# Bush on war as game **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 25, 2003, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-on-war-as-game/170990 "2003-04-25T00:39:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Susma\_Rio\_Sep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/35a633/32.png) [@Susma\_Rio\_Sep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susma_Rio_Sep)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-on-war-as-game/170990/1 "2003-04-25T00:39:29Z")
I am trying to clear up something I said in a thread in the Pit. I might have to take back my word there, and express sincere regrets. Can anyone here knowledgeable trace any utterance of Bush where he uses the word ‘game’ in reference to the War on Irag? Thanks, and I promise to be careful with my imagination in subsequent posts. Susma Rio Sep ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-on-war-as-game/170990/2 "2003-04-25T00:57:38Z")
March 16, at the [summit in the Azores](http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/03/20030316-3.html), he said: > [@](#): > > And this game that he is playing is, frankly, a game that he has played over the last 12 years. Disarmament never happens. But instead, the international community is drawn into some perpetual negotiation, gestures designed to divide the international community, but never real and concrete cooperation leading to disarmament. [Feb 7,](http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/world/newsid_2735000/2735545.stm): > [@](#): > > George W Bush said: “The game is over” and said Saddam must act now if he wants to avoid a military attack. [March 8](http://usembassy.state.gov/tokyo/wwwh20030310b7.html): > [@](#): > > Iraqi operatives continue to play a shell game with inspectors, moving suspected prohibited materials to different locations every 12 to 24 hours. And Iraqi weapons scientists continue to be threatened with harm should they cooperate in interviews with U.N. inspectors. ---
**Author:** ![Susma\_Rio\_Sep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/35a633/32.png) [@Susma\_Rio\_Sep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susma_Rio_Sep)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-on-war-as-game/170990/3 "2003-04-25T05:52:25Z")
Thanks a lot, Uncle. Susma Rio Sep ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-on-war-as-game/170990/4 "2003-04-25T12:24:50Z")
That’s not a reference to the war, though. He was merely saying how Iraq was deceiving the UN arms inspectors. Of course, we have yet to see any of those NBC weapons W has referred to so frequently not that long ago. ---
**Author:** ![Mullinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-on-war-as-game/170990/5 "2003-04-25T12:58:29Z")
In quote 1, I think it is fairly clear that the use of game refers to Sadaam’s actions regarding disarmament, moving of weapons, ignoring UN rulings/sanctions. Quotes 2 & 3 use game in the same way. All refer to Iraqi actions prior to war. Did some searching for Bush using game to actually describe using his military to attack Iraq, wartime activities, how he views war, etc and have yet to find anything. That doesn’t mean the quote doesn’t exist, but if you use the above quotes as proof of Bush viewing war as a game, you won’t be helping your point. ---
**Author:** ![Susma\_Rio\_Sep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/35a633/32.png) [@Susma\_Rio\_Sep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susma_Rio_Sep)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-on-war-as-game/170990/6 "2003-04-26T13:26:55Z")
Dear Mullinator: Very true. That’s why for however embarrassing, I have to go back to the Pit and espress my sincere regrets for the liberty I took with ascribing to Bush a use of the word ‘game’ to refer to war on Iraq, even though no such usage so far has been located. Susma Rio Sep ---
**Author:** ![Israfel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/87869e/32.png) [@Israfel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Israfel)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-on-war-as-game/170990/7 "2003-04-26T13:51:01Z")
Also- that first quote is Blair, not Bush. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-on-war-as-game/170990/8 "2003-04-26T16:48:17Z")
Welcome to the boards, and nice catch! ---
**Author:** ![Mike.V](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Mike.V](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike.V)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-on-war-as-game/170990/9 "2003-04-26T18:06:41Z")
> [@](#): > > _TB: Did you watch that on television, when the bombs began to land?_ > > GB: Yes, I did. But what was interesting, Tom, I don’t think many people know this, is that the game plan was to move Special Ops forces early, at noon that day. And we would have explained to the country, as kind of creating the conditions for the battlefield, so that when our troops moved significantly their conditions would be ripe for success. [http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=400449](http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=400449)