President Prevaricator Persists
Our president didn't appreciate Helen Thomas this morning. But that didn't
stop her from going after him. Every reason has turned out not to be true, including
the story he wove into his press conference this morning. But that doesn't stop
him from trying.
As we learned yesterday, the
CIA knew Saddam had no WMDs.
Helen Thomas' question is still not answered and it never will be. The exchange
is below, with Thomas represented by “Question.”
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| C&L video |
QUESTION: I'd like to ask you, Mr. President — your
decision to invade Iraq has caused the deaths of thousands of Americans and
Iraqis, wounds of Americans and Iraqis for a lifetime. Every reason given,
publicly at least, has turned out not to be true. My question is: Why did
you really want to go to war? From the moment you stepped into the White House,
your Cabinet officers, former Cabinet officers, intelligence people and so
forth — but what's your real reason? You have said it wasn't oil, the quest
for oil. It hasn't been Israel or anything else. What was it?BUSH: I think your premise, in all due respect to your
question and to you as a lifelong journalist — that I didn't want war. To
assume I wanted war is just flat wrong, Helen, in all due respect.QUESTION: And…
BUSH: Hold on for a second, please. Excuse me. Excuse
me. No president wants war. Everything you may have heard is that, but it's
just simply not true.BUSH: My attitude about the defense of this country
changed in September the 11th. When we got attacked, I vowed then and there
to use every asset at my disposal to protect the American people. Our foreign
policy changed on that day. You know, we used to think we were secure because
of oceans and previous diplomacy. But we realized on September the 11th, 2001,
that killers could destroy innocent life. And I'm never going to forget it.
And I'm never going to forget the vow I made to the American people, that
we will do everything in our power to protect our people. Part of that meant
to make sure that we didn't allow people to provide safe haven to an enemy,
and that's why I went into Iraq. (CROSSTALK)BUSH: Hold on for a second. Excuse me for a second,
please. Excuse me for a second. They did. The Taliban provided safe haven
for Al Qaida.BUSH: That's where Al Qaida trained and that's where…
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)
BUSH: Helen, excuse me. That's where — Afghanistan
provided safe haven for Al Qaida. That's where they trained, that's where
they plotted, that's where they planned the attacks that killed thousands
of innocent Americans. I also saw a threat in Iraq. I was hoping to solve
this problem diplomatically. That's why I went to the Security Council. That's
why it was important to pass 1441, which was unanimously passed. And the world
said, Disarm, disclose or face serious consequences. And therefore, we worked
with the world. We worked to make sure that Saddam Hussein heard the message
of the world. And when he chose to deny the inspectors, when he chose not
to disclose, then I had the difficult decision to make to remove him. And
we did. And the world is safer for it.
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