Bush Now Says What He Wouldn’t Say Before War: Iraq Had ‘Nothing’ To Do With 9/11
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President Bush was in the midst of explaining how the attacks of 9/11 inspired his “freedom agenda” and the attacks on Iraq until a reporter, Ken Herman of Cox News, interrupted to ask what Iraq had to do with 9/11. “Nothing,” Bush defiantly answered….
To justify the war, Bush informed Congress on March 19, 2003 that acting against Iraq was consistent with “continuing to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations, or persons who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.”
As ThinkProgress has repeatedly documented, Vice President Cheney cited “evidence” cooked up by Douglas Feith and others to claim it was “pretty well confirmed” that Iraq had contacts with 9/11 hijackers.
More generally, in the lead-up to the war in Iraq, the administration encouraged the false impression that Saddam had a role in 9/11. Bush never stated then, as he does now, that Iraq had “nothing” to do with 9/11. Only after the Iraq war began did Bush candidly acknowledge that Iraq was not operationally linked to 9/11.
After five years of demagoguery, five years of implicitly (and occasionally explicitly) linking Saddam Hussein to 9.11, Our Glorious and Benevolent Leader yesterday finally owned up to what anyone with half a brain has known all along. When asked by a reporter what Iraq had to do with 9.11, Our Glorious and Benevolent Leader’s answer was succinct:
“Nothing.”
That exchange should be front and center in every Democratic campaign this fall. Nothing typifies the lies and deception of this Adminstration more than this simple question and answer. If Democrats do not milk it for everything they can, they’re in even worse shape than I’d feared.
Of course, he went on to qualify his answer immediately thereafter, but the damage had already been done. After five years of linking Saddam Hussein’s Iraq to 9.11, Our Glorious and Benevolent Leader finally admitted that there was in fact no link. None. Nada. Zip. In spite of the Republican Noise Machine’s furious propaganda efforts, they can no longer continue to fabricate a connection that simply didn’t exist.
How many of our sons and daughters have died for this lie? How many more must die before we come to our senses and impeach the lying bastard and his henchmen?
How long before Our Glorious and Benevolent Leader wakes up in Cellblock D to the melodious strains of “Hail To THe Thief?”
