Study: False statements preceded war

By DOUGLASS K. DANIEL, Associated Press Writer 48 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - A study by two nonprofit journalism organizations found that President Bush and top administration officials issued hundreds of false statements about the national security threat from Iraq in the two years following the 2001 terrorist attacks.

The study concluded that the statements "were part of an orchestrated campaign that effectively galvanized public opinion and, in the process, led the nation to war under decidedly false pretenses."

The study was posted Tuesday on the Web site of the Center for Public Integrity, which worked with the Fund for Independence in Journalism.
White House spokesman Scott Stanzel did not comment on the merits of the study Tuesday night but reiterated the administration's position that the world community viewed Iraq's leader, Saddam Hussein, as a threat.

"The actions taken in 2003 were based on the collective judgment of intelligence agencies around the world," Stanzel said. The study counted 935 false statements in the two-year period. It found that in speeches, briefings, interviews and other venues, Bush and administration officials stated unequivocally on at least 532 occasions that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction or was trying to produce or obtain them or had links to al-Qaida or both.
"It is now beyond dispute that Iraq did not possess any weapons of mass destruction or have meaningful ties to al-Qaida," according to Charles Lewis and Mark Reading-Smith of the Fund for Independence in Journalism staff members, writing an overview of the study. "In short, the Bush administration led the nation to war on the basis of erroneous information that it methodically propagated and that culminated in military action against Iraq on March 19, 2003."
Named in the study along with Bush were top officials of the administration during the period studied: Vice President Dick Cheney, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and White House press secretaries Ari Fleischer and Scott McClellan.

Bush led with 259 false statements, 231 about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and 28 about Iraq's links to al-Qaida, the study found. That was second only to Powell's 244 false statements about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and 10 about Iraq and al-Qaida.

The center said the study was based on a database created with public statements over the two years beginning on Sept. 11, 2001, and information from more than 25 government reports, books, articles, speeches and interviews.

"The cumulative effect of these false statements — amplified by thousands of news stories and broadcasts — was massive, with the media coverage creating an almost impenetrable din for several critical months in the run-up to war," the study concluded.

"Some journalists — indeed, even some entire news organizations — have since acknowledged that their coverage during those prewar months was far too deferential and uncritical. These mea culpas notwithstanding, much of the wall-to-wall media coverage provided additional, 'independent' validation of the Bush administration's false statements about Iraq," it said.

No reason to resent Bush.

All old news maybe Oliver Stone can use it in his movie about Bush .

because mah Dick is already up your azz!  HAHA!!

Everybody knew George was a drunk asshole.  Doesn't sound like any reason to think the liars are liars.

"Can't believe anything they say, so might as well believe nothing and be a cynical joker all the time."

THAT'S NOT THE POINT!

"Mommy...your other kids have lied to you before, so why should you care if I lie to you or not?"

Sigh...ayuda me, Dios.

... because Congress is too fucking weak, and the sheeples are too fucking stupid, or blindly loyal to the lies of the most corrupt criminal administration since ... since... since... hell there is no since... these people are without a doubt

** The Most Corrupt Administration in American History **

I've decided to swear off politics and focus on getting laid.

As usual, noise and whining at epic levels, facts are sparse.

Did they include in the that count the number of times Clinton, Gore, and Kerry said (pre-2000) that Iraq had WMD?

Bush was misinformed by the CIA that was created out of the destruction wrought by Frank Church and the Democrats.

I think the 935 times over two years is a record for any politician. Probably about 850 more.  

No, I think it has since been disproved that the CIA mislead Bush on anything. It's also more than apparent he came into office with invading Iraq his number 1 policy goal.

Clinton had nothing to do with either of those.

but he does bear some responsibilty, it was under his watch that Saddam repeatedly thumbed his nose at the UN resolutions regarding inspections.

in the CIA to lie to us!  We just thought, that being liars, they were one of us.   We clean forgot that any gummint employee is a traitor.

I believe the Democrats in Congress decided it wasn't worth it since he was gone in two years. It wasn't worth the hassle for them. Especially when it would have entailed impeaching Cheney first, and that might have been difficult with all the missing records.

And when the process was done: probably leaving six months before the Presidential Election, it would have made Pelosi POTUS. Politically, it would have looked like a power-grab.

One thing, it would be nice to have a guy with credibility in office during this crisis.

Somehow I doubt George Bush is going to vacation during this crisis.

As usual you guys completely misread what is said when it suits you.

Suppose Clinton should have bombed Iraq. For what? no one knows.

It is amazing there are people who still think Saddam was behind 9/11.

The dictator and humanitarian angle. In that case, we should bombing and sending troops Kenya, Pakistan, Egypt, and many countries of erstwhile Soviet Union.

Absurd.

gassed his own citizens,then refused to comply with 16 UN resolutions requiring him to submit to inspections relating to his WMD capabilities for years under Clinton's watch. But Clinton gets a pass, while everything bad that's happened over the past quarter of a century is Bush's fault.

Who turned out to be faking his WMD's for protection against Iran.

Clinton was not confident about foreign policy, and he had the Republicans resisting him there.

For the ones who will now say: how about the Democrats' resistance to Bush? Difference: there weren't many until he really did hose up foreign policy.

kerrakles after reading your post I have to say, Huh? What? ??????? WTF?

That he told us and the rest of the world to fuck off for a decade, even after he had his ass kicked. I suppose you would have preferred to still have a defiant Saddam in power, with the ability to shut of the flow of oil to the western world.

It wasn't like he was expanding his power. He had no-fly zones in the north and south of his country, his economy and armed forces were wrecked. Who he made a show of defying were the weapons inspectors, apparently because he didn't want the world to know he didn't have any.

BTW, in my opinion, poison gas is not a WMD-- it's a tactical weapon that has been used on battlefields, with somewhat limited effects-- not mass destruction. Of course it's horrify and inhumane.

No, I don't wish that he's still in power, but we're certainly not getting much oil out of Iraq right now you must admit.

agree on when to visit the restroom.  I have to get Larry Craig to tell them.  

You doubted that I would pardon Scooter Libby.  Your guys just don't have any cojones, because you know Jesus is on my side.  Shit, there's a half dozen Jesuses mowing my lawn right now.  

Yes, I am going on vacation.  Shit, I sent my brain on vacation 40 years ago.  Do you think I give a flying fuck?

I can help everyone out here.  

Either #1 Bush was smarter than almost every American, the Cogress and Senate and tricked them all.

#2 the intel was the best we had at the time, and post 9-11 no one wanted to sit around

#3 intel is mostly speculation and information passed around by shady people to shady people

#4 combination of 2-3

You pick guys, is George W just to smart for Libs or is it 2,3 or 4?