Based on the fact that you typed the above paragraph and then moved on, I am pretty sure you’re right we’re not going to find common ground. I’m not sure which is more bananas to me – that you think that was the “one thing,” or that you think even if it was the one thing, the half a million to a million fucking human beings who were deleted from the world as a result aren’t bad enough to compare to Trump transparently encouraging Q lunatics. We don’t exist on the same plane of morality.
Did anyone really believe that he actually thought they had WMD? I thought it was widely assumed he was using that as an phonied-up excuse, like the Bay of Tonkin incident.
No, actually EVERYONE thought he had WMD. Saddam even bragged he had them. The Brits, the Mossad, everyone said he had them. Even the UN thought so, there were thousands of tons missing. It wasnt until Blix got permission to investigate- and reported “nope, no WMDs I can find” that we found out Saddam didnt have much in the way of WMDs. But then GWB invaded anyway.
So, Bushes threat to invade unless Saddam let Blix in was totally justified. But then- he went ahead anyway. That was the problem.
They did later find lots of old rusted out WMDs incidentally, hidden deep in the desert, more of a ecological threat that a military one.
The UN thought so because Colin Powell lied to the UN on behalf of Bush.
Lesson learned: do not trust the US.
No, all the Intelligence agencies, MI6, Mossad, etc all agreed. Saddam even said he had them. Blix thought there were WMDs.
It wasnt until after Blixs inspection tour we knew otherwise.
The timeline was tight, but the key point is that the US ignored Blix.
Powell spoke to the UN on February 5, 2003, accusing Iran of hiding wmd and refusing to allow access to the inspectors.
On February 14, Blix reported to the UN:
So that’s when the US “knew otherwise”, and of course the US immediately recanted and called off the war? No, because as Powell later admitted, when he made the speech Bush had already decided on war. Powell’s job was to sell it to the UN, which he failed to do.
Blix has also repeatedly stated that the US and the UK never disclosed to the inspectors the information that they were relying on to argue that Iraq was in breach and had wmd.
The net result was that the US was saying “Trust us” as they set off a war in the Middle East.
And Obama ordered assassination via drone. Is he as bad as Trump now?
I’m with DrDeth on this one. At the time I thought (hoped?) that it was skillful diplomacy by Bush to get Blix access. He didn’t any right away but there was some things that, if you squinted really hard, might be Iraq trying to hide them.
Even so Bush shouldn’t have invaded without solid proof.
That might be what you hoped, but it’s contradicted by Powell’s statement that the President had already decided by the time of Powell’s UN speech that the US was going to war. You were sold the same bill of goods as the UN.
Of course, Powell’s statement that the President had already decided to go to war could be just another lie. Once you start lying, people start questioning your good faith.
If it was all just a feint to get better access for the UN inspectors, going to war undercut it. As soon as the war started, Blix had to pull the inspectors.
^^ The alternative papers and magazines were disbelieving. It was assumed Jr was claiming any excuse to finish what his father started, no matter how spurious.
If you’re trying to make a good faith point or ask a good faith question, I can’t find it.
Whitmer kidnapping suspect, who wanted to kidnap Whitmer because of perceived over-response to CV-19, wants to be let out of jail because he now fears CV-19.
If only his state had a governor who tried to implement effective measures to slow the spread of the virus…
After three weeks in jail, one of the suspects charged with plotting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is asking the judge to reconsider her decision to keep him locked up: He’s worried about getting the COVID-19 virus.
Kaleb Franks, arraigned in federal court in Kent County, Michigan, faces charges related to what the FBI says was a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Kaleb Franks of Waterford, a recovering heroin addict who says he has turned his life around after doing time for cocaine and home invasion, has diabetes and high cholesterol, takes insulin daily and fears contracting COVID-19 in jail, his lawyer argued in court documents filed this week.
The filing shed more light on the life of the 26-year-old defendant known as ‘Red Hot,’ who maintains that he can be trusted not to flee and that he is not a threat to society, despite the judge concluding on Oct. 13 that “he remains a danger to the community.”
That’s true Leopards Ate My Face territory.
Also, “I’ve turned my life around, except recently I plotted to overthrow the government.” 
I know! I thought I was reading The Onion at first!
But his lawyer says he is not a danger to anyone.
Let him stay at his lawyer’s house, then.
Trial is finally starting:
Three acquittals:
Is this jury nullification? From the AOL article just above:
Molitor, 39, and William Null, 41, testified in their own defense, admitting they had attended gun drills and taken rides to check Whitmer’s property. But William Null said he and his brother broke away when talk turned to getting explosives. Molitor said Fox was “incredibly dumb” and wouldn’t pull off a kidnapping.
Assistant Attorney General William Rollstin urged jurors to not be swayed.
“If you help in whole or even in part you’ve satisfied that element” of the crime, Rollstin said in his closing argument Wednesday. “Was he helping him to plan? Was he helping him prepare? The answer is absolutely.”
They literally admitted to helping further this crime. By their own admission. Am I missing something?
From the article, they already convicted 9 of the 14 men who were charged.