George W. Bush's CIA Briefer: Bush and Cheney Falsely Presented WMD Intelligence to Public

[babylonsister]

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/05/michael-morell-bush-cheney-iraq-war


George W. Bush's CIA Briefer: Bush and Cheney Falsely Presented WMD Intelligence to Public
On "Hardball," Michael Morell concedes the Bush administration misled the nation into the Iraq War.

—By David Corn
| Tue May 19, 2015 7:25 PM EDT


For a dozen years, the Bush-Cheney crowd have been trying to escape—or cover up—an essential fact of the W. years: President George Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, and their lieutenants misled the American public about the WMD threat supposedly posed by Saddam Hussein in order to grease the way to the invasion of Iraq. For Bush, Cheney, and the rest, this endeavor is fundamental; it is necessary to protect the legitimacy of the Bush II presidency. Naturally, Karl Rove and other Bushies have quickly tried to douse the Bush-lied-us-into-war fire whenever such flames have appeared. And in recent days, as Jeb Bush bumbled a question about the Iraq War, he and other GOPers have peddled the fictitious tale that his brother launched the invasion because he was presented lousy intelligence. But now there's a new witness who will make the Bush apologists' mission even more impossible: Michael Morell, a longtime CIA official who eventually became the agency's deputy director and acting director. During the preinvasion period, he served as Bush's intelligence briefer.

Appearing on MSNBC's Hardball on Tuesday night, Morell made it clear: The Bush-Cheney administration publicly misrepresented the intelligence related to Iraq's supposed WMD program and Saddam's alleged links to Al Qaeda.

Host Chris Matthews asked Morell about a statement Cheney made in 2003: "We know he {Saddam Hussein} has been absolutely devoted to trying to acquire nuclear weapons. And we believe he has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear weapons." Here's the conversation that followed:

snip//

There's the indictment, issued by the intelligence officer who briefed Bush and Cheney: The Bush White House made a "false presentation" on "some aspects" of the case for war. "That's a big deal," Matthews exclaimed. Morell replied, "It's a big deal."

And there's more. Referring to the claims made by Bush, Cheney, and other administration officials that Saddam was in league with Al Qaeda, Morell noted, "What they were saying about the link between Iraq and Al Qaeda publicly was not what the intelligence community" had concluded. He added, "I think they were trying to make a stronger case for the war." That is, stronger than the truth would allow.

Morell's remarks support the basic charge: Bush and Cheney were not misled by flawed intelligence; they used the flawed intelligence to mislead.

[Octafish]

1. The Trials will really be something.

[font size="6"][font color="green"]Morell's remarks support the basic charge: Bush and Cheney were not misled by flawed intelligence; they used the flawed intelligence to mislead.[/font color][/font size]

"Money trumps peace." Heh heh heh.

[DallasNE]

7. The Intelligence Wasn't As Flawed As Now Claimed

Some of it was inconclusive, some of it came to a conclusion that was at odds with what Bush/Cheney said and some of what Bush/Cheney said was divined from thin air but is was all to mislead so that part is right.

[JHB]

26. Part of it is the language barrier...

To the PNAC gallery, "flawed intelligence" was anything that didn't confirm what they, in their brilliance (just ask them) already thought.

[Thor_MN]

15. Mislead? Misrepresented? They fucking lied.

[YOHABLO]

17. Yes, thank you for saying it. They lied. Funny how MSM won't say that word.

[Octafish]

29. BFEE put MSM on notice: ''The Dangerous Lie That 'Bush Lied'''

Judge Laurence Silberman wrote that even mentioning Bush II lied in regards to Iraq War II is tantamount to the treason that led to the rise of NAZI Germany.

The Dangerous Lie That ‘Bush Lied’

Some journalists still peddle this canard as if it were fact. This is defamatory and could end up hurting the country.

By LAURENCE H. SILBERMAN
Wall Street Journal, Opinion, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015

In recent weeks, I have heard former Associated Press reporter Ron Fournier on Fox News twice asserting, quite offhandedly, that President George W. Bush “lied us into war in Iraq.”

I found this shocking....

SNIP…

The charge is dangerous because it can take on the air of historical fact—with potentially dire consequences. I am reminded of a similarly baseless accusation that helped the Nazis come to power in Germany: that the German army had not really lost World War I, that the soldiers instead had been “stabbed in the back” by politicians.

Sometime in the future, perhaps long after most of us are gone, an American president may need to rely publicly on intelligence reports to support military action. It would be tragic if, at such a critical moment, the president’s credibility were undermined by memories of a false charge peddled by the likes of Ron Fournier.

