Seems the big news from the left side of the blogosphere is re-hashed conspiracy theories based on old news (the Downing Street Memo):
In the weeks before the United States-led invasion of Iraq, as the United States and Britain pressed for a second United Nations resolution condemning Iraq, President Bush’s public ultimatum to Saddam Hussein was blunt: Disarm or face war.
But behind closed doors, the president was certain that war was inevitable. During a private two-hour meeting in the Oval Office on Jan. 31, 2003, he made clear to Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain that he was determined to invade Iraq without the second resolution, or even if international arms inspectors failed to find unconventional weapons, said a confidential memo about the meeting written by Mr. Blair’s top foreign policy adviser and reviewed by The New York Times.
“Our diplomatic strategy had to be arranged around the military planning,” David Manning, Mr. Blair’s chief foreign policy adviser at the time, wrote in the memo that summarized the discussion between Mr. Bush, Mr. Blair and six of their top aides.
Holy crap! You mean to tell me that after 12 years of Saddam thumbing his nose at the UN that Bush intended to invade Iraq and complete the regime change policy started by his predecessor? No way!
Sigh
Ed Morrissey puts it succinctly:
By the time Bush met Blair at the White House, Hans Blix had reported that the Iraqis would not cooperate with the inspections, only paying lip service to the inspectors. Now, thanks to captured notes of Iraqi meetings, we know that Saddam remained confident that his bribery of France and Russia (as well as their well-known economic interest in maintaining their contracts with the Saddam regime) would result in a stalemate at the Security Council over any resolution opening military force as a consequence of failure. That may be why France practically begged Blair at that moment not to pursue a “second resolution” (actually a 17th); they assured both the US and the UK that the previous sixteen resolutions gave plenty of cause for action, but that France would find it politically impossible to vote for explicit military action against Iraq.
By this time, had the US not had a plan for military action against Iraq, it would have been almost criminally neglectful.[…]
[…]In short, the Times presents us with a memo that shows the US and UK understanding that Saddam would not cooperate with the UN nor voluntarily disarm or step aside; history proved them correct on all those assertions. Given those as reality, the two nations prepared for war. If the Times finds this surprising, it demonstrates their cluelessness all the more.
So the left believes Bush should not have even been prepared to go to war? No planning, no strategy? How incompetant would that have been.
Bush said that a great deal of detailed planning had been done on supplying the Iraqi people with food and medicine.
Is this not good planning?
I’m happy that we finally got a President who understood that Saddam had played games with the world long enough and planned for the contingency of not getting UN support.
Saddam had proven time and again that he could not be trusted and both Bush and Blair understood that Saddam would not disappoint again. In the end Bush gave him every chance to prevent this war. Hell, he had 12 years of chances.
BrothersJudd made an interesting observation:
Folks have continually underestimated the degree to which the WMD argument and the UN maneuvering were just favors that George Bush did for Tony Blair and Colin Powell and not things he ever cared much about. Indeed, he stunned the Brits by offering to let them not participate in the war if it was going to cause Mr. Blair too much domestic political trouble
Indeed. Bush knew Saddam had to be dealt with. After 9/11 he could not leave it to the next President like Clinton did. The inspections were not working, Saddam continued to play games, and he aided and abetted terrorists. End of story. Saddam had to go and thankfully this President understood this.
Other’s Blogging:
Indeed. Bush knew Saddam had to be dealt with. After 9/11 he could not leave it to the next President like Clinton did. The inspections were not working, Saddam continued to play games, and he aided and abetted terrorists. End of story. Saddam had to go and thankfully this President understood this.
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