United States: 'Saddam had no weapons of mass destruction'

Sunday Herald ^ | May 4, 2003 | Neil Mackay

[Rebecca Silhavy]

The Bush administration has admitted that Saddam Hussein probably had no weapons of mass destruction. Senior officials in the Bush administration have admitted that they would be 'amazed' if weapons of mass destruction (WMD) were found in Iraq.

According to administration sources, Saddam shut down and destroyed large parts of his WMD programmes before the invasion of Iraq.

Ironically, the claims came as US President George Bush yesterday repeatedly justified the war as necessary to remove Iraq's chemical and biological arms which posed a direct threat to America.

Bush claimed: 'Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. We will find them.'

The comments from within the administration will add further weight to attacks on the Blair government by Labour backbenchers that there is no 'smoking gun' and that the war against Iraq -- which centred on claims that Saddam was a risk to Britain, America and the Middle East because of unconventional weapons -- was unjustified.

The senior US official added that America never expected to find a huge arsenal, arguing that the administration was more concerned about the ability of Saddam's scientists -- which he labelled the 'nuclear mujahidin' -- to develop WMDs when the crisis passed.

This represents a clearly dramatic shift in the definition of the Bush doctrine's central tenet -- the pre-emptive strike. Previously, according to Washington, a pre-emptive war could be waged against a hostile country with WMDs in order to protect American security.

Now, however, according to the US official, pre-emptive action is justified against a nation which simply has the ability to develop unconventional weapons.

[amused]

This is classic GW Rope a Dope. They will let the mediots like the clymers at the Guardian start this stuff. Then some maggot infested fish US wrap will pick it up.

Grampa...we think way too much alike ;-)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/898981/posts

[Grampa Dave]

Why have a Dr Anthrax unless you have people working with Anthrax to make it a WMD?

Ooops, we just caught Dr Anthrax?

[AZamericonnie]

Failure to Find Saddam Proves He Never Existed

Loved the post AdamAz!

[Grampa Dave]

Some of the Freepers like those in this group can spot these phoney stories faster than a Greyhound can catch a crippled rabbit trying to run on two bad legs.

If we had been around, Woodward would not have gotten by with his deepthroat bs. That was a lie just like this article was re the unnamed sources.

The big NY Slimes lie about the artifacts being stolen in Baghdad while trying to blame on our Marines for not guarding it was shredded by Freepers in the first day.

Just a few minutes ago FNC pointed out that only about 30 items were missing. That was more than likely due to an inside job by the Iraqis in charge of the museum.

This is why they hate Free Republic, Fox news and conservative talk radio.

[Calamari]

Trolling?

[Poohbah]

If we had been around, Woodward would not have gotten by with his deepthroat bs. That was a lie just like this article was re the unnamed sources.

I think Deep Throat was a real individual, and there's a good case for Al Haig being the culprit.

It's worth noting that all of the living players in Watergate generally agree that Deep Throat was a real person, and they all have their idea as to who it was.

[Grampa Dave]

Actually you scooped me on this. I had posted a few weeks
earlier that we probably had a mole in the DNC who leaked bad news to the DNCers/Slimes and top rats. Then, they ran with the leak and got slammed.

You came up with the rope a dope, and I did a Joe Biden with your title.

Remember when the Da$$hole got up and exposed himself complaining that we were focusing on Iraq and forgetting the terrorists. Two days later the big fish caught in Pakistan was announced.

I still think that we have a mole in the DNC or they are playing some rat senator with bum data. When he/she/it tells the Da$$hole, and the Da$$hole makes a fool of himself, GW pulls the rope.

Rope a Dope, created by Amused and borrowed and gussied up by Grampa Dave.

[Grampa Dave]

There are a lot of us who feel that Deep Throat was a mythical creation by Woodward and his lackey to cover their theories and lies.

[Poohbah]

There are a lot of us who feel that Deep Throat was a mythical creation by Woodward and his lackey to cover their theories and lies.