Mr. Silberman, a senior federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, was co-chairman of the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/laurence-h-silberman-the-dangerous-lie-that-bush-lied-1423437950

There are really only six corporations to control. The rest of the pack doesn't amount to much, but they can be counted to go along.

[erronis]

47. Silberman's continued disservice to the USofA

He has so many dark marks against his name that I'm surprised he wants to put it back into the limelight.

- Clarence Thomas
- Iran Contra
- October Surprise

Time for him to find his final resting spot.

http://rightweb.irc-online.org/profile/Silberman_Laurence

[Enthusiast]

75. +1 an entire shit load.

[7wo7rees]

21. From your pen to "god's" ears!!

Please let Jeb's potential run be the downfall of this criminal family.

[yellowcanine]

40. The intelligence became flawed after they manipulated it. See "Dodgy Dossier."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_Dossier

[olegramps]

42. I wish that some foreign government would kidnap these bastards and try them for their crimes.

The United States has done this many times so it would seem to be a reasonable thing to do since we seem to be unable to do the right thing for these murderers. What it the possibility that military service members or the families of deceased members could sue them? I don't know if that is feasible, but I would love to see Cheney, Bush, Rice and the whole cabal of murders at least broke if not in prison.

[Voice for Peace]

87. I'm envisioning a special fundraising evening, aboard a private jet, for an elite group of neocons,

with all kinds of lavish distractions and promises.
Destination: to be a surprise

[G_j]

51. If only...

we had any kind of real justice at all...

[rhett o rick]

56. Maybe Obama will pardon the bastards so we can move forward.

I certainly hope not. I disagree with the idea that a pardon will acknowledge that crimes were committed.

But I bet Pres Obama favors pardoning the war criminals. Some think that he is also guilty of war crimes via killing innocent people with drones.

Maybe the President's oath of office should include pardoning all past and future crimes of previous presidents. Just a thought.

[pansypoo53219]

68. no. THEY USED 9/11 TO INVADE ON LIES FOR NEO-CON PIPE DREAMS.

all BULLSHIT.

[billhicks76]

73. People Should Question Their Version Of 911 Too!

[billhicks76]

74. Accessories To Murder

Of U.S. Troops. The troops should want Bush and Cheney to answer for their crimes.

[Iliyah]

2. Duh

[JEB]

3. Our country will never regain any moral standing

if these liars and criminals are not held to account.

[Wellstone ruled]

4. Thy say three strikes and your out,well

Iraq=1,Libya=2,and now Syria=3. And the World wonders what the hell.

[AzDar]

5. War Criminals.

[xocet]

6. MORELL: "Chris, Chris Chris, what's my job, right? My job—"...

George W. Bush's CIA Briefer: Bush and Cheney Falsely Presented WMD Intelligence to Public
On "Hardball," Michael Morell concedes the Bush administration misled the nation into the Iraq War.
—By David Corn | Tue May 19, 2015 7:25 PM EDT


...


MATTHEWS: Well, why'd you let them get away with it?

MORELL: Look, my job Chris—

MATTHEWS: You're the briefer for the president on intelligence, you're the top person to go in and tell him what's going on. You see Cheney make this charge he's got a nuclear bomb and then they make subsequent charges he knew how to deliver it…and nobody raised their hand and said, "No that's not what we told him."

MORELL: Chris, Chris Chris, what's my job, right? My job—

MATTHEWS: To tell the truth.

MORELL: My job—no, as the briefer? As the briefer?


...


http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/05/michael-morell-bush-cheney-iraq-war

[leveymg]

82. Morrell also delivered the 08/06 briefing about 9/11

To which Bush's response was: "Okay, you covered your ass, now."

Too bad Tweety didn't bring that one up.

[xocet]

94. Thanks for bringing that up. I had forgotten about that. n/t

[Major Nikon]

8. Not just to the public

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Armey#Foreign_policy

[dead_head]

9. 12 years later....

how many people died and had their life destroyed because of those lies?

Why say this after the damage's done?

[tblue37]

43. The Mideast is in flames and worse chaos is probably on the horizon. we need to

say to the CheneyBush war criminals, and make it stick in the public mind and the historical record, "You built that!"

[grasswire]

10. David Corn comes through again.

Gotta give him credit.

[CharlotteVale]

11. They're in luck. Obama is busy looking forward.

[sakabatou]

12. You don't say, Mother Jones!

[project_bluebook]

13. I believe Bush and Cheney are as evil as they come

and the CIA, Careless Incapable Assholes, is evil and needs to be dismantled.

[spanone]

14. time to prosecute. hague? world court? hello?

fear it's never gonna generate out of the goodle u.s.a.

