They Knew

An incredibly damning article from "In These Times" takes on the question of whether the Bush administration knew beforehand of the cracks in its case for war in Iraq. To this day officials insist that they were merely making the best decisions possible based on what they now recognize as faulty intelligence - how can Bush and his administration be responsible for a breakdown in the CIA, the FBI and the DIA?

This article, linking every point to a published source, documents that Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and other administration officials deliberately misled the American public, repeatedly quoting (and, in Cheney's case, continuing to this very day to cite) evidence which they knew to be discredited or uncertain with a bravado that is terrifying.

And Americans have let them get away with it. Absolutely amazing.

I have no doubts that history will show George W. Bush to be among the worst presidents in American history - one who lied to the American people, leading them into war under false pretenses, and consequently tarnishing America's reputation badly among our allies, and very nearly for alienating for good those who already mistrusted us.

The article concludes:

"To be sure, neoconservative pundits and Bush administration hawks will continue to blame anyone but the White House for these deceptions. They also will say intelligence gave a bit of credence to some of the pre-war claims, and that is certainly true.

"But nothing can negate the clear proof that President Bush and other administration official officials vastly overstated the intelligence they were given. They engaged in a calculated and well-coordinated effort to turn a war of choice in Iraq into a perceived war of imminent necessity.

"And we are all left paying the price."