Did Bush manipulate Iraq data?

[Occhidiangela]

Not quite, but I wish it were so clean.

Agreed, and perhaps the single-most powerful argument for the existence of a UN Armed Forces (not likely to ever happen, though). One thing remains true, however... "Whoever shows up" has to obey the RoE, no matter who they are. It is impossible to uphold the law when you are above the law.

Sadly false. If your RoE prevent people from showing up, you have no valid RoE. When you are desperate for cops, they say "under these terms, or I won't work for you." That is reality. Note the NATO IFOR conditions of participation: take your RoE and stuff it, UN dual key idiots. By the way, bad RoE don't work.

Here is a Hollywood parallel: the infamous western movie where there either is no Sherrif or the Sherrif dies or is a coward, and everyone is looking around for someone to 'save us from those bad men.' High Plains Drifter is a good illustration. OK, a guy came who'd save you from the bad guys, but there's a price. He aint' gonna do it your way, he's gonna do it his way.

That is reality.