There was enough fact in what was reported that folks like Liddy and Colson agreed on one thing--Woodward had a high-quality source of information inside the White House--and Haig was the guy who had the most access AND the most reason (that upholding and defending the Constitution thingie) to go off the reservation

[BibChr]

Very good!

[Grampa Dave]

It is one of the great mysteries of our life time.

[GrandMoM]

Have you ever seen a rat being handled by some big dogs. Each one will chew on it just a little and throw it up in the air. The next big dog catches it, chews and throws it up in the air. The process goes on until nothing is left of the rat.....watching them dogs makes for a real exciting afternoon doesn't grampa Dave.

[Poohbah]

True enough.

Have you read Silent Coup? I don't subscribe to the more conspiratorial elements in that book, but Liddy says that the authors got the key facts as to what was going on before and during the burglary exactly right.

[dighton]

"The Viking Kittens are crushed! I, Rebecca Silhavy, have dispatched their coffins to Valhalla! My account is not banned or suspended!"

[ctdonath2]

According to administration sources, Saddam shut down and destroyed large parts of his WMD programmes before the invasion of Iraq.

Then it worked. Doesn't really matter how the WMDs are located and destroyed, as long as they are located and destroyed - even if only by an evil despot and his cronies scared $#!^less about getting caught with them. Nobody seriously doubted WMDs were there, the UN gave an ultimatum, the US went in to carry it out, and now the WMDs are gone. Success!

[Grampa Dave]

Watching or being one of those dogs is a great way to spend the afternoon. Or as my older and younger son call it, the strong wolves culling the pack of the weak wolves.

[amused]

Rope a Dope, created by Amused and borrowed and gussied up by Grampa Dave.

hehehe....I noticed it but I am hardly the creator. It comes from Bush and Rove back during Election 2000. I have noticed it as a pattern and I hope this holds true to form when it comes to WMD. I supported the war in Iraq for a myriad of reasons but the biggest wasn't stringently tied to the fact that Saddam had WMD. But I would hate to see Bush have a chink in the foreign policy armor.

Example #1 - Allowing the media, the DNC and their cronies to repeat ad naseum that Bush is practically retarded then watch as Bush wows the debates, syntax mistakes and all. Even though Bush was an even less polished public speaker then, the Dems graciously lowered the expectations to the point that if Bush didn't scream like a chimp(ironic since that is their derisive name for him) and scratch himself, Gore would have a tough time looking like a winner. They then complained about expectations lowered, reveling in denial of their own culpability.

Example #2 - During the debacle in FL, Bush was sure to cite law and avoid BS rhetoric like "count all the votes". Gore looked like a hypcrite when he a)didn't call for a state-wide recount...again(the liberal counter is that he had to ask Bush's permission....is that not a political opportunity or what...call Bush to the carpet....but Gore decided to do otherwise)b)Got military ballots thrown out. Here we had people trying to gauge the intent of the voter through dimples and semi-detached chads while our military personnel were summarily rejected because of the date. To this day.....even my mother, a staunch Dem, shakes her head at this.

Of course there are many examples we can cite. For a game lover(the game of politics that is), this has been a fun time ;-)

[Grampa Dave]

I think that Liddy was right with this, Liddy says that the authors got the key facts as to what was going on before and during the burglary exactly right.

[11B3]

"I still think that we have a mole in the DNC or they are playing some rat senator with bum data. When he/she/it tells the Da$$hole, and the Da$$hole makes a fool of himself, GW pulls the rope."

My nomination for that mole would be none other than Hillary. Member, Senate Armed Services Committee. The perfect venue to leak BS "supposedly to be kept secret". Then she goes back and leaks the false info while setting herself up for some real charges. Perfect strategery - use the Clinton's famous lack of integrity against the entire DemonRat Party while also insuring that The Ankle can't ever make it to the White House. If true, it's brilliant.

[k2blader]

Yep!