Thursday, May 10, 2007

SADDAM'S WMD CAPABILITY WASN'T DEAD -- IT WAS JUST RESTING

Victor Davis Hanson at National Review Online, in reference to the Iraq war resolution:

When both congressional Democrats and Republicans cast their votes to go along with President Bush, they even crafted 23 formal causes for war. So far only the writ concerning the fear of stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction has in hindsight proven false.

Big of him to admit that this has been "proven false":

Whereas Iraq both poses a continuing threat to the national security of the United States and international peace and security in the Persian Gulf region and remains in material and unacceptable breach of its international obligations by, among other things, continuing to possess and develop a significant chemical and biological weapons capability, actively seeking a nuclear weapons capability, and supporting and harboring terrorist organizations;

But I guess he thinks the jury is still out on this:

Whereas the current Iraqi regime has demonstrated its capability and willingness to use weapons of mass destruction against other nations and its own people;

Ditto this:

Whereas Iraq's demonstrated capability and willingness to use weapons of mass destruction, the risk that the current Iraqi regime will either employ those weapons to launch a surprise attack against the United States or its Armed Forces or provide them to international terrorists who would do so, and the extreme magnitude of harm that would result to the United States and its citizens from such an attack, combine to justify action by the United States to defend itself;

Apparently, for Victor Davis Hanson, it's still possible that the "current Iraqi regime" in the fall of 2002 had a "demonstrated ... capability" to deploy WMDs, including right here in the U.S. of A.

It should also be noted that other points in the resolution are, in essence, "Whereas terrorism is bad" and "Whereas Saddam did bad things years ago," and "Whereas the U.S. and the U.N. have already told him to cut the crap," and a couple of the points do that "link Saddam to 9/11, but with a few weasel words thrown in" thing the Bushies love so well -- for instance,

Whereas the President and Congress are determined to continue to take all appropriate actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations, or persons who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such persons or organizations;

So, sorry, Vic, but you're trying to pull a fast one if you're arguing that the score is 22-1.

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