POST SCRIPTS

"An Arab regime, possible Iraq ...." There's a concrete statement of fact if ever I heard one.

You really should just let it go. Cheney & Rummy flat out lied. Georgie and you were duped, royally, and that's all there is to it.

I know it's painful, but you can learn a valuable lesson from your suffering and demand that the Congress scrutinize carefully any further Administration claims to do with either Iran or North Korea.

Libby:

1. The computer files were found Iraq.

2. Not only were they found in Iraq, but they were amid other government documents.

3. They were also hidden to prevent their discovery.

4. The files were written to conceal the nation of orgin.

In the original story I quoted from, the files in many ways dovetail with a previously identified (IIS) Iraqi Intelligence Service notebook found in 1999. In that notebook it shows a pattern of operation. "...last week revealed the contents of a 1999 notebook kept by an Iraqi Intelligence Service (IIS) operative. That notebook detailed how Saddam's agents aggressively pursued and entered into a diplomatic, intelligence, and security arrangement with the Taliban and Islamist extremists operating in Afghanistan — years before the 9/11 attacks."

Liby, I would only ask that you read the entire story and don't let your obvious bias against Rumsfeld and Bush get in the way of your conclusions. I won't EVEN try to change your opinion about them, I am only asking to be open minded and flexible enough to allow yourself reasonable rationalization of the evidence.

I have the full story for you, if you can't find it on the net. Just ask.

Note: While Libby22 and I disagree strongly about almost everything political, she has had the courage to state her reasons, even offering her own solutions, which seperates her from those hit and run liberals who have posted here in the past.

I admire your persistence, but neither you nor they are in the least persuasive.

1. The computer files were found Iraq.

And who's been ferreting around in Iraq for the last three years? CIA, NSA, MI-5 or 6 or whichever? Anything found in Iraq at this point is profoundly tainted evidence.

2. Not only were they found in Iraq, but they were amid other government documents.

See above.

3. They were also hidden to prevent their discovery.

See above.

4. The files were written to conceal the nation of orgin.

And, see above. This whole thing is just a transparently fraudulent attempt to keep your hopes up. You really shouldn't let them do it to you.

Finding something 3 years later isn't the best of planning, if it was a plan, don't you think?
And even if it was a plant, what good would it do? It won't convince those who are against the war in Iraq and those that support the action will probably feel like me.

Well, once again we shall just have to agree to disagree.

By the way Libby, if you would like to post an editorial on this site, please feel free to submit something anytime. I will gladly give you the floor to state your side on whatever issue is important to you.

I think it would be interesting as a change of pace and I'm sure you would get a lot of equally interesing comments.

Well Libby, I agree with Jack, it would be interesting to have your postings on this site. I for one would love to hear what you use as "evidence" that Bush, Chenney, Rummy...and oh yeah, Congress, including the beloved Kerry, Bill Clinton, France, Germany, England, Ms. Albright and others all lied...they all believed, based on the available evidence, that Iraq had WMD. They also believed that Saddam needed to be removed (that was the plan passed to George Bush by Bill Clinton). They suspected that Saddam had ties to al Quiada and have found evidence to support that, like the 737 they found in Iraq that was used for training. We also know now that delegates from France and Germany had secret illegal deals going on with Saddam in the UN food for oil program...the real reason for opposing the war. The Congress saw all the evidence and voted to go to war asking Bush to do whatever was necesary to keep America safe from further attacks...they have had opportunities to change that decision and have chosen not to do so.
So what makes you so sure of your position? None of us knows what is in the top secret information that Bush and the Congress (and Clointon and his Congress)have seen. This manual information is hard evidence that supports what was believed to be true based on intel. You can hold onto your position that they lied if you want but you may find in the end that you are the one with egg on your face...opinion isn't evidence. I haven't seen a shred of evidence that Bush, Cheney, et al lied about anything. I have seen a group of dedicated courageous people who have worked hard to keep you and me safe. I'd rather be safe than sorry and I think a lot of the Iraqi people would agree, at least that's what the purple fingers would suggest.

So flattering. And there's no question that preaching to the choir is a dreadful bore.

Calls for citations are all very well, but I got a day job. And the fact is that for anyone who cares to look, there is a great deal of Congressional testimony and other evidence that Cheney and Rummy cherry-picked the available intelligence to support their willfully ignorant and prejudiced intention to go to war in Iraq -- which could be construed as lying, I supposed.

There is also a great deal of evidence that the administration actively sought to discredit officials who contradicted their willfully ignorant and prejudiced position. The list of sacked fellas is quite long, with Mr. & Mrs. Wilson at the top. This may not qualify as lying, but it's not terribly honorable, is it?

I mean, here you all are asking me for dissent, but you contradict ol' Mr. Cheney and your keister's in the street.

We all have day jobs too, as far as I can tell.

"...there is a great deal of Congressional testimony and other evidence that Cheney and Rummy cherry picked the available intelligence..."

The Congressional "testimony" is called partisan bloviating and means absolutely nothing since the intelligence was viewed by the bloviators as well...they saw the same intell. They know they can count on you to buy into their BS, Libby. Do you really think they are bystanders in the process? Nertz!

"willfully ignorant" is used twice...that's some terrific talking point presentation, so factual too.

Oh poor Mr. and Mrs. Wilson. Being photographed and highlighted in glossy highbrow magazines wasn't enough fame. To be really "in" with the leftist loons it takes something really big like a political "outing scandal"...even if you have to perpetrate it yourself...give me a large break.

I promise, Libby, I won't ever condone throwing your keister in the street. That image you have in your head of how mean conservatives are? It's a myth...but we do enjoy a good discussion or debate now and then.