Wolfowitz: "we just had no choice in Iraq. The country swims on a sea of oil."

[Czar]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,970331,00.html

The latest comments were made by Mr Wolfowitz in an address to delegates at an Asian security summit in Singapore at the weekend, and reported today by German newspapers Der Tagesspiegel and Die Welt.

Asked why a nuclear power such as North Korea was being treated differently from Iraq, where hardly any weapons of mass destruction had been found, the deputy defence minister said: "Let's look at it simply. The most important difference between North Korea and Iraq is that economically, we just had no choice in Iraq. The country swims on a sea of oil."

Mr Wolfowitz went on to tell journalists at the conference that the US was set on a path of negotiation to help defuse tensions between North Korea and its neighbours - in contrast to the more belligerent attitude the Bush administration displayed in its dealings with Iraq.

:Q

 

[drewshin]

heh heh i just saw this too. it's a great signature piece.

at least some truth is starting to come out.

dont worry you people that kept saying that this war had nothing to do with oil, i wont rub your ignorance in.

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

The Bush administration needs to put a cork in Wolfowitz . . . unless of course they are intentionally trying to sink Blair.

 

[sMiLeYz]

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc
The Bush administration needs to put a cork in Wolfowitz . . . unless of course they are intentionally trying to sink Blair.

Wolfowitz is a straight talker like Rumsfield, at least. He doesnt even bother spinning it.

 

[43st]

Originally posted by: sMiLeYz

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc
The Bush administration needs to put a cork in Wolfowitz . . . unless of course they are intentionally trying to sink Blair.

Wolfowitz is a straight talker like Rumsfield, at least. He doesnt even bother spinning it.

Then why did they spin it before the war? Were they so unsure of themselves?

 

[sMiLeYz]

Originally posted by: Thera

Originally posted by: sMiLeYz

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc
The Bush administration needs to put a cork in Wolfowitz . . . unless of course they are intentionally trying to sink Blair.

Wolfowitz is a straight talker like Rumsfield, at least. He doesnt even bother spinning it.

Then why did they spin it before the war? Were they so unsure of themselves?

I think an war for Oil was harder sell to the American people, just tie the war to WMDs and especially to 9/11 and you got the American people on your side.

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

I think an war for Oil was harder sell to the American people, just tie the war to WMDs and especially to 9/11 and you got the American people on your side.

Yeah we are gluttonous and self-serving but we have limits.

 

[Moonbeam]

Yeah, nobody kills his neighbor for oil, you kill him because he intends to destroy you because he's insane. Then you take his oil. We have a civilized reputation to maintain.

 

[JellyBaby]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
Yeah, nobody kills his neighbor for oil, you kill him because he intends to destroy you because he's insane. Then you take his oil. We have a civilized reputation to maintain.

It's all part of the new Oil for Souls program and you're automatically volunteered to participate.

 

[jahawkin]

To be fair:
Here's the transcript from the DOD. Wolfowitz says:

Look, the primarily difference -- to put it a little too simply -- between North Korea and Iraq is that we had virtually no economic options with Iraq because the country floats on a sea of oil. In the case of North Korea, the country is teetering on the edge of economic collapse and that I believe is a major point of leverage whereas the military picture with North Korea is very different from that with Iraq. The problems in both cases have some similarities but the solutions have got to be tailored to the circumstances which are very different.

I wouldn't trust the DOD to provide a 100% accurate transcript if Wolfowitz really did let one go, but other sources did confirm the DOD.
Link Here's an article written by an LA times reporter,

The difference between North Korea and Iraq, Wolfowitz said, is that the United States could not use economic pressure to strangle Hussein's regime "because the country floats on a sea of oil." North Korea, by comparison, is near economic collapse, and that offers "a major point of leverage," he said.

I think this does clarify what was earlier reported (by Die Welt and Der Tagesspiegel).

 

[Czar]

jahawkin,
thanks

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

Definitely sounds better . . .

 

[charrison]

This is the 2nd time that Wolfowitz has been misquoted in the past week.

 

[dpm]

Originally posted by: charrison
This is the 2nd time that Wolfowitz has been misquoted in the past week.

What was the first time? The "bureaucratic reasons" quote? How was that misquoted?

 

[Spyro]

Originally posted by: dpm

Originally posted by: charrison
This is the 2nd time that Wolfowitz has been misquoted in the past week.

What was the first time? The "bureaucratic reasons" quote? How was that misquoted?

Read it backwards.

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: dpm

Originally posted by: charrison
This is the 2nd time that Wolfowitz has been misquoted in the past week.

What was the first time? The "bureaucratic reasons" quote? How was that misquoted?

Here is full quotes of what appeared in Vanity fair and made it to other news sources

 

[KenGr]

Originally posted by: dpm

Originally posted by: charrison
This is the 2nd time that Wolfowitz has been misquoted in the past week.

What was the first time? The "bureaucratic reasons" quote? How was that misquoted?

The "quote" used by many news sources changed a couple of words, but most importantly it took it completely out of context. Wolfowitz provided a list of reasons why Iraq had to be dealt with and was explaining that the WMD issue was most directly linked to existing policy. The quote used was actually a sentence fragment that was interrupted by a phone call and never completed, leaving some question as to what was actually being said.

Even more significant about the "swimming in oil" quote was that it was in response to a question about why the US felt that economic sanctions could be effective against North Korea but not against Iraq. It was not a statement of why military action was taken against Iraq. This context was not reported by the news organizations. Who can argue with the statement that economic sanctions were less effective against Iraq than they would be against NK because Iraq was "swimming in oil"?

 

[Zipp]

Just more misreporting by the British press. Between the Guardian Unlimited and BBC news,I don't know which one is worst.

 

[jjones]

More accuracy in reporting by the Guardian I see.

 

[sMiLeYz]

Originally posted by: jjones
More accuracy in reporting by the Guardian I see.

Denial. Denial. Denial.

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: sMiLeYz

Originally posted by: jjones
More accuracy in reporting by the Guardian I see.

Denial. Denial. Denial.

So you are saying the guardian did not misquote?

 

[shiner]

Originally posted by: charrison

Originally posted by: sMiLeYz

Originally posted by: jjones
More accuracy in reporting by the Guardian I see.

Denial. Denial. Denial.

So you are saying the guardian did not misquote?

No, he's saying that he is still in Denial. Denial. Denial that the press would ever twist words to make the Bush Administration look bad.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: shinerburke

Originally posted by: charrison

Originally posted by: sMiLeYz

Originally posted by: jjones
More accuracy in reporting by the Guardian I see.

Denial. Denial. Denial.

So you are saying the guardian did not misquote?

No, he's saying that he is still in Denial. Denial. Denial that the press would ever twist words to make the Bush Administration look bad.

Well, admitting one's denial is the first step to recovery Maybe it's a cry for help? Who am I to say though, I don't believe in that psychobabble

CkG

 

[Moonbeam]

I don't believe in that psychobabble
---------------------------------
Oh wow, you're kidding right? I thought psychologically sophisticated was your middle name. AHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
I don't believe in that psychobabble
---------------------------------
Oh wow, you're kidding right? I thought psychologically sophisticated was your middle name. AHAHAHAHAHAHA

kinda?

CkG