[homeschool_dad]

I'm sure I'll be flamed handily for saying this, but it's been bugging me for a while now. We've talked so much about how much more we can "trust" President Bush than someone like the 'toon. But, I can't help but see an disheartening similarity between clinton's finger waving, and Mr. Powel holding up the vial of "anthrax" powder at the u.n. To me, the Bush administration made it all about the urgency - the impending disaster. Sure, you can argue all you want about, "well, the u.n. was looking for months, it will take time". But to me, just an average joe in Wisconsin, I honestly expected them to be able to produce SOMETHING in the way of evidence, especially after how they had hounded us daily about the MASSIVE amounts of weapons at his disposal. I read somewhere else here this morning that the administration feels that any voter displeasure over the inability to find any WMD will be overshadowed the the overall succcess of the operation. Well, say what you want, but I hold the administration to a higher standard than that.

[homeschool_dad]

an = a (sorry for the bad grammar)

[W04Man]

Have you really read what Powell said?

Check this out:
Powell didn't say, as you imply "Iraq HAS ........ YADDA YADDA YADDA."

One example:

"...Second, as with biological weapons, Saddam Hussein has never accounted for vast amounts of chemical weaponry: 550 artillery shells with mustard, 30,000 empty munitions and enough precursors to increase his stockpile to as much as 500 tons of chemical agents....."

Second example:

Iraq declared 8500 liters of anthrax. But UNSCOM estimates that Saddam Hussein could have produced 25,000 liters. If concentrated into this dry form, this amount would be enough to fill tens upon tens upon tens of thousands of teaspoons. And Saddam Hussein has not verifiably accounted for even one teaspoonful of this deadly material. And that is my third point. And it is key. The Iraqis have never accounted for all of the biological weapons they admitted they had and we know they had.

Source: State Dept Web site:

http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2003/17300.htm

[ohioman]

The WMD's went somewhere. If your confidence level in Bush is this low, then go back into your cave. We will let you know when the storm has passed.

[W04Man]

Oh, forgot to add. We have found evidence of his WMD program with the mobile Bio Trailers. We will find more evidence. I'm sure of it. Hold your horses while we continue to capture more of the bad guys.

[grania]

I concur. We elected this President because we wanted to wipe out the deceit and dishonesty of the Clinton years. Saying "they lied too" just reduces GWB to the disgusting level of those he's being compared to.

I want to know that GWB wouldn't intentionally lie to us. And, if he was given incorrect information purposely, those responsible should be handed over to Shiite courts.

[RinaseaofDs]

I'd feel the same way you do if every security apparatus in the world basically endorsed the same outlook on Iraq:

They've produced them, bought them, deployed them against foreign enemies, and deployed them against domestic populations.

The above are facts that exists before war against Iraq was even contemplated. From there, intelligence gathers evidence and you, at some point, have to decide for yourself whether you need to wait for something approaching 100% certainty before you act.

I put myself in Mr. Bush's shoes and based on what information was avaialble to the press, I would have gone to war.

The fact is that most democrats in the Clinton administration felt there was sufficient evidence to go to war as well. What upsets me as a conservative is that had Gore won, you might have seen the same democrats urging Clinton to war, urging Gore to war. Why weren't they behind Mr. Bush? Politics.

[conservativecorner]

You seem to fall into the camp that was more than willing to give inspectors months and years more, but are unwilling to give time to the coalition which has more than had it's plate full with crushing an opposing force and returning services to the people of Iraq. We are talking about a land mass that is as big as California, and the Iraqi Regime had 12 years to perfect their hiding of weapons. I should also mention all the missiles that have been found in vioation of their various UN resolutions.

[VRWC_minion]

But to me, just an average joe in Wisconsin, I honestly expected them to be able to produce SOMETHING in the way of evidence,

Even if such a move hinders the investigations and causes some weapons to go undetected ?

Do you require your local police department to release its information regarding ongoing investigations ?

[pickemuphere]

But, I can't help but see an disheartening similarity between clinton's finger waving, and Mr. Powel holding up the vial of "anthrax" powder at the u.n.

Agreed. It also makes us look insipid when we attempt to blame others (Klintoon included) for the intelligence failure. To put it bluntly, Bush should have double and triple checked all the data provided by the U.N. and the Klintoon admin.

Why would we trust anything given to us by those two?

[Frapster]

Well, say what you want, but I hold the administration to a higher standard than that.

It is specifically because of the amount of trust that I feel President Bush and his administration asked us to place in them that I agree with your thoughts on this.