'No memory' of 45-minute claim.

[punistation]

'No memory' of 45-minute claim

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,8650456%255E1702,00.html

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld did not recall British Prime Minister Tony Blair's pre-war claim that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction ready to be deployed in 45 minutes, he said yesterday.

"I don't remember the statement being made, to be perfectly honest," Rumsfeld told a Pentagon news conference. General Richard Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he did not remember the statement either.

The claim made headlines around the world after Blair levelled it in a 55-page "White Paper" presented to the House of Commons in September 2002.

*snip*


Kisses XXOOXX
Jen

[kanrok]

1. Whenever the "to be perfectly honest" line is used

A freakin' lie is coming.

[Justice]

4. Almost As Good As "Turns Out, ....."

as David Kay said.

The understatement of the year.

[trotsky]

2. Well then, that settles it.

Iraq war? 500+ soldiers dead? Nope, doesn't ring a bell.

[LiberalFighter]

27. We had a war? I must had been sleeping!!

[bhunt70]

3. doesnt matter if he remembers it now, he certainly played on it then.

[Malva Zebrina]

5. early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease eom

[punistation]

6. Reassuring.

How reassuring it is to know that a simple Australian gal has a better memory than the Secretary of Defence of the United States of America and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

You gotta forgive them though. It was only a war.

Kisses XXOOXX
Jen

[xchrom]

7. alex, every body whose name begins with r?

it worked for our glorious emporer ronnie reagan the first -- perhaps it will work for ambitious bumpkins like rumsfeld.

[Justice]

8. Does Rumsfield Have Alzheimer's?

sounds like the Reagan defense......

[Zhade]

9. Check the fucking tapes, Skeletor