The Downing Street Memo and a host of new British documents are increasingly focusing national attention on the duplicity and incompetence of President Bush’s Iraq war planning. With criticism building, poll numbers plummeting and facing defections from his own party, the President used today’s weekly radio address to begin a new PR offensive to bolster support for Iraq policies.

If that performance is any indication, George Bush has moved from profound deception and deep denial to outright fantasy. In one short address, Bush resurrected the fiction that Iraq was somehow complicit in 9/11, while pretending his May 1, 2003 victory speech on the USS Abraham Lincoln never happened:

(Continue reading for quotes and sources.)

Why War with Iraq?

• "No, we've had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved with September the 11th." President Bush, September 17, 2004.


• "I would tell them [families of fallen soldiers] the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the war against those who caused the deaths on 9/11 is necessary."President Bush, October 22, 2004.


• "We went to war [in Iraq] because we were attacked."President Bush, June 18, 2005.

Was There An Al Qaeda Link?

• "It [Iraq] has aided, trained and harbored terrorists, including operatives of al Qaeda." President Bush, March 17, 2003.


• "The liberation of Iraq is a crucial advance in the campaign against terror. We've removed an ally of al Qaeda, and cut off a source of terrorist funding."President Bush, May 1, 2003.


• "No, we've had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved with September the 11th." President Bush, September 17, 2004.

Have We Prevailed?

• "Mission Accomplished."President Bush's Backdrop, May 1, 2003.


• "Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed."President Bush, May 1, 2003.


• "This mission isn't easy, and it will not be accomplished overnight."President Bush, June 18, 2005.

—Perrspective 1:20 AM | Permalink | TrackBack (0) | Comments (16) |