3 ms·

I think we agree that at the time of the invasion Iraq had some chemical weapons, a type of WMD, but was no longer producing WMDs. Right? And this implies that

by spikels 12y ago

I think we agree that at the time of the invasion Iraq had some chemical weapons, a type of WMD, but was no longer producing WMDs. Right? And this implies that the statement "Iraq did not have any WMDs" is false. Right? What you and the NYTimes seem to be saying is that all along this statement actually meant they weren't producing WMDs. Right? That's the distinction I missed. You don't need to be a prick about it.

mikeyouse 12y ago
I apologize if my reply came off harsher than I intended, but there has been a lot of disingenuous press lately about Iraq having WMDs after all. It's all bullshit. > What you and the NYTimes seem to be saying is that all along this statement actually meant they weren't producing WMDs. Right? Exactly this. Part of the motivation for the Gulf War was Saddam's gassing of the Kurds and other ethnic groups. So we knew they had at one point manufactured and stored chemical weapons. The motivation for the 2003 Iraq War was a series of administration claims that they were still producing WMDs including Anthrax and Nuclear weapons -- contrary to international opinion / UN weapons inspector claims. Again, I apologize if this is more emotional than typical for HN, but the Iraq War led to hundreds of thousands of deaths, billions (trillions?) of taxpayer dollars flushed down the toilet, and the formation of ISIS. Here are some actual claims from the buildup to the Iraq War: Dick Cheney in 2002: > “Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt he is amassing them to use against our friends, against our allies, and against us.” GWB: > “The Iraqi regime possesses biological and chemical weapons, is rebuilding the facilities to make more and, according to the British government, could launch a biological or chemical attack in as little as 45 minutes after the order is given.” Paul Wolfowitz: > [The Iraq WMD Program is] “just a series of evil weapons unaccounted for, huge quantities of anthrax that can kill millions of people, huge quantities of botulinum toxin that can kill millions of people, ricin that can kill millions of people.” Colin Powell: > “biological weapons factories on wheels and on rails,” an “extensive clandestine network” to supply “its deadly biological and chemical weapons programs,” and the obtaining of “sufficient fissile material to produce a nuclear explosion”—“facts and conclusions based on solid intelligence.”
- frankydp 12y ago
  We did find the mobile bio labs. They just happen to be fakes. Complete with crews, hoses, and NOS to give the appearance of cooling. Saddam was playing one serious game of RR.
  - mikeyouse 12y ago
    No, they really didn't. Wikipedia sums it up well, but the Iraqis insisted all along that the 'labs' were facilities to fill weather balloons which is even more amusing since those very labs were bought from the British in the 1980's. Those balloons were eventually used to range artillery, but the only people claiming they were weapons labs were the Bush administration.. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_weapons_laboratory#Discovery_of_Iraqi_mobile_labs.3F http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_weapons_laboratory#Dis...

by spikels 12y ago

mikeyouse 12y ago

I apologize if my reply came off harsher than I intended, but there has been a lot of disingenuous press lately about Iraq having WMDs after all. It's all bullshit. > What you and the NYTimes seem to be saying is that all along this statement actually meant they weren't producing WMDs. Right? Exactly this. Part of the motivation for the Gulf War was Saddam's gassing of the Kurds and other ethnic groups. So we knew they had at one point manufactured and stored chemical weapons. The motivation for the 2003 Iraq War was a series of administration claims that they were still producing WMDs including Anthrax and Nuclear weapons -- contrary to international opinion / UN weapons inspector claims. Again, I apologize if this is more emotional than typical for HN, but the Iraq War led to hundreds of thousands of deaths, billions (trillions?) of taxpayer dollars flushed down the toilet, and the formation of ISIS. Here are some actual claims from the buildup to the Iraq War: Dick Cheney in 2002: > “Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt he is amassing them to use against our friends, against our allies, and against us.” GWB: > “The Iraqi regime possesses biological and chemical weapons, is rebuilding the facilities to make more and, according to the British government, could launch a biological or chemical attack in as little as 45 minutes after the order is given.” Paul Wolfowitz: > [The Iraq WMD Program is] “just a series of evil weapons unaccounted for, huge quantities of anthrax that can kill millions of people, huge quantities of botulinum toxin that can kill millions of people, ricin that can kill millions of people.” Colin Powell: > “biological weapons factories on wheels and on rails,” an “extensive clandestine network” to supply “its deadly biological and chemical weapons programs,” and the obtaining of “sufficient fissile material to produce a nuclear explosion”—“facts and conclusions based on solid intelligence.”

frankydp 12y ago
We did find the mobile bio labs. They just happen to be fakes. Complete with crews, hoses, and NOS to give the appearance of cooling. Saddam was playing one serious game of RR.
- mikeyouse 12y ago
  No, they really didn't. Wikipedia sums it up well, but the Iraqis insisted all along that the 'labs' were facilities to fill weather balloons which is even more amusing since those very labs were bought from the British in the 1980's. Those balloons were eventually used to range artillery, but the only people claiming they were weapons labs were the Bush administration.. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_weapons_laboratory#Discovery_of_Iraqi_mobile_labs.3F http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_weapons_laboratory#Dis...