Posted on 02/21/2020 8:21:17 PM PST by rintintin
Donald Trump attacked the Bush family during the Republican presidential debate Saturday night, accusing the George W. Bush administration of lying to the public before going to war in Iraq.
"Obviously the war in Iraq was a big, fat mistake," Trump said, launching into a fierce critique of rival Jeb Bush's brother.
"George Bush made a mistake," the billionaire continued. "Obviously we can make mistakes, but that one was a beauty."
"We should have never been in Iraq," Trump added. "They lied, they said there were weapons of mass destruction. There were none and they knew that there were none."
Jeb Bush aggressively defended his brother.
"I'm sick and tired of Barack Obama blaming my brother for all the problems that he's had and frankly I could care less about the insults Donald Trump gives against me," the former Florida governor said.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
It was also after this debate that Kristol became a NeverTrumper. Kristol LOVES the Iraq War, and HATES anybody who questions it or any other one of our endless wars.
MAGA
Remember it was the “intelligence community” that told us there were WMDs in Iraq - even though UN inspectors on the ground couldn’t find any.
For the past three years, the “intelligence community” has been telling us Trump is in cahoots with the Russians.
I’m not going to be burned twice by these deepstaters.
I think alot of people that vote Republican started to really coalesce around this time to the fact that Republicans were do nothing scum. And just to get the facts straight, the first excuse for invasion was violation of the northern no fly zone. When that didnt fly with the French or the U.N. they pivoted to WMD’s. When they found none it became purple fingers in the air and we’re bringing democracy to the Middle East. Bush was every bit as bad as Obama.
Thanks for your excellent memory. Yes, there were multiple stories/rationales over time, I had forgotten.
Bush wanted to invade during the fall of 2002 (IIRC) so that they would have six months in the milder Iraqi winter to wage war instead of the harsh summer. Liberals in Congress and at the UN nagged Bush not to invade until Congress could be satisfied and he could arrange for other countries to share in the invasion. That took six months.
I still believe that was enough time for Hussein to have his WMDs dismantled and transfered to Syria and Libya so he could hoodwink the West into believing he had none. It was reported during the Iraq War that trace evidence of WMDs had been found in a few military sites.
It always seemed fishy that Libya would suddenly volunteer that they had WMDs and would destroy them immediately when pressured by the U.S. - Libya never said where they got those WMDs from but they seemed to be readily willing to give them up, making me think they weren’t theirs to begin with.
By the time this information made its way to the western media, the “Bush Lied” theme was already in full force so there was no information that was going to move the liberals and their media to admit Bush might have been correct in his early assessment.
Maybe I’m naive but I just don’t think Bush would commit troops to invade Iraq and Colin Powell wouldn’t trot out spy satellite photos they knew to be false just to gin up a war. I could be wrong. But I still am unwilling to condemn either without stronger proof that they knowingly went to war under false pretenses or to stop Hussein from financing suicide bombers in Israel, which he was doing prior to the invasion and stopped soon afterwards.
“Remember it was the “intelligence community” that told us there were WMDs in Iraq - even though UN inspectors on the ground couldn’t find any.”
One of those “UN” inspectors was an American Marine, Scott Ritter. Ritter kept telling anyone who would listen that there was no sign of WMDs in Iraq.
Freepers love to argue that there were WMDs, but they had been trucked out to Syria. If so they apparently weren’t very dangerous WMDs since Assad lost half of his country in the years since then.
Dubya sent the 1,000 man Iraq Survey Group into postwar Iraq to find WMDs. They spent a year, and the only WMDs they found were old chemical artillery shells from pre-Gulf War One. All of Saddam’s old manufacturing facilities were decrepit with no sign that they had been used since the first Gulf War.
All of that is a bit murky. I recall Sadam refusing and delaying access to UN inspectors.
Personally, I was for destroying Iraq and establishing airbases for strategic offensive operations in the region. Iraq would provide us bases to surround Iran on all sides. At no time was I for nation rebuilding. Quickly, brutally lay waste to our enemies and get out ASAP with the least amount of American human and financial loss.
Not that I want it to mean anything, but I'd sooner trust the "intelligence" community over UN "inspectors."
Not that I want it to mean anything, but I’d sooner trust the “intelligence” community over UN “inspectors.”
Except the UN inspectors were right. And the intelligence community was wrong. Trump even said they were deliberately wrong - he said they lied about WMDs. By the way, that’s one of the reasons the intelligence community hates Trump and they’re still pushing the Russia hoax about him. Said that you’re a believer in them
I'm with you. A few years ago, this would have made me mad. But after the last three years I do not trust the “intelligence community”.
I just hope Dubya was as fooled as I was.
I’m with Trump. He said the Iraq war was a disastrous mistake based on lies about WMDs. He also said the Middle East was better off with Saddam in power.
So you still think the Iraq war was a good idea Got it
Vietnam and Korea were disastrous mistakes too. Why were we there? What did we lose so much for?
As RubinBoomer said above. If we'd have gone in with realpolitik reasons and used Iraq to build bases squat in the middle of Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia and rattle our swords real loud, maybe.
But when we saw the aftermath with weasels and losers like Bremer and Tenant getting Medal of Freedom awards for screwing things up, I knew it was a mistake.
You’re talking about a perpetual US occupation of Iraq. You would have favorited that. It would update have required at least half a million troops, it has been estimated. And more than the $3 trillion we’ve spent on a comparatively minor incursion. And all of it borrowed from China since were deep in debt already
What do so many “conservatives” like you get excited about spending limitless money on foreign “forever” wars - while complaining that AOC won’t put a price tag on her own domestic proposals? You’re just as spendthrift on both sides, just different wish lists
Put a sock in it. We’re still in Germany.
You sound like a nevertrumper, a Bill Kristol type. Anyway, You’re argument is with Trump. He’s the one who correctly called the Iraq war an idioticcmistake, and who says it was stupid to take out Saddam who was a deterrent to Iran and who was killing jihadis. Go argue with trump - or put a sock in it.
Like you Bill Kristol LOVES the Iraq war. That’s why he hates Trump
And you admitted you want a perpetual US occupation of Iraq. Unlike Germany, that would take 500000 troops and trillions of dollars because its a Islamist snakepit. But you neocons never learn
The only way to do that is to destroy their capabilities. I was never for rebuilding any of these nations. Sadam could remain in power, but if I had my way he wouldn't have a working military, electricity or clean water.
Iraq was strategic because if we controlled Iraq then Iran would be surrounded. We would have airbases in Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. Iran would cease being a problem 16 or 17 years ago.
I never had any desire to take and hold ground, other than for offensive bases of operation. Simply destroy the enemy. Instead, we have allow muzzies to immigrate, become members of Congress, and for our liberties to be infringed. We gave up freedoms and let the enemy live amongst us. That's not what I was looking for. Iraq wasn't a binary, go or no go decision. There were more options. I prefer the one where we win. Others in the world may not like it, but they will respect us because they could be next.
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