Harold Pinter acknowledgement speech

[jahcs]

My recollection was that the intelligence they had was wrong, and the corroboration of the source evidence was poor.  Iraq had WMD programs and used WMD in the past.  They had a number of ex-Iraqi scientists who were indicating vast weapons programs were in place.  And, there was also the lack of evidence of destruction, or existence of the known imported precursor chemicals and reagents.  And, finally, the refusal by Saddam to allow the UN inspectors to interview known scientists or people involved with the programs or the destruction. 

I kind of relate it to a person who has been known to be involved in constructing a Meth lab, the police come in and find all the evidence of such (1991 GW), and then to avoid prison time agreed to cooperate and reveal all evidence relating to their Meth lab activities.  Then, after awhile, they decide not to cooperate and the police suspect the person is again rebuilding his Meth lab.

There was such a dearth of on the ground intelligence and so much at risk, that the US was desperate enough to infiltrate UNSCOM with spies.  Saddam was very effective in playing cat and mouse, and keeping the West and the UN guessing about what he was or was not doing.  A dangerous game of Bahgdad roulette which, along with UNSC weakness, 9/11 fervor,  and motivated PNAC hawks resulted in GWII.
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That pretty much sums it up IMO, kandrathe. Sadam was so good at not cooperating that the rest of the world "just knew" he had to be up to something.

Perhaps he was playing cat and mouse to avoid investigation into the oil for food situation, maybe that's why certain international officials and governments were so keen on letting sleeping dogs lie? For all you conspiracy theorists, why don't you try that one on for size?




Also, as stupid as Bush's opponents believe and expect him to be I find it laughable that they expect him NOT to be duped by the same intelligence that duped everyone else. The fact that his administration took that evidence and ran with it goes right back into the tunnel vision Occhi keeps reffering too (IMO he's right.).