In Book, Bush Peeks Ahead to His Legacy
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Mr. Bush said he believed that Mr. Hussein did not take his threats of war seriously, suggesting that the United Nations emboldened him by failing to follow up on an initial resolution demanding that Iraq disarm. He had sought a second measure containing an ultimatum that failure to comply would result in war.

“One interesting question historians are going to have to answer is: Would Saddam have behaved differently if he hadn’t gotten mixed signals between the first resolution and the failure of the second resolution?” Mr. Bush said. “I can’t answer that question. I was hopeful that diplomacy would work.”

It did not, but soon enough, somebody else will make the decisions on Iraq. And then, Mr. Bush said, he would still be pursuing his “freedom agenda” at his institute, modeled on Stanford’s Hoover Institution, where young democratic leaders from around the world would study.

“Sixty-two is really young,” Mr. Bush said, “and yet I’ll be through with my presidency.”

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Gus: This takes the cake in manipulation of facts by a clowning lying Bush... Gees, beware of this lying enlightened idiot... Behind the ingenue attitude of this unforgivable president lies a dark side, careless, calculated and ruthless.

FACTS:
* Saddam DID comply with all the United Nations resolutions at least three months before Bush attacked Iraq.

* Saddam was VERY worried about Bush's sabre rattling. He knew he was going to be attacked no-matter-what by an out-of-control Bush who was blaming him for 9/11 when he did not have anything to do with it... Saddam may have been a tyrant but he was no fool.

* The "intelligence" on WMDs was not flawed but was fake — mostly manufactured by the CIA and other agencies (including MI6), by deliberately breaking ALL proper intelligence gathering procedures — and manipulated by Bush's desire to attack Iraq no matter what (this desire was also hyped by our own John Howard and Blair promising unrestricted support. This desire was also hyped by a too-willing media to trust what the Bush administration was dishing out, not because the media did not have doubts — but commercial media feeds on carcasses and biffo).

* Powell attempt to present the case of the WMDs at the United Nation was pitifully flawed with pictures of trucks in the desert "making" biological and chemical weapons... Anyone with a small brain knew that it would be impossible to do that in the desert heat of the day and the cold of the night, without major unsurmountable problems. Powell would have had to know these were weather balloon-making trucks.

* Bush did not want diplomacy to work. He ordered the weapons inspectors (under Blix who wanted more time to find the "weapons of mass destruction") out of Iraq BEFORE they could finish their mission. Bush did not want the inspectors to complete their job, because he knew there was nothing to be found and this would have collapsed his excuse to go to war.

* As shown by his present ruthless actions and rhetoric, the "freedom agenda" of the president is to mould most of the different cultures around the world into a global mono-culture, subservient to US interests — and possibly pray to the same god.

* A lot more can be said here, but this shall suffice for the moment... Arr... I'll just add this in regard to being "through with my presidency", aged 62... Glad to see you go, mate... The mess Bushit-the-kid has left behind will take a lot of effort to clean up... From global warming to unwinable wars to a shaky world economy that relies mostly on the huge American deficit and greater personal debts that digs more and more into the sustainable future of the planet, we are in deep Bushit...

When I drew the cartoon at the head of this line of blogs, I had placed a few more troops on the field and Bush saying "Remember, we're in the business of making refugees, not taking them home..." But I decided for the understated "poor wretched people" said by a remorseless Bush (his hat covers his eyes) who's just destroyed their country... I'm still in two minds about it...

Fresh UK attack on US Iraq policy

A second key British general has criticised US post-war policy in Iraq.

Maj Gen Tim Cross, who was the most senior UK officer involved in post-war planning, told the Sunday Mirror US policy was "fatally flawed".

His comments came after Gen Sir Mike Jackson, head of the Army during the invasion, told the Daily Telegraph US policy was "intellectually bankrupt".

John Bolton, former US ambassador to the UN, dismissed Sir Mike's criticism as "way off the mark".

The Ministry of Defence played down the comments by Sir Mike, now retired, saying he was entitled to express his opinion on his former job.

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Gus: When will the generals realise that the post-war policy of the US administration was to CREATE A MESS rather than genuinely help Iraq. Anyone going to war against Iraq had to know that removing Saddam was not going to be the only thing needed to make sure that country was going to work without too many hitches... A lot of effort had to be made in specific areas, but "MISTAKES" were made — as Condoleeza Rice admitted nearly a couple of years ago... In my view, many of these mistakes were done deliberately, to create a chaos in which the majority of Iraqis (mostly the shia) were not going to be able to be in full control. A chaos in which desperation would weaken the resolve to negotiate a fair price for Iraqi oil... A chaos for which the US WOULD HAVE TO STAY there for a long time, mainly to control the region but also to make sure the oil goes to the US. Ask yourself the question: would there be no insurgency, no Al Qaeda in Iraq, would the US troops go home? Yes, to a point but the adminstration's plan is to leave at least 50,000 troops and 150,000 contractors to make sure the country stays under Washington's control... Why build the biggest US "Embassy" in the world in Baghdad?

We are taken for a ride every time the US talk about "exit" strategies in regard to the Iraq war... If we do the sums of what's happening in Iraq, the US are planning to stay there for another 50 years or more... even if the oil runs out.