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How the Poll Results on Iraq Were Manipulated James Zogby, Special to Arab News WASHINGTON, 22 October 2003 — Early in President Bush’s recent public relations campaign to rebuild support for the US war effort in Iraq, Vice President Cheney appeared on “Meet the Press.” Attempting to make the case that the US was winning in Iraq, Cheney made the following observations: “There was a poll done, just random in the last week, first one I’ve seen carefully done; admittedly, it’s a difficult area to poll in. Zogby International did it with American Enterprise magazine. But that’s got very positive...

Former Navy secretary blasts Bush on Iraq By DENNIS O'BRIEN, The Virginian-Pilot © August 30, 2003 NORFOLK -- Former Navy Secretary James Webb blasted the Bush administration's policy on Iraq, saying it was sold to the American people on false premises. ``I am very troubled by the fact that we went into Iraq and very troubled about how we're going to get out of Iraq,'' Webb said Thursday to about 200 naval officers, veterans and civilians at the Radisson Hotel Norfolk. The lecture was sponsored by the Hampton Roads Naval Museum and the Naval War College Foundation. The United States...

There is a growing debate in the U.S. over President George W. Bush's State of the Union speech claim that "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussain recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." Serious questions have been raised about the validity of the intelligence used to make that claim and whether the president was aware of CIA's concerns with the intelligence before he made the speech. This controversy, coupled with the continuing lethal attacks against U.S. military personnel in Iraq and questions about the adequacy of the Administration's post-war planning, has produced a changing political climate in...

Pentagon toy boys revel in war's distraction April 6 2003 By Roger Franklin Despite all the gee-whiz phone cams, and "fly away" satellite links, events in the two weeks since the first bombs rained down on Iraq have been anything but easy to follow. Exaltation at the initial surge gave way to surprise that Saddam's loyalists were not merely fighting back but doing so with spirit. Then came the stories of hungry GIs on the front lines, followed by the rumble of recriminations in Washington. It was all the fault of Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, a small army of retired...

Can anything be more moving than the joyous throngs swarming the streets of Baghdad? Memories of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the defeat of Milosevic in Belgrade flood back. Statues and images of Saddam are smashed and defiled. Liberation is at hand. Liberation — the powerful balm that justifies painful sacrifice, erases lingering doubt and reinforces bold actions. Already the scent of victory is in the air. Yet a bit more work and some careful reckoning need to be done before we take our triumph. In the first place, the final military success needs to be assured. Whatever...

New York Times Headline: "Democrats Keep Their Heads Down While Letting Generals Speak Out."

Depressed Dems Let Generals Do Dirty Work April 2, 2003 The New York Times ran a fabulous photo on Tuesday. I have never seen Tom Daschle, Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton look so dejected. Daschle is practically looking at his feet. So is Schumer, and Hillary just has a blank look on her face. Jon Corzine is there too, but you can barely recognize him. That's how depressed he looks. The headline of the story: "Democrats Keep Their Heads Down While Letting Generals Speak Out." Here's a quote: "Except for a few persistent voices, Democratic lawmakers are holding their...

April 2, 2003 Democrats Keep Their Heads Down While Letting Generals Speak OutBy CARL HULSE ASHINGTON, April 1 — The Bush administration's war policy is coming under steady criticism, but not from Democrats in Congress, where the opposition party has been remarkably silent. Except for a few persistent voices, Democratic lawmakers are holding their tongues on the war in Iraq, allowing generals to take the lead in challenging Pentagon planners while they avoid taking positions they fear could invite Republican retaliation. The decision by House and Senate Democrats — and, to a lesser extent, some presidential candidates — reflects a...

DEAN-DUMBSo much for the Democrats' hope that retired General Wesley Clark was going to be their Colin Powell. "He's more Benedict Arnold than anything else, if you believe the mail we've been getting here," says the Democratic National Committee staffer who, only a month ago was touting Clark as his party's answer to the military star power aligned with Republicans. "Any cachet he might have had he's pretty much pissed away on TV," says the staffer. Since the outbreak of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Clark has been on CNN, bemoaning the Pentagon and Gen. Tommy Franks's strategy in the opening days...

Lisbon - The United States does not have the military means to take over Baghdad and will lose the war against Iraq, former United Nations weapons inspector Scott Ritter said. "The United States is going to leave Iraq with its tail between its legs, defeated. It is a war we can not win," he told private radio TSF in an interview broadcast here Tuesday evening. "We do not have the military means to take over Baghdad and for this reason I believe the defeat of the United States in this war is inevitable," he said. "Every time we confront Iraqi...

"US will lose war", says former UN inspector March 26 2003 at 06:42PM Lisbon - The United States does not have the military means to take over Baghdad and will lose the war against Iraq, former United Nations weapons inspector Scott Ritter said. "The United States is going to leave Iraq with its tail between its legs, defeated. It is a war we can not win," he told private radio TSF in an interview broadcast here Tuesday evening. "We do not have the military means to take over Baghdad and for this reason I believe the defeat of the United...

Former UN weapons inspector says US does not have military means to take over Baghdad, defeat inevitable. LISBON - The United States does not have the military means to take over Baghdad and will lose the war against Iraq, former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter said. "The United States is going to leave Iraq with its tail between its legs, defeated. It is a war we can not win," he told private radio TSF in an interview broadcast here Tuesday evening. "We do not have the military means to take over Baghdad and for this reason I believe the defeat...

You might wonder why Gen. McCaffrey--like Gen. Wesley Clark and several others--seem to be shilling for the Dems who oppose the war. A pal of mine, who was a Navy officer at the time, told me about how the entire staff of the European command he served in was summoned on short notice for an urgent briefing one day in 1996. Seems like some bigshot White House general was coming to get everyone straightened out about life. My pal glanced at his classified files, threw them in the safe, straightened his tie, and went into the briefing room. Forty-five minutes...