[johnnyreb]

16. LongListofLies.mp3

Audio compilation up to January 2004: LongListofLies.mp3


Release the 28 pages.

[Duppers]

25. Bookmarked

Thank you.

[JEB]

44. That tape needs to be played over all the air waves

and over loud speakers nonstop until those fucking war criminals are held to account.

[johnnyreb]

49. Meanwhile they were protecting the actual 9/11 perpetrators.

Bob Graham, March 21: "There's no question that the Bush administration covered up for the Saudis."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026405955

[Spitfire of ATJ]

18. They did THIS:

[Jeffersons Ghost]

19. Which is the most dangerous WMD, the CIA or the NSA?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

20. PNAC.

[Octafish]

37. Like a bad boss once told me, ''Good answer!''

It's like PNAC never leaves. From ISP's RightWeb:

Our woman in Ukraine, Victoria Nuland, is married to PNAC co-founder Robert Kagan

Robert Kagan's brother is Frederick Kagan

Frederick Kagan's spouse is Kimberly Kagan

Brilliant people, big ideas, etc. The thing is, that's a lot of PNAC. And the PNAC approach to international relations means more wars without end for profits without cease, among other things detrimental to democracy, peace and justice.

What's amazing is how few people know they're still pounding the war drums and working the war levers.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

46. A lot of people don't know Jeb is one of the original members of PNAC....

http://www.reasoned.org/e_PNAC2.htm

[7wo7rees]

23. CHENEY! nt

[reddread]

50. a wax cherry

to be precise

[Duppers]

22. We knew THEN they were lying.

K&R for this whole thread.

[7wo7rees]

24. February 15th 2003

Largest global worldwide protest ever. 25 million, give or take a few.

Yes, there were plenty of us that knew.

[alphafemale]

30. The lies were picked apart one by one.

The main stream media ignored it.

It was like watching a nightmare unfold.

[Yorktown]

27. I'll ask again: why did they do it?

I know I'm rambling, but it nags me: yes, GW/Cheney cheated with the intel.

But why did they want to attack Iraq? Didn't make sense. I'd love to understand. One day.

[babylonsister]

28. Do you know how much money Halliburton

and by extension Cheney made, how much Blackwater, Brown and Root and so many other companies and people made? Couple that with the vision of controlling all that oil, and you have a bunch of greedy SOBs who didn't much care about any collateral damage involved. IMO.

[Botany]

31. Halliburton's spin off KBR made a $39.5 billion profit

http://www.ibtimes.com/winner-most-iraq-war-contracts-kbr-395-billion-decade-1135905


No bid cost plus contracts

[Yorktown]

36. Other people told me the same, but i can't get to believe it

Even a Cheney can't be insane enough to launch a war costing one trillion and thousands of lives just to fatten an already very healthy bank account.

[tblue37]

45. For some people, the instinctive competition for status and power that marks our species is

so unbalanced and uncontrolled that they cannot rein in their efforts to amass the markers for status and power--which in our world are wealth and social and political control.

But there were other very important reasons.

(1) One was the belief that the US, under the "leadership" (read dictatorial control) of the "right" people, would be able to take over a large part of the world's dwindling oil supply, thus cementing the power of thus country, controlled by THEM.

(2) Another was that they wanted to establish a puppet regime and use Iraq as a base for staging further operations in the region. Look at that *huge* "diplomatic" compound they built (though so badly that it can't be used).

(3) Yet another was to impose their version of the ideal economy--a cutthroat kleptocratic state in which they and their minions could exploit everyone and everything, with no check whatsoever on their actions.

The criminal inner circle are nothing but warlord wannabes, but they envisioned themselves as warlords of the whole world, not just of some defined territory in some part if the world.

The drive to create such kleptocratic, unregulated versions of capitalism on steroids is part if the current Republican Party's DNA, and though the Koch brothers might be the most powerful and influential of the billionaires and corporations directing and funding that effort, there are many others as well.

That effort to establish a state if unregulated economic exploitation of the many by the few continues even here in the US. That's why Brownback here in Kansas continues to follow the Koch playbook, even though the resulting economic devastation is so obvious that no one can doubt that he and his legislative minions have destroyed our economy. Walker and Scott have, as much as possible, followed the same playbook, though no other governor has had as clear a field as Brownback for implementing these programs, because all of the more reasonable "moderate" Republicans in the Kansas legislature (which always had a large Republican majority) were primaried out by extreme Teapublicans with overwhelming Koch backing. (I strongly believe, though, that elections are being rigged and stolen here in Kansas and all over the country.)

