Iraq on the Record: The Bush Administration's Public Statements on Iraq

[Gaard]

TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...................................................................................................................... i
I. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................1
II. METHODOLOGY ..........................................................................................................................1
III. NUMBER AND TIMING OF MISLEADING STATEMENTS ................................................................3
IV. CATEGORIES OF MISLEADING STATEMENTS ..............................................................................6
A. Statements that Iraq Posed an Urgent Threat................................................................6
B. Statements about Iraq?s Nuclear Capabilities ...............................................................7
1. Claims about the Status of Iraq?s Nuclear Program ...........................................8
2. Claims about the Aluminum Tubes ....................................................................10
3. Claims about Uranium from Africa ...................................................................13
C. Statements about Iraq?s Chemical and Biological Weapons Programs ......................15
1. Claims about Chemical and Biological Weapons .............................................15
2. Claims about Unmanned Aerial Vehicles..........................................................18
3. Claims about Mobile Biological Laboratories ..................................................20
D. Statements about Iraq?s Support of al Qaeda..............................................................21
V. MISLEADING STATEMENTS BY INDIVIDUAL OFFICIALS............................................................25
A. President Bush..............................................................................................................25
B. Vice President Cheney..................................................................................................26
C. Secretary Rumsfeld.......................................................................................................27
D. Secretary Powell ..........................................................................................................28
E. National Security Advisor Rice ....................................................................................29
VI. CONCLUSION ...........................................................................................................................30

It's a pdf and it's big...but very interesting.

<a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.house.gov/reform/min/features/iraq_on_the_record/">link</a>


Edit: If you don't want to mess with a .pdf file, just scroll down, I've copied most of it in the thread.

 

[arsbanned]

Unreal. Yeah, remember those unmanned aerial bombs? The Uranium from Africa?
And yet people just let it go, like everything is perfectly fine. It's very disturbing.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

"I might have gone to war but not the way the President did."

Well if it was all based on lies then why might you have gone to war john "foragainst" kerry?

CkG

 

[bdude]

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY
"I might have gone to war but not the way the President did."

Well if it was all based on lies then why might you have gone to war john "foragainst" kerry?

CkG

He probably would have waited for the UN inspectors to finish their jobs.

 

[Gaard]

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY
"I might have gone to war but not the way the President did."

Well if it was all based on lies then why might you have gone to war john "foragainst" kerry?

CkG

You're not diverting, are you CAD?

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: Gaard

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY
"I might have gone to war but not the way the President did."

Well if it was all based on lies then why might you have gone to war john "foragainst" kerry?

CkG

You're not diverting, are you CAD?

Oops sorry - I was just doing as I see done

CkG

 

[Gaard]

Here's the conclusion if it's too big for you.

VI. CONCLUSION
Because of the gravity of the subject and the President?s unique access to
classified information, members of Congress and the public expect the President
and his senior officials to take special care to be balanced and accurate in
describing national security threats. It does not appear, however, that President
Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary Rumsfeld, Secretary Powell, and
National Security Advisor Rice met this standard in the case of Iraq. To the
contrary, these five officials repeatedly made misleading statements about the
threat posed by Iraq. In 125 separate appearances, they made 11 misleading
statements about the urgency of Iraq?s threat, 81 misleading statements about
Iraq?s nuclear activities, 84 misleading statements about Iraq?s chemical and
biological capabilities, and 61 misleading statements about Iraq?s relationship
with al Qaeda.

 

[conjur]

A key point to the methodology:

The database does not include statements that appear mistaken only in hindsight. If a statement was an accurate reflection of U.S. intelligence at the time it was made, the statement is excluded from the database even if it now appears erroneous.

 

[fjord]

Here are the Findings:


Number of Misleading Statements The Iraq on the Record database contains 237 misleading statements about the threat posed by Iraq that were made by President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary Rumsfeld, Secretary Powell, and National Security Advisor Rice. These statements were made in 125 separate appearances, consisting of 40 speeches, 26 press conferences and briefings, 53 interviews, 4 written statements, and 2 congressional testimonies. Most of the statements in the database were misleading because they expressed certainty where none existed or failed to acknowledge the doubts of intelligence officials. Ten of the statements were simply false.

 

[arsbanned]

However, I really think we need to find out what leaders want Mr. Kerry in and told him so, and move away from this inconsequential stuff!!!!!

