Bob Woodward: Bush trying to rewrite history with new memoir

[sabra]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/15/AR2010111506915.html

In his memoir "Decision Points," former president George W. Bush passionately defends his 2003 decision to invade Iraq, citing, among other things, a Jan. 27, 2003, report to the U.N. Security Council by Hans Blix, the Swedish director of the U.N. inspectors who had spent two months looking for Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction.

But Bush makes selective use of Blix's January report, citing elements that support the idea that Hussein was not cooperating and leaving out parts that indicate his government was. More to the point, however, Bush fails to mention two subsequent Blix pre-invasion reports in February and early March, weeks before U.S. bombs struck Baghdad. Those show Iraq cooperating with inspectors and the inspectors finding no significant evidence that Hussein was hiding such arms programs.

...

In one of several passages in the book where he questions his decisions, Bush writes that he should have pushed harder on the intelligence, but adds, "at the time the evidence and logic pointed in the other direction." His most interesting personal reflection follows: "If Saddam doesn't actually have WMD, I asked myself, why on earth would he subject himself to a war he most certainly will lose?"

Hussein did not have those weapons and the inspections were beginning to show it, but neither Bush nor most Americans at the time were prepared to accept the idea that it is almost impossible to prove a negative.

Back in 2005, Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) accused the Bush administration of "cherry-picking intelligence" to justify going into Iraq. Bush responded by saying, "It is deeply irresponsible to rewrite the history of how that war began." He should have remembered that as he wrote this section of his book.

Staff writer Bob Woodward contributed to this report.

[DCKit]

1. Well, nobody else is helping (re)shape his legacy.

The poor guy (and his team of ghostwriters) has to rewrite history, or we may not remember him as "The Greatest pResident Ever".

[State the Obvious]

2. So, should we expect Bob Woodward to scream about this DECEPTION to every media outlet available?

:sarcasm:

.....in the same way he promoted all of his books?

It is all about honor and integrity, isn't it?

[Winterblues]

3. Republicans need to learn, "You go to War as a LAST Resort, not First resort"

There was no reason to commit US troops at all in any country.. No country attacked the USA, some criminals did...Republicans truly believe "War is Good for Business" and they will commit the USA to War at the drop of a Hat.. That does not keep America safe, but that really isn't their goal anyway..Money and Power are what they live for, nothing else...

[gratuitous]

4. Woodward upset that Bush is working his side of the street?

Prostitute fights can be very . . . untidy. But entertaining.