# Russert's role in the lead up to the war **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 17, 2008, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russerts-role-in-the-lead-up-to-the-war/453209 "2008-06-17T14:38:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russerts-role-in-the-lead-up-to-the-war/453209/21 "2008-06-17T15:49:48Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] No. Saddam kicked them out, then let them back in, then they pulled out and he refused to let them back in. Read the whole time frame. [/QUOTE] It’s pretty clear Russert was talking about their ultimate exit and incorrectly blaming it on Saddam. Otherwise you have to argue he’s asking Gore what he would to about a break in inspections that lasted barely two weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russerts-role-in-the-lead-up-to-the-war/453209/22 "2008-06-17T15:51:10Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Amazing] Well, but it also says: October 31, 1998 - Iraq ends all forms of cooperation with the UNSCOM teams and expels inspectors from the country. So, it looks like the UNSCOM teams left Iraq twice…once, on October 31, 1998, when Sadaam kicked them out, and the second, December, 1998, when they withdrew on the advice of the US, after Sadaam stopped cooperating with them again. [/QUOTE] But the second time is what Russert was refrring to when he said, “a year ago” to Al Gore. He did the interview with Gore in December of '99. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russerts-role-in-the-lead-up-to-the-war/453209/23 "2008-06-17T15:54:40Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] It’s pretty clear Russert was talking about their ultimate exit and incorrectly blaming it on Saddam. Otherwise you have to argue he’s asking Gore what he would to about a break in inspections that lasted barely two weeks. [/QUOTE] But after they left, SH wouldn’t let them back in. Maybe that’s technically not kicking them out, but what’s the difference? He did kick them out once, and when he let them back in he didn’t really cooperate with them. Then they left, and he wouldn’t let them back in. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russerts-role-in-the-lead-up-to-the-war/453209/24 "2008-06-17T15:59:42Z")
So, we wouldn’t have gone to war if only Russert had said: What are you going to do now that SH won’t let the inspectors back in?" instead of saying SH kicked them out? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russerts-role-in-the-lead-up-to-the-war/453209/25 "2008-06-17T16:00:14Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] But after they left, SH wouldn’t let them back in. Maybe that’s technically not kicking them out, but what’s the difference? He did kick them out once, and when he let them back in he didn’t really cooperate with them. Then they left, and he wouldn’t let them back in. [/QUOTE] So you concede that “a year ago” relative to the Gore interview, Saddam did not kick the inspectors out. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russerts-role-in-the-lead-up-to-the-war/453209/26 "2008-06-17T16:00:42Z")
Russert and other journalists who didn’t ask enough tough questions leading up to the war are not at fault for the war, unless they also happened to be holding executive governmental office, such as President, Veep, Sec Defense, Sec of State, Nat’L Sec.Advisor, etc., at the same time. The ones who told the lies, or who relied on egregiously wrong intelligence, are the ones at fault. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russerts-role-in-the-lead-up-to-the-war/453209/27 "2008-06-17T16:01:40Z")
Not to mention the fact that they left because they had nothing to do - the Hussein government had suspended all cooperation with the teams. Look, you can play games with what Russert said or didn’t say - it doesn’t change the fact one bit that Iraq wasn’t in compliance with their obligations under the UN resolutions and the cease-fire. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russerts-role-in-the-lead-up-to-the-war/453209/28 "2008-06-17T16:04:00Z")
[QUOTE=Great Dave] Shoot, I knew that looked wrong. But to be fair, he was retired before I started watching the news. [/QUOTE] Well, that’s fair. Same for me with names like Julius Seezer and President Linken. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russerts-role-in-the-lead-up-to-the-war/453209/29 "2008-06-17T16:04:07Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] So you concede that “a year ago” relative to the Gore interview, Saddam did not kick the inspectors out. [/QUOTE] No, I don’t. He did kick them out, and when he let them back in he didn’t cooperate with them so they left. Then he wouldn’t let them back in. It’s a semantic nitpick that any of his guests could easily correct. If they didn’t, then it’s their fault, not Russert’s. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russerts-role-in-the-lead-up-to-the-war/453209/30 "2008-06-17T16:11:08Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] Not to mention the fact that they left because they had nothing to do - the Hussein government had suspended all cooperation with the teams. Look, you can play games with what Russert said or didn’t say - it doesn’t change the fact one bit that Iraq wasn’t in compliance with their obligations under the UN resolutions and the cease-fire. [/QUOTE] Irrelevant. Also specious. They took a few potshots at UN planes. Big deal. Bust as i said, irrlevant, since nothing in the UN Resolution authorized regime change as retribution for a violation, much less unilateral, non-defensive regime change by the US. ---
