WP: Arms Issue Seen as Hurting U.S. Credibility Abroad

[kskiska]

Monday, January 19, 2004; Page A01

The Bush administration's inability to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq -- after public statements declaring an imminent threat posed by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein -- has begun to harm the credibility abroad of the United States and of American intelligence, according to foreign policy experts in both parties.

In last year's State of the Union address, President Bush used stark imagery to make the case that military action was necessary. Among other claims, Bush said that Hussein had enough anthrax to "kill several million people," enough botulinum toxin to "subject millions of people to death by respiratory failure" and enough chemical agents to "kill untold thousands."

Now, as the president prepares for this State of the Union address Tuesday, those frightening images of death and destruction have been replaced by a different reality: Few of the many claims made by the administration have been confirmed after months of searching by weapons inspectors.

Within the United States, Bush does not appear to have suffered much political damage from the failure to find weapons, with polls showing high ratings for his handling of the war and little concern that he misrepresented the threat.

But a range of foreign policy experts, including supporters of the war, said the long-term consequences of the administration's rhetoric could be severe overseas -- especially because the war was waged without the backing of the United Nations and was opposed by large majorities, even in countries run by leaders that supported the invasion.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27978-2004Jan18.html

[alcuno]

1. Who writes this garbage?

"Few of the many claims made by the administration have been confirmed after months of searching by weapons inspectors." Few implies more than two. Which claims have been confirmed, WP?

"polls showing high ratings for his handling of the war and little concern that he misrepresented the threat." little concern? Has the WP asked this poll question? "Are you concerned that * misrepresented the threat of WMD's?" I don't recall reading that poll, WP.

[otohara]

2. When W's #'s Start To Tank, Glenn Kessler is the Guy

who writes positive articles, spins out of control.

[0007]

3. Glenn Kessler wrote the article - did you read the two pages

of the link?

It was kind of a puff piece but at the same time putting pressure on the administration.

"Bush, when asked by ABC's Diane Sawyer why he said Iraq had weapons of mass destruction when intelligence pointed more to the possibility Hussein would obtain such weapons, dismissed the question: "So, what's the difference?"

junior didn't handle this too well!

[alcuno]

6. It's just that in between the quotes they try to be "fair and balanced"

and make up stuff for the adminstration's side of the argument.

[RamboLiberal]

4. And doesn't this quote from PNAC'er Ken Adelman make you want to

:puke:?

"The foreign policy blow-back is pretty serious," said Kenneth Adelman, a member of the Pentagon's Defense Advisory Board and a supporter of the war. He said the gaps between the administration's rhetoric and the postwar findings threaten Bush's doctrine of "preemption," which envisions attacking a nation because it is an imminent threat.

The doctrine "rests not just on solid intelligence," Adelman said, but "also on the credibility that the intelligence is solid."

What's a matter Kenny Boy, you're not going to get all your wars you damn chickenhawk?!

[alcuno]

5. The administration's rhetoric? What about Adelman's?

I'm pretty sure that I saw less "intelligence" than he did.

[kskiska]

7. Ken Adelman

of "cakewalk" fame.

[NNN0LHI]

8. I always confuse Ken "Cakewalk" Adelman with Frank Gaffney

Name: Ken "Cakewalk" Adelman
Born: Unk.
Employer: Was U.S. Taxpayer
Conflict Avoided: Vietnam
Notes: “I believe demolishing Hussein's military power and liberating Iraq would be a cakewalk.” - Washington Post, February 13, 2002

Name: Frank Gaffney
Born: 1953
Employer: Indeterminate
Conflict Avoided: Vietnam
Notes: Frank here is a very clever boy. Built a thing called the Center for Security Policy, which apparently keeps him in nice suits so he will look good in front of the TV cameras, which can't seem to get enough of him. As far as we can tell, Frank is a freelance salesman for the defense industry who is paid by an elaborately circuitous process. For all his obsession with the military, it's funny he never served.

[teryang]

9. Gaffney before the "terrorism" thing

...was advocating US Armed Forces prepare and train for inevitable uprisings and rebellions in the United States and that this was the foreseeable mission of the future for the Pentagon.

On edit:

I should have said urban uprisings and rebellions. The guy is an out and out fascist.

[wildwww2]

10. The imminent threat posed to U.S. has alway been the Bu$h family.

and their murderous thug buddies. Wake up Americans before it is too late.
Peace
Wildman
Al Gore is My President

[teryang]

11. Only 16 percent think the *resident is a liar!

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!

[Capt_Nemo]

12. "has begun to harm the credibility abroad"... has begun????

Who's the moron that writes this stuff?

US credibility reached rock bottom AN YEAR AGO and has been there ever
since with the use by the abministration of FALSIFIED INTELIGENCE
(aluminum tubes, trailer "labs"), PLAGIARIZED OUTDATED THESIS (quoting
of Blair's dossiers) and FORGED DOCUMENTS (Niger uranium) among
others!

Only the fools of the US mainstream media failed to figure out the
blatant lies back then. F*** them, the Washington Post and the horses
they rode in!