NationStates Jolt Archive

http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,462782,00.html
SPIEGEL INTERVIEW WITH CIA'S FORMER EUROPE DIRECTOR

"We Probably Gave Powell the Wrong Speech"

The former chief of the CIA's Europe division, Tyler Drumheller, discusses the United States foreign intelligence service's cooperation with Germany, the covert kidnapping of suspected terrorists and a Bush adminstration that ignored CIA advice and used whatever information it could find to justify an invasion of Iraq.

It's a very interesting interview. I think it might be just about time those people who still defend Bush and his Administration on the original decision and the conduct of the lead-up to the war change their views.

Very interesting article, I'm surprised he was so candid.

All old news. The specifics were not in the public arena at the time, but the general overview of the situation was readily apparent to anyone who cared to know. Even if we put down the original refusal to see the obvious and (to me at least) inescapable truth, at the time, to the hysteria the Whitehouse whipped up in order to capitalise on 9/11 for its own ends, once the WMD was not found, only someone very determined to ignore reality wouldnt have been forced to reconsider the much stated and rather obvious truth that was readily apparent from the outset. Someone that determined is so invested in believing a dellusions that even if you had Bush himself freely confess in person to them, they still would invent some fantastical, nonsensical fairytale to keep the truth from themselves.

It's my opinion that such people are very rare. I honestly believe that most who try to appear to believe the whole 'it was the intelligence' guff actually know as well as everybody that they are spouting B.S. Why would they do that? Because they lack the morals to put their ego second place to ethical conduct and because they lack the subltely and honesty to support politicians/political parties according to conduct and circumstance rather than according to whatever ideological flag they fancy themselves waving.

They prefer the blood of children running in the streets to an admission that they were wrong and that it is possible that even if their ideology is best, the party usually associated with it can be worse in a particular case than the party associated with opposing ideology. So far as I am concerned the only ones left are those whose ego is too precious to admit they were wrong, and those who lied all along because nothing would induce them to stop playing cheerleader for the party they affiliate themselves with, much less support anything done by those they percieve as their political opponents. In short people who value their egos more than human life - so long as it's someone else's life.

All old news.
Yeah, but this time it comes with a shiny "Spiegel" heading, leading me to hoping that some of the Busheviks here (actually, there are a lot less than there used to be :( ) might pick up on it.

those people who still defend Bush and his Administration on the original decision and the conduct of the lead-up to the war

...are so delusional that nothing will change their minds.

We've heard this for three years - longer for those who paid attention to people like Scott Ritter back before the invasion.

I just happened to come across a few tasty quotes about this issue today ...

He has not developed any significant capability with respect to weapons of mass destruction. He is unable to project conventional power against his neighbors.

... makes me think of ...

But in terms of Saddam Hussein being there, let's remember that his country is divided, in effect. He does not control the northern part of his country. We are able to keep arms from him. His military forces have not been rebuilt.

Hmmm.

... and then ...

Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction.

...more later, if needed.