Was Bush lying to the Nation when he made the following statement?

Question

"Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised." --Bush, March 17, 2003

Answer 1

Earlier than that he might have believed saddam still had some of the WMD his daddy sold them.
But you may remember that UN inspectors, given unrestricted access to the entire country, failed to find any.
That's when he changed tactics. Started talking about how he wanted to "help" the Iraqi people. Like his daddy helped them, by causing 1.5 million Iraqi deaths, most of them children (through lack of food and medicine) by the papabush-backed embargo.
Like elderly people unwilling to believe that they were scammed by "repair your driveway/fix your roof" crooks, who took their money and ran, some will still continue to believe the war was right.
I mean, there are a handful of people who still believe the war in Vietnam was a good thing.

Answer 2

Had to be lying. The UN was in there desperately trying to ferret out the "WMDs'. All he had to do was to have his 'Intelligence' tell the UN investigators where to look, or whatever the heck they knew. Remember, two days later, 43 officially gave the order. I'm sure it was just a coincidence, and I will not seriously do an lol.

To this day, nothing of any consequence has been found, period. If that doesn't point to 'fabricating', I don't know what does. By that time, however, his fabrications had led Congress to ok attacking Iraq, if W. chose to. He could have waited and eventually found out the truth if he was actually being misled. This I doubt because whomever fabricated info right under his nose would have eventually been 'outed' somehow. The statement you refer to was the most profound made by him leading up to attacking Iraq. He did say, much previous, that Saddam was, to paraphrase, "the guy who tried to kill my dad". I personally believe that's why he wanted to do what he did, mindless though it was.

Answer 3

If someone convinced you that the world was flat, and then you told someone that the world was flat - would you really be lying? You were just passing on misinformation. This is the same situation. The intelligence gathered convinced enough people in congress that Iraq was a threat - why is Bush the only one being blamed for "lying'?

Answer 4

Thats weak dude.Were these people lying too ?

"As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, I am keenly aware that the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons is an issue of grave importance to all nations. Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process."

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (Democrat, California)
Statement on US Led Military Strike Against Iraq
December 16, 1998
http://www.house.gov/pelosi/priraq1.htm


"In the next century, the community of nations may see more and more the very kind of threat Iraq poses now -- a rogue state with weapons of mass destruction ready to use them or provide them to terrorists, drug traffickers or organized criminals who travel the world among us unnoticed.

If we fail to respond today, Saddam and all those who would follow in his footsteps will be emboldened tomorrow by the knowledge that they can act with impunity, even in the face of a clear message from the United Nations Security Council and clear evidence of a weapons of mass destruction program."

President Clinton
Address to Joint Chiefs of Staff and Pentagon staff
February 17, 1998
http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/02/17/transcripts/clinton.iraq/

"There's no question that Saddam Hussein is a threat to the United States and to our allies.

If Saddam persists in thumbing his nose at the inspectors, then we're clearly going to have to do something about it."

Howard Dean, Democratic Presidential Candidate
During an interview on "Face The Nation"
September 29, 2002
http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/face_092902.pdf

People can quarrel with whether we should have more troops in Afghanistan or internationalize Iraq or whatever, but it is incontestable that on the day I left office, there were unaccounted for stocks of biological and chemical weapons."

Former President Clinton
During an interview on CNN's "Larry King Live"
July 22, 2003
http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/07/23/clinton.iraq.sotu

"In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including Al Qaeda members...

It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons."

Senator Hillary Clinton (Democrat, New York)
Addressing the US Senate
October 10, 2002
http://clinton.senate.gov/speeches/iraq_101002.html

I could go on, but I'm bored now..

Answer 5

I don't know, was he? Only he knows the answer, and there were other advisors who pushed for the invasion of Iraq as much as he did after reading the intelligence reports. Since he was relying on intelligence to supply him with the information, maybe it was a mistake or a lie that was told to him.

At least get one fact straight PREDDIE82: Bush did not prosecute Saddam, the Iraqi government did.

Answer 6

i prefer no extra advantageous data to end that Bush has been a liar from the initiating, like the devil. He did not invade Iraq for "WMD's", that he knew did not exist. He did it for inner maximum arrogance, and endless "image-ops" This guy's arrogance chokes the angels, and reasons the heavens to cry. He has been to that super city of latest Orleans 15 circumstances considering that Katrina, each and every time bringing in basic terms an empty checkbook and fake provides. yet a minimum of he gets his image made interior the media each and every time. that super city looks comparable to it did the day after Katrina in many places. This president cares for no different than his "Base", that are the millionaires and the industrialists.

Answer 7

Yes he was.

I worked in Military Intelligence for 4 years, all during that little escapade. I had access to all the documents he supposedly referenced during his speeches on Iraq's alleged posession of Weapons Of Mass Destruction.

At no time did anyone in our office, nor at levels higher, find any evidence whatsoever that Iraq was in posession of any WMD's at any time after the year 2001. Saddam Hussein had thoroughly complied with the UN's demands to completely dismantle such programs and destroy any WMD's in Iraq.

Bushy just didn't like that Camel Jockey.

Answer 8

Yes he lied to the whole nation about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction. Anybody can obviously see that he had a personal vendetta against Saddam Hussein which dates back to when his father was president.

Answer 9

He was telling the "truth as he knew it"....unfortunately those who told him that WERE lying, and he believed it.
I think Sadaam was a big bully who loved making himself appear bigger and more powerful than he really was. I think he yelled and thumped his chest enough to make people believe he had all those weapons. It was his own damned fault, but it should have been checked out more thoroughly before we actually attacked them.

Answer 10

He was acting on intelligence information. At the time he was probably right. These WMDs might have kinda disappeared.