Gates: Reason for War ''Invalid''

[Octafish]

IOW: Bush lied. Gee. That's what the "Truthers" said.

Reason for war invalid: Gates

Richard Spencer, Baghdad
The Age (Australia)
September 3, 2010

AMERICA'S Defence Secretary has conceded that the original premise for the war in Iraq was "not valid" as he marked the formal end of the US campaign.

Robert Gates acknowledged the divisions the war had inflicted on American society as responsibility for front-line operations passed to Iraq's forces.

"The problem with this war for many Americans is that the premise on which we justified going to war proved not to be valid," he said before a ceremony in Baghdad. "Even if the outcome is a good one from the standpoint of the United States, it will always be clouded by how it began."

SNIP...

Mr Gates lamented the fruitless search for weapons of mass destruction that propelled the two countries into war in 2003.

CONTINUED...

http://www.theage.com.au/world/reason-for-war-invalid-gates-20100902-14rls.html

The real reason for Iraq War: Money and Power and who gets to hold them.

BTW: The "Truthers" on DU said that, too, back in 2002.

Why did it take so long for the Pentagon to figure it out? It's only cost what, a coupla trillion dollars?

Oh, and a million lives, give or take an order of magnitude, but who's counting?

[yurbud]

1. it's called a conspiracy theory if you say it when the whole media of banging the war drum

now Gates and even some in the media pretend it was self evident all along.

[JuniperLea]

3. Of course they are...

They can't be wrong.

I was just yesterday thinking about Colin Powell's testimony before Congress... and how uneasy he looked. The rat bastard knew he was lying. He was the only one in BushCo I had any respect for... until that day when I saw the lies in his face. He didn't want to lie... but he pushed past his own good sense and lied his ass off anyway.

GAWD I hate them all... and I hate them for making me hate them.

[yurbud]

19. he and Scott McClellan both looked uncomfortable lying, and Condi just wasn't good at it

the rest were stone sociopaths.

But in a way, the fact that someone has enough moral sensibility to be uneasy with their actions makes them more not less guilty.

[JuniperLea]

20. That's how I see it too...

If you can make yourself push past your conscience, you're a disgusting piece of work. Makes me wonder what they thought was in it for them.

[yurbud]

28. some people are good, some evil, and some look to see who is winning

and try to get on their good side.

They bet on the wrong horse (at least in moral terms).

[Octafish]

10. Labels. They're used to sell things.

Like war.

[blm]

2. The weapon inspectors were reporting back that force was not needed...the MSM muted those voices who

sided with the weapon inspectors, including some who voted for the IWR believing the results of the inspections would gain full news coverage and would determine whether force was needed or NOT.

Fuck the fascist MSM - corpmediawhores

[Octafish]

9. For Afghan 'Theater' - Obama repeated Bush 'assertion' the Taliban refused to turn over bin Laden.

Which, also, is a lie.

Obama repeated Bush line that Taliban refused to turn over bin Laden.

Wall Street knows: The Business of America is War. Period.

[Raksha]

24. "The Business of America is War."

Even as cynical as I am, I desperately hope you're wrong about that. And yet I'm so afraid you're right. I've been following your research into the BFEE for a while now, and you seem to be right about most things.

[BeFree]

12. ha

You sound like one of those 10 percenters!!

And now, so does Gates.

PS: For newbies eyes only: 10 percenters refers to the 10% of uwe, the people, that totally rejected bush on or about 10/1/2001. Thank you.

[JuniperLea]

4. TeaBaggers and Bush's Backwash (is that redundant?)

Won't believe this. They still think the WMD were trucked to Syria... good GAWD man! You saw the pictures!

[Octafish]

14. Idiot Stay-Behinds

Once the lie gets into a head, it requires many-fold more times the truth to drive it out.

Know your BFEE: Lies Are the Currency of Their Realm

[kentuck]

5. Sorry for all the people that died...

Because we made a mistake and believed Saddam Hussein when he said he had all these weapons. What more proof did we need to send these people to their deaths??

[JuniperLea]

21. You can't be serious...

Did you forget :sarcasm:


I hope

[Solly Mack]

6. Overlook the lies, the trumped up evidence, the torture...because

"...the outcome is a good one from the standpoint of the United States"

Damn malcontents wanting to dwell on the negatives!

[Octafish]

15. Bush Family Tradition

http://www.thismodernworld.com/media/arc/1992%20archive/92lies,-lies,lies.gif

Response 16 adds pertinent detail: Know your BFEE: GW Bush Covers Up His Lying America Into War

[Solly Mack]

17. and it became a tradition because no one bothered holding them accountable

[Ichingcarpenter]

7. Lets look at the word Valid as it pertains to Law

valid |ˈvalid|
adjective
actually supporting the intended point or claim; acceptable as cogent : a valid criticism. See note at believable .
• legally binding due to having been executed in compliance with the law : a valid contract.
• legally acceptable : the visas are valid for thirty days.


Then just put a Not in front of the last two definitions.

Not legally acceptable
Not legally binding and not in compliance with the law.


Sounds and smells like someone broke the law.

[anarch]

8. it was a clear act of aggression

and a violation of international law (for what it's worth). It's sort of rididulous to get this po-faced concession from Gates now, if you ask me.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Mr. Gates please check the general indictment of the IMT

oh in 1944.

That IS what should be happening NOW.

[chill_wind]

13. Sorry for trillions stolen and the surplus squandered

but we could always look at cutting social security.

[gratuitous]

16. Oh well, what's done is done

No sense raking over the dead ashes of the past. Gotta look to the future! No sense in prattling on about "war crimes" and such; wouldn't be prudent. And I'm pretty sure that nobody else anywhere in the world will be such a sorehead that he or she will want to do anything about this. Best to just let this crime go uninvestigated and unpunished. What's the worst that could happen? And if it does happen, you don't really mind dying or seeing a loved one die for the crimes of the Bush administration, do you? Unless you're some kind of dirty fucking hippie, in which case you probably deserve to die.

[G_j]

18. I think the Pentagon knew all along

only those who spoke up were disciplined, retired etc.

[Uncle Joe]

22. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Octafish.

[Raksha]

23. And now for the big, BIG question...

the one nobody on the level of Defense Secretary has the guts to ASK, let alone answer:

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?

I'm talking about accountability and justice here...like I really need to say that to anyone on DU.

[Zhade]

32. Unfortunately, you do. Some are, uh, mavericks when it comes to supporting the rule of law.

I mean, it doesn't make any sense to me, but then I have a conscience.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

25. Make that "wars". Both of them.

[bdamomma]

26. yes, we need to leave Afghanistan too.

[BootinUp]

27. Gates has been a good Sec of Def imho. nt

[Swamp Rat]

29. To the Hague!!

[liberalla]

30. "Even if the outcome is a good one from the standpoint of the United States..." ?

How do they see the outcome as good?

I don't see that at all. What's so good about it? WTF.

[Zhade]

31. Huh. And still no investigation and prosecutions for those that lied us into murdering innocents?

"Change"

[mmonk]

33. Excellent. An admission.