[Leaning Right]

Your post #83 is a very reasonable argument for why Bush could not report the WMD’s that were (allegedly) found.

If your reading of the situation is correct, then it was a judgment call. But I would then argue that Bush made the wrong call. By not “finding” WMD’s, the reputation of the US was greatly damaged. That's a very big deal. We are no longer indisputably the good guys.

Today, much of the world - and many Americans - see the US as aggressors in Iraq, and muslims as the victims. That is a very dangerous mindset going forward.

[defconw]

I concede the point that we were damaged by this. But I would say that Bush made the call based on what should have been a stable Iraq, with a friendly government.

That was what he kept saying and I believe with all my heart that is what he believed. I also agree that this nation building did not end well. It was to much to hope for.

However, who with a straight face can sit here and say that they foresaw this muzzie, poser POS, Arab spring nonsense child we now have in office coming from way back in 2003?

[justa-hairyape]

We were going to be the bad guys either way.

Either we lied about WMD.

Or

We damaged bunkers by bombing and had to leave WMD in place

Blew up WMD store facilities and polluted Iraq

Gave locations where terrorists could find WMD buried.

Catch 22. No win scenario you have to go with the side that causes the least amount of death.