With such a huge Teapublican majority in the Kansas legislature, Brownback can implement any program the kleptocrats want.

That was also the case for a long time in Iraq. Iraq's political and military classes were swept away, to be replaced by ignorant, incompetent administrators and apparatchiks at all levels, people who were completely loyal to the extreme rightwing's social and economic ideology. Read Naomi Klein's book The Shock Doctrine. She explains the destructive version of capitalism that for these people is virtually a religion.

The criminal gang that pushed for the Iraq invasion and then handled everything in a way that made them even wealthier but that destroyed so much, killed so many, and created such a mess in the Mideast are the same people behind PNAC--The Project for the New American Century--the position paper that spelled out the plan that was followed in the CheneyBush years to invade Iraq and attempt to take complete control of its government and, most important, of its oil. Even before the invasion, Cheney had meetings in his office with oil companies to work out how they would divvy up the oil they assumed they'd appropriate as spoils if war.

These three factors are probably the main reasons driving the architects of the Iraq debacle.

[gregcrawford]

63. Guess you've never met a real psychopath before...

... well, Cheney is a textbook example of one. He was just smart enough to con others into doing his murdering for him. He's evil down to his DNA.

And look at the Kochs. Billionaires 50 times over, but they still want to impose a Randian hellscape on the rest of us.

No bank account is EVER fat enough for monsters like them. Charles Koch is quoted as having said, "All I want is my share, and that's ALL of it!" Their capacity for ruthless malice is bottomless.

[Enthusiast]

80. Randian hellscape is a good term.

[Enthusiast]

79. The price of oil soared also.

These people like Cheney can never get enough.

It is a level of greed that we simply cannot fathom.

The more they get the more fear they have that they will lose what they have.

It's a never ending vicious circle.

[deutsey]

35. As Pink Floyd once sang:

"Money, it's a hit...don't give me that do-goody-good bullshit."

Before 9/11, the neo-con loons were desperately looking for some excuse to invade Iraq and ensure their dominance in the region in their warped dream of ensuring a "new American century."

That, and I always felt that Bush had some Oedipal psycho-drama going on with his dad in which he felt he had to prove his manliness by invading Baghdad where his father had stopped short.

[reddread]

53. the huge mistake made ever since, and with much help from the M$M

divorcing the influence and appetite of GHWB from the puppet son.
Cheney is no rogue here, and GW no mastermind.
We have such a falsified grip on reality and history it is to laugh.

[Enthusiast]

81. I'm afraid you are correct.

[KingCharlemagne]

32. That Morell is quite the little Eichmann, isn't he? Just making sure the

trains to Auschwitz ran on time. This country is doomed.

[L0oniX]

33. K & R

[Paladin]

34. Tweety was in his "I Hate Wars" mode, wasn't he?

He'll be back to his "Wars Bring Out The Best In Us" attitude tonight, no doubt. Asshole.

[Martin Eden]

38. This needed to be widely held public knowledge BEFORE the invasion.

Now we need INDICTMENTS.

Don't hold your breath.

[yellowcanine]

39. Rumsfield, "We know where they [Iraq's WMD] are. They're in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad ..."

We know where they [Iraq's WMD] are. They're in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south, and north somewhat....I would also add, we saw from the air that there were dozens of trucks that went into that facility after the existence of it became public in the press and they moved things out. They dispersed them and took them away. So there may be nothing left. I don't know that. But it's way too soon to know. The exploitation is just starting.
Interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC News This Week, March 30, 2003

[Nitram]

41. They really believed the Iraq war would be short and sweet, and paid for by Iraq's oil.

They are arrogant people, ignorant of history and scornful of people who have actually studied other cultures. They wanted an invasion for a variety of reasons:

1. wartime presidents get re-elected
2. oil
3. strengthen U.S. influence in the Middle East
4. oil
5. the use of military force is superior to the use of diplomacy
6. oil
7. miraculously turn all Middle East countries into democracies
8. oil

[hifiguy]

91. +1 All that oil sitting there

just waiting to be stolen.

[mountain grammy]

48. No surprise here.. but what's scary is

the voters who will still elect the lying bastards.

[malaise]

52. Tweety cornered him yesterday

It was delish!!!

Bush and Cheney were not misled by flawed intelligence; they used the flawed intelligence to mislead.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
THIS

Rec

[babylonsister]

66. He sure did!

And it was delish!

[malaise]

67. Excellent OP here sis

[NCcoast]

54. I can't even remember when I didn't know this sh*t

It's taken well over a decade for us to force any acknowledgment of reality into the minds of the public, so called journalism and the body politic. Every American institution of public trust has become completely corrupt. Thank you Judge Powell.

