Did Bush manipulate Iraq data?

[Nicodemus Phaulkon]

But the legal issue here in America is of concrete importance: given that the Congress was presented XXXX information, there was enough support from Congress "to use force." THAT is what this is about. The rest of you all are just a bunch of spectators, deal with it.

To be frank with you, I don't give two #$%&s what foreigners opinions are regarding our administration: my own opinions suffice, thank you very much. Your own built in 'grains of salt' will provide you a greater or lesser sense of credulity regardless of the issue, be it NAFTA, G-7, GLobal warming, or the war in Iraq. And for that matter, tne 9-11 'conspiracy theories.' Everything presented in the political arena, to include every utterance of Kofi Annan, is spun.

*nods* Yup, that's essentially the message that the majority of the world has been getting from the 43 Administration, anyway. And people wonder at the source for anti-american (or, at least, anti-arrogant) sentiment arises from? ;)

All well and good, Occhi. I can see the whys and wherefores of this reasoning and justification of the attitude. However, if the US doesn't want their pie stuck, perhaps they shouldn't be poking everything with their fingers all the time. While the US perhaps doesn't give a hoot (and resents) any discussion that the Canadian Parliament may make about the US war effort, then perhaps the US Ambassador and 43 Admin should shut their goddamn mouths (pard' me, "exert influence") on our legislation moves toward same-sex marriage or marijuana penalties? The door used to swing both ways... apparently that's not the case post 9/11.

What matters now is getting the commitment, and the effort, and the wisdom to be as inclusive as possible of the international community, to take where Iraq is today and help make it better tomorrow, regardless of who falls, or does not fall, from power in Washington.

Oddly enough, this has been the case since before the actual hostilities. While countries didn't back the war effort and disagreed with the US's "justification", they were willing to send aid packages, peacekeepers and consumables as soon as needed after the dust settled.

Unfortunately, it seemed that the US didn't want UN (or anyone else that couldn't join in with the "Coalition of the Willingly") to have access into Iraq for quite some time. Seems they had "things" to sew up and "stuff" to make certain was protected. Now, 3+ months into the clean-up, suddenly the Coalition seems to think that International Aid would be a good idea. How novel of them.

I'm afraid it isn't over, yet... and heads will roll eventually. People like Mister Growler there can stomp and huff all they wish; there has never been the Solidarity among americans that he seems to believe there is or should be... and the numbers of dissention grow daily.