 

[chess9]

I've got to agree with Cad on his point above. Kerry is being disingenuous about his support for the war. He screwed up. Why doesn't he just admit he didn't read the intelligence summaries very carefully (ditto for Pelosi)?

Really, he is such a piss poor candidate I almost want to barf.

But, I will vote for any political particle that repulses the BUSHATRON, even if it is anti-matter.

-Robert

 

[wirelessenabled]

Originally posted by: chess9
I've got to agree with Cad on his point above. Kerry is being disingenuous about his support for the war. He screwed up. Why doesn't he just admit he didn't read the intelligence summaries very carefully (ditto for Pelosi)?

Really, he is such a piss poor candidate I almost want to barf.

But, I will vote for any political particle that repulses the BUSHATRON, even if it is anti-matter.

-Robert

 

[DealMonkey]

In retrospect, it's hard to believe the administration said some of the crap they did. Now I find it hard to believe that everyone lets 'em get away with it.

 

[Napalm]

The media let them get away with it, and the "unwashed masses" didn't know any better. Just watched a very interesting special on CBC news which interviewed a number of media types in the US about the lack of balanced coverage during this period - the term used was "Patriotic Correctness".

N

 

[Painman]

Originally posted by: Napalm
The media let them get away with it, and the "unwashed masses" didn't know any better. Just watched a very interesting special on CBC news which interviewed a number of media types in the US about the lack of balanced coverage during this period - the term used was "Patriotic Correctness". N

:Q

And all this time, I thought it was a LIBERAL media conspiracy we had going on in this country

 

[chess9]

You're right about the media letting them get away with it. The media won't focus on something so complex because it would take too long. And, truth be told, most Americans were raised on Short Attention Span Theatre. If a building isn't blown up or a nation taken out in the first 5 minutes of a flick then who is going to watch it?

Most Americans who vote will vote based upon name recognition. With his $300 million war chest Bush wins. Money always wins. The Yankees have won the World Series already, no? (their team will be better than the All-Star Team)

-Robert

 

[Red Dawn]

Funny how the Hard Liners are calling Kerry a Liar over the comment that some world leaders pefer him over the Dub but they are dead silent when the Dub and his handlers are outed for lying through there clinched teeth regarding Iraq!

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
Funny how the Hard Liners are calling Kerry a Liar over the comment that some world leaders pefer him over the Dub but they are dead silent when the Dub and his handlers are outed for lying through there clinched teeth regarding Iraq!

Ayup...they're licking their wounds.

 

[conjur]

bumpty bump

 

[Bowfinger]

Originally posted by: conjur
bumpty bump

Yep. This is another one that should be required reading before posting here.

 

[Zephyr106]

Originally posted by: conjur
A key point to the methodology:

The database does not include statements that appear mistaken only in hindsight. If a statement was an accurate reflection of U.S. intelligence at the time it was made, the statement is excluded from the database even if it now appears erroneous.

This is the most intriguing part.

Zephyr

 

[Siddhartha]

A question for the Bush supporters:

Have you guys looked at this? What do you think?

Oh yeah, please avoid trying to divert attention by bringing up Clinton or Kerry.

Thank you!

 

[SirStev0]

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY
"I might have gone to war but not the way the President did."

Well if it was all based on lies then why might you have gone to war john "foragainst" kerry?

CkG

because... the iraq people should have been liberated by that psycho but not because bush was p[]ssed cuz his daddy was trumped last time and his rich buddies want cheap oil... we should have went to war to save the people... the correct and political way ... and by the way we never went to war... if i was pres... i would have made my decision on whether i would send my son to die there... and my answer is no

 

[SirStev0]

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY
"I might have gone to war but not the way the President did."

Well if it was all based on lies then why might you have gone to war john "foragainst" kerry?

CkG

because... the iraq people should have been liberated by that psycho but not because bush was p[]ssed cuz his daddy was trumped last time and his rich buddies want cheap oil... we should have went to war to save the people... the correct and political way ... and by the way we never went to war... if i was pres... i would have made my decision on whether i would send my son to die there... and my answer is no

 

[SirStev0]

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY
"I might have gone to war but not the way the President did."

Well if it was all based on lies then why might you have gone to war john "foragainst" kerry?

CkG

because... the iraq people should have been liberated by that psycho but not because bush was p[]ssed cuz his daddy was trumped last time and his rich buddies want cheap oil... we should have went to war to save the people... the correct and political way ... and by the way we never went to war... if i was pres... i would have made my decision on whether i would send my son to die there... and my answer is no