**Author:** ![ArizonaTeach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@ArizonaTeach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArizonaTeach)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russerts-role-in-the-lead-up-to-the-war/453209/31 "2008-06-17T16:14:16Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] Irrelevant. Also specious. They took a few potshots at UN planes. Big deal. [/QUOTE] Wait, why is this **not** a big deal? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russerts-role-in-the-lead-up-to-the-war/453209/32 "2008-06-17T16:15:29Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] No, I don’t. He did kick them out, and when he let them back in he didn’t cooperate with them so they left. Then he wouldn’t let them back in. It’s a semantic nitpick that any of his guests could easily correct. If they didn’t, then it’s their fault, not Russert’s. [/QUOTE] Russert made a factully incorrect statement when he said, One year ago Saddam Hussein threw out all the inspectors who could find his chemical or nuclear capability.” That was a false assetion, period. It’s actually doubly false since he also accused saddam of hiding nuclear and chemical capabilities which we now know did not exist (and for which Russert had no evidence when he said it). It’s also not true that Saddam wouldn’t let the inspectors back in. He let them back in unconditionally in 2003, but Bush yanked them because they weren’t finding anything and it was becoming damaging to his case for invasion. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russerts-role-in-the-lead-up-to-the-war/453209/33 "2008-06-17T16:16:43Z")
[QUOTE=ArizonaTeach] Wait, why is this **not** a big deal? [/QUOTE] Because they didn’t have anti-aircraft capabilities which were any genuine threat to the UN planes. It was an impotent, symbolic act, no better than firing a shotgun at them. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russerts-role-in-the-lead-up-to-the-war/453209/34 "2008-06-17T16:16:47Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] Irrelevant. Also specious. They took a few potshots at UN planes. Big deal. Bust as i said, irrlevant, since nothing in the UN Resolution authorized regime change as retribution for a violation, much less unilateral, non-defensive regime change by the US. [/QUOTE] Although **Mr Moto** supports the war, there was nothing in his post about a justification for the war. It is a fact that SH was not in compliance with the UNSC resolutions. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russerts-role-in-the-lead-up-to-the-war/453209/35 "2008-06-17T16:18:19Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] Although **Mr Moto** supports the war, there was nothing in his post about a justification for the war. It is a fact that SH was not in compliance with the UNSC resolutions. [/QUOTE] What do the UNSC resolutions have to do with this discussion? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russerts-role-in-the-lead-up-to-the-war/453209/36 "2008-06-17T16:20:30Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] Russert made a factully incorrect statement when he said, One year ago Saddam Hussein threw out all the inspectors who could find his chemical or nuclear capability.” That was a false assetion, period. [/quote] No. If I kick you out of my dinner party, then let you back in later and make you stay in the library while the rest of continue eating, I think it’s fair to say I kicked you out. Especially if you leave because you’re bored and then I don’t let you return at all later. > [@](#): > > It’s actually doubly false since he also accused saddam of hiding nuclear and chemical capabilities which we now know did not exist (and for which Russert had no evidence when he said it). Do you have a cite for that? Russert usually doesn’t make assertions-- he usually just asks questions. > [@](#): > > It’s also not true that Saddam wouldn’t let the inspectors back in. He let them back in unconditionally in 2003, but Bush yanked them because they weren’t finding anything and it was becoming damaging to his case for invasion. Irrelevant, since that’s after the timeframe we’re talking about here. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russerts-role-in-the-lead-up-to-the-war/453209/37 "2008-06-17T16:23:52Z")
I know a lot of people would prefer that Russert (and other journalists) would have tried to call out Bush, Cheney, and others on what they said in response to his questions. Personally, I think there’s a good place for journalists who simply ask good questions to get leaders on the record on critical issues, and let people make up their own mind. I think Russert did ask tough questions, regardless of what his personal views were on the war. I look at the [transcript](http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/bush/cheneymeetthepress.htm) of the Cheney interview and think that Russert asked the right things. Such as: > [@](#): > > MR. RUSSERT: If your analysis is not correct, and we’re not treated as liberators, but as conquerors, and the Iraqis begin to resist, particularly in Baghdad, do you think the American people are prepared for a long, costly, and bloody battle with significant American casualties? [snip] > > MR. RUSSERT: The army’s top general said that we would have to have several hundred thousand troops there for several years in order to maintain stability.[snip] > > MR. RUSSERT: We have had 50,000 troops in Kosovo for several years, a country of just five million people. This is a country of 23 million people. It will take a lot in order to secure it.[snip] > > MR. RUSSERT: Every analysis said this war itself would cost about $80 billion, recovery of Baghdad, perhaps of Iraq, about $10 billion per year. We should expect as American citizens that this would cost at least $100 billion for a two-year involvement.[snip] > > MR. RUSSERT: Brent Scowcroft, a man you know well, the national security adviser to former President Bush, when you were secretary of defense, talked to the National Journal and said this, and let me lay it out: “I’m puzzled as to where President Bush stands on the issue of our traditional alliances such as NATO, because during the campaign he made some strong statements about putting more stock in them. Clearly, that hasn’t happened. Part of the Bush administration clearly believes that as a uperpower, we must take advantage of this opportunity to change the world for the better, and we don’t need to go out of our way to accommodate alliances, partnerships or friends in the process, because that would too constraining. > > ”[This doctrine of continually letting each mission to define the coalition and relying almost solely on ad hoc] coalitions of the willing is fundamentally fatally flawed. As we’ve seen in the debate about Iraq, it’s already given us an image of arrogance and unilateralism, and we’re paying a very high price for that image. If we get to the point where everyone secretly hopes the United States gets a black eye because we’re so obnoxious, then we’ll be totally hamstrung in the war on terror. We’ll be like Gulliver with the Lilliputians.” > > Brent Scowcroft, arrogance, black eye. Eighty-five percent of Spain, 86 percent of Germans, 91 percent of Russians, all against this war. What happened? How did we lose a PR battle against Saddam Hussein in the world, and why would Brent Scowcroft say those kinds of things?[snip] > > MR. RUSSERT: And we are back with the vice president. Front page in The New York Times: “Anger On Iraq Seen As New Al-Qaeda Recruiting Tool.” The Arab street will rise up, recruit more people. The president has embraced a new road map of the Middle East. Some say that was a political calculation to help with the war in Iraq. What will happen in the Arab street? And will more young Arabs, Muslims sign up to attack the United States?[snip] > > MR. RUSSERT: What’s after Iraq? Will we consider military action to pre-empt the nuclear program of North Korea, of Iran? I think those are good, fair questions. To boil down Russert’s responsibility for the war to a few questions about UN inspectors being kicked out of the country is making a mountain out of a molehill. Russert, in my estimation, neither tilted his questions to being pro-war or anti-war, and that I think is a commendable task for a journalist. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russerts-role-in-the-lead-up-to-the-war/453209/38 "2008-06-17T16:34:06Z")
Note to self: be very careful about accepting an invitation to dine at **John Mace** ’s house. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russerts-role-in-the-lead-up-to-the-war/453209/39 "2008-06-17T16:42:04Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] But after they left, SH wouldn’t let them back in. Maybe that’s technically not kicking them out, but what’s the difference? [/QUOTE] It’s an error, and if it makes no difference, it’s still worth remembering that at the time, it was often cited as part of the whole “He’s not complying, we don’t know what he’s hiding” thing. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russerts-role-in-the-lead-up-to-the-war/453209/40 "2008-06-17T16:47:24Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] It’s an error, and if it makes no difference, it’s still worth remembering that at the time, it was often cited as part of the whole “He’s not complying, we don’t know what he’s hiding” thing. [/QUOTE] At what time? When the AUMF was passed, he was not in compliance because he would not let the inspectors in. But this whole business of him not being in compliance is a red herring anyway. The UNSC resolutions were so strict and so onerous (from SH’s perspective) that it was next to impossible for him to comply. It was a “slam dunk” for any US president to prove that SH wasn’t in compliance, but that doesn’t mean we should’ve gone to war. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russerts-role-in-the-lead-up-to-the-war/453209.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russerts-role-in-the-lead-up-to-the-war/453209.md?page=3)