[Dont call me Shirley]

69. +1

[samsingh]

55. 1000 kicks

[rhett o rick]

57. WE KNEW THEN WHAT WE KNOW NOW.

I want trials and include the top executives of the major Corp-News outlets.

[7962]

58. WORST foreign policy decision in our history. nt

[FairWinds]

59. Morell Broke His Oath . .

and needs to be prosecuted.

Lying the country into war is clearly a crime against the constitution, and
for him to say "it was his job" to stand there and witness the falsehoods
is completely inadequate.

Nazis were executed for the "just doing my job" defense.

Here is the CIA oath . . “I, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”

Unless they are held to account, members of the national security elite will continue to engage in criminal activity, and claim they were "just doing their job."

Veterans For Peace

[BillZBubb]

85. So you would prosecute the whistleblower?

I find that disgusting, particularly given you lack of mentioning the real architects of this crime.

Morrell did his job. He did not start a war. He's not a war criminal. If he would have come forward at the time, he would have received the Snowden treatment or even worse--probably much worse.

[KansDem]

60. Release the 28 redacted pages of the 9/11 Commission report

I want to know what happened.

[hifiguy]

92. Ask the Saudis.

I'd bet you they've seen it. Probably even have their own copy.

[freebrew]

61. I hope no one has forgotten...

that dick cheney hired his own intelligence crew. No attention was paid to the CIA intelligence reports.
All intelligence was filtered through cheney's secret government. It was they who picked what to report.
What was reported was ALWAYS in favor of the views of PNAC and BFEE.

Crimes were committed, congress was threatened, if you recall the secret meetings held where certain congress-people's minds were 'changed'?(Dick Gephardt for one).

The situation wreaked with obvious conspiracy, yet VERY few gov't people or news people said anything.

The entire debacle needs investigating.

[kentuck]

62. It doesn't matter whether or not it is true...

It only matters who is best at spinning their side in the media. A "lie" can be made to look like the truth and the "truth" can be made to look ridiculous.

[Angry Dragon]

64. Treasonous Bastards

[mother earth]

65. Yeah, pretty sure it is called TREASON. They should be held accountable. nt

[Rafale]

70. War Crimes

In my humble opinion, people should be and should have been protesting in the streets for a war crimes tribunal. Bush et al., President Obama, and all of the Clowns-in-Action (CIA), who tortured other human beings, should be brought to trial. My time fighting their wars was a sick joke.

[Enthusiast]

83. You are absolutely correct.

[Dont call me Shirley]

71. Nice will be the day when we, humanity, send these war criminals to the prisons they created,

Guantanamo, Abu Graib and on and on!

[Enthusiast]

72. It was treason. Not only did they lie us into a two trillion dollar war,

they also allowed the 9/11 operation and possibly even fostered it along the way.

There has never been a more criminal administration in the history of the nation. They even stole the fucking election to get in office so they could carry out their crimes.

But President Obama said we had to "Look forward". Mr. President, WTF?

[kentuck]

76. Everyone should know that by now...

I guess there are a few hungry pawns that still believe Saddam was connected to al Qaeda or that he had WMDs so we had no choice but to invade. Some people still believe that?

[Enthusiast]

84. I know people that are true believers.

Military families. Proud of their sons. Anything military has to be correct, must be correct.

It was similar during Vietnam.

Some hard core Republicans would never entertain the possibility that a fellow Republican could do wrong. Quite a contrast to those of us on DU that question everything.

[kentuck]

88. True.

[True Blue Door]

77. Treason. The word is treason. Not "misled."

[Enthusiast]

90. +1!

[reddread]

96. familia tradition

if GHWB's personal lawyer hadnt payed anti-ransom to keep the Hostages in Iran through the 1980 election,
well this would be a much different world.

[SummerSnow]

78. They did all of this and still embraced by their party.

if Obama had done this they would've tarred and feathered him then paraded him as a war criminal in the streets

[sulphurdunn]

86. The Iraq War

wasn't a mistake. It was a crime.

[hifiguy]

89. Lying sacks of shit, the lot of them.

And they all belong in the dock at the Hague.

[Rafale]

93. On Treason

Yeah, if you put the interests of Halliburton and various oil firms (namely, Exon-Mobile, Chevron, Occidental, and Royal Dutch Shell) ahead of US national interests or when you put a revenge game plan (payback for an assassination attempt on the President's daddy) ahead of US national interests, that is treason.

[Rex]

95. But but but...PNAC and the BFEE...tee hee?

No? Not so much 'tee hee' anymore!? Not just college pranks?

Not directed at the OP, just some in general that pass on such issues.