Former German chancellor accuses Bush of lying in memoirs

[FourScore]

Former German chancellor accuses Bush of lying in memoirs
by DowneastDem
Tue Nov 09, 2010 at 01:43:35 PM PST

We all know that George W. Bush lied to us and continues to lie in each interview he gives on television to promote his book Decision Points - itself a compendium of half-truths and outright lies. But it is rare that a head of state would come out an publicly accuse a former US president of lying. That is precisely what the former chancellor of Germany, Gerhard Shroeder did today:

BERLIN - Gerhard Schroeder hit back on Tuesday at claims by former U.S. president George W. Bush in his newly released memoirs that the German ex-chancellor had broken his word over support for an invasion of Iraq.

"Former American president Bush is not telling the truth," Schroeder said in a statement.

Bush said in his memoirs that he told Schroeder in an Oval Office meeting in January 2002 he was determined to make diplomacy work but cautioned that while the military option was Washington's last choice, he would use it if necessary.

"What is true of Afghanistan is true of Iraq," Bush quotes Schroeder as saying. "Nations that sponsor terror must face consequences. If you make it fast and make it decisive, I will be with you."

But, Shroeder claims, Bush left out an important caveat in his published recollection.

Schroeder confirmed on Tuesday that he had told Bush that he would "stand reliably on the side of the U.S." if it was confirmed that Iraq was sheltering those responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks.

"But this link, as it became clear during 2002, was false and contrived. This goes for reasons (for the invasion) given by Bush and (vice president Dick) Cheney too.

"As we know today, the Bush administration's reasons for the Iraq war were based on lies."

Unlike Tony Blair, Schroeder refused to be Bush's poodle, and thus saved his country from considerable grief.

George W. is not the only Bush who seems to have it in for Gerhard Schroeder. In her memoir Spoken from the Heart, Laura Bush seemed to blame Schroeder for forcing her husband to invade Iraq:

"I have often wondered if Jacques Chirac of France or Gerhard Schröder of Germany could have done more to prevent the Iraq war, if one of them could have persuaded Saddam to go into exile, if they could have conveyed that the United States was not bluffing."

Laura thus absolves her husband of any responsibility for launching an unnecessary and immoral war.

UPDATE: Thanks for recommending! I'll never forget when Schroeder's foreign secretary - Joschka Fischer - stood up to Rumsfeld as he was blustering about WMDs and said "Excuse me, but I am not convinced!"

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/11/9/919115/-Former-German-chancellor-accuses-Bush-of-lying-in-memoirs

[Xipe Totec]

1. It's not a lie if you believe it

it's a mental disorder.

[mdmc]

5. 1

[DCKit]

9. Exactly. I know too many who hear what you say, but it's always what they WANT to hear...

and rarely resembles your intent.

It sucks when you start to wonder if you have to record phone calls with family members.

[msongs]

2. quelle surprise! he lied everywhere else so why not? nt

[malaise]

3. Bush can attempt the whitewash at home

It's won't work there let alone overseas. bet he never travels again - someone will lock up his war criminal ass.

[felix_numinous]

4. Watch everyone in his book line up

accusing Bush of lying...

[Canuckistanian]

6. Gee, the accusations of lying are piling up, aren't they?

British Intelligence Says Bush Lying About Torture
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9523904&mesg_id=9523904

[marmar]

7. I miss Schroeder......

..... and I think Merkel will eventually make Germans miss him too.

[JuniperLea]

8. May this be the first of many...

Who point the finger of shame at W and expose his lies... what an asshat... lying in print, hard copy print... now, you can scrub the InterTubes clean, but those books will last a very long time... in the "Last Chance" bin at your local 99 cent store!

I refuse to buy one; I already know it's chock full of prevarications, fibs, and outright lies. I am, however, enjoying myself as I watch it being picked apart by heads of state, etc.

You know, World, he fucked you up too... I'm sure you have the right to call this asshat on the carpet as much as we do. Food for thought... just putting it out there...

[global1]

10. Looks Like If You Give Bush Enough Rope......

he'll hang himself. You know the type. Thinks he's invincible. Flaunts how he got away with things. Then says something that finally incriminates himself. I'm thinking that is how Bush (and Rove and Cheney) will finally go down. They will shoot themselves in the foot. I think it's inevitable.

[applegrove]

11. Canada's Prime Minister Jean Chretien's staff said that the intelligence on Iraq "resembled

no previously known pattern of intelligence" (or something like that). That is... that it was bullshit. And Canada didn't go into Iraq either... thank god.

I'll admit I as a person was gullable and believed Powell's speech.

[Jokinomx]

12. Well... tell me something I didn't know... after 8 years of lies...n/t

:toast:

[Angry Dragon]

13. How long before bush invades England and Germany??

It seems these countries are not very American
they should be wiped off the face of the earth
Go get them george

[jeanpalmer]

14. Why didn't Schroeder ask Bush for the proof

that "Iraq was sheltering those responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks"? If that was the condition of his support, seems like a simple enough thing to ask for the evidence supporting it. Ultimately, the trumped up rationale for the war was WMD and Germany supplied one of the three main sources (Curveball) for that charge, even though they knew he was a headcase.

It was not enough to watch idly as another country committed an act of aggression, as Germany and France did. Active opposition was required, especially since the whole world knew the war was based on lies.

[sofa king]

15. I wish someone would give me a dollar for every lie in his memoirs.

Or at least the refuted statements, such as this. I could pay the rent next month.

[devilgrrl]

16. Pickles thinks Schroeder forced her husband to invade Iraq?

:spray:
:wtf:
:crazy: