No one seems to be writing opinion pieces quite the way I would, so I decided to do it myself.

The name? Taverns are places where one goes to discuss the interesting events and things in the world, so this is my tavern.

I will offer my views on politics, economics, and whatever else strikes my fancy.
I will occasionally publish the entire article from another journal for purposes of causing discussion.

 

16 Words to Convince a Nation to go to War

Here is what CIA official Foley says happened when discussing the SOTU speech with Bob Joseph of the National Security Council (NSC).

New York Times July 17, 2003

"In his speech, the president said, "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa."

Senior intelligence officials said today that in the closed-door hearing on Wednesday, Alan Foley, a C.I.A. expert on weapons of mass destruction, said he was asked by Bob Joseph, the director for nonproliferation at the National Security Council, whether the president's address could include a reference to Iraq's seeking uranium from Niger.

The officials said that Mr. Foley's testimony indicated that he told Mr. Joseph that the C.I.A. was not certain about the credibility of the evidence concerning Niger and recommended that it be taken out of the speech.

The officials said today that, according to Mr. Foley, Mr. Joseph then asked him if the speech could instead include a reference to British intelligence reports that Iraq was interested in seeking uranium from Africa. The government of Prime Minister Tony Blair included that information in an unclassified white paper on Iraq and illegal weapons published last September.

According to intelligence officials, Mr. Foley said he told Mr. Joseph that the C.I.A. had warned the British that it was not sure about the information when the paper was published. "

So at this point, Bob Joseph of the NSC knew that the CIA did not think the statement was supported so that it could be used in the SOTU speech. He ~also~ knew that the CIA did not think the report from British Intelligence was credible, either.

The story continues:

"According to Mr. Foley's account — which the White House has said it could not confirm — when Mr. Joseph ultimately asked him whether it would be accurate to state that the British had reported that Iraq was seeking uranium in Africa, Mr. Foley agreed. However, Mr. Foley did not tell the Senate committee that he felt pressured by Mr. Joseph, officials familiar with his testimony said.

Mr. Foley's testimony about his conversations with Mr. Joseph closely tracks with the version of events described last week by other C.I.A. officials, but his testimony conflicts with the version provided by the White House. Officials have said that Mr. Joseph does not recall Mr. Foley's raising any concerns about the credibility of the information to be included in the speech. "

The Washington Post points out that Bush himself meticulously went over the SOTU speech word for word and made changes in it.

There seems to me to be no doubt that Bush and his people knew what they intended to do when he took office. What he gives the nation as reasons is no more than attempting to put a spin on decisions previously made for very different and as yet unknown for certain reasons.

Consider Bush's statements on the economy Paul Krugman. Again, we are given spin, not the real reasons.

E. J. Dionne points out the two contradictory reasons that Bush gave before passing his tax cuts - that the projected surpluses could handle it, and that they were needed to bring the economy out of recession. The Bush people now claim that the extreme deficits the government is facing are nothere result of the tax cuts, but of the war and the poor economy.

The history of the Bush administration is that they tell us there is a problem and they tell us their solution. Later, the problem seems to change, but the solution does not. It should be extremely clear to most people by now that the 'solutions' they offer are what they want to happen, but the reasons they give the public is pure spin. For the most part, we are left to guess why they "really" want the Tax Cut or to Invade Iraq, or whatever the project of the day is.

The arrogant people currently in the White House need to go before they mess to many other things up. Enough is quite enough.

posted by Richard at 11:32 AM