Papers that publish in glass houses . . . .