[RtWngr]

So, I guess this means that three months before the war, only Saddam and George Bush knew there were no WMD's in Iraq. /s

[bnelson44]

How reliable is this?

[Zeroisanumber]

This will make for some interesting reading 10-15 years down the line when all of the information about the Iraqi campaign is released by the DoD.

[jazusamo]

"The episode was just one of many incidents, described in a classified United States military report, other documents and in interviews,"

And where did these journalists obtain this classified information? Are they two more that may be subjected to prosecution for receiving and printing classified info?

[Dilbert56]

You have to laugh, though, when the media does the mea culpa that they didn't press hard enough. Saddam's own generals thought he still had WMD. How does the MSM, led around by the nose by handlers, think they could have ferreted out the truth with more effort. They're delusional.

On the whole, it looks like Colin Powell's presentation was a misinterpretation of events, and a rather understandable one at that. Saddam was trying to play both sides - convincing the U.N. he was clean while making his neighbors believe he was still packing. No wonder Kerry liked him so much. The next Republican presidential candidate should feel free to point out that the route suggested by the U.N. lovers was playing right into Saddam's hand. The sanctions would have to be dropped when the inspections came up empty and Saddam would have been free to resume WMD development - including nukes.

[Dr. Frank fan]

I can't shake the feeling that most Freepers are reading this story wrong - or rather, not as the NYT intended.

Look at the headline again, pretending that you get all your info from the MSM this time. I believe the subtext is clearly, "Hussein is smarter than Bush. Bush, because he [we've told you] 'had no plan', therefore [we have convinced you] 'didn't know' that Iraq would become the mess that [we've convinced you] it is today. But look: Hussein did. Another point for 'leaving Hussein in power would have been better'".

I'm pretty sure that's the angle the headline-writer tried to put on this story, anyway. You guys are screwing up their careful spin by thinking more for yourselves than you were supposed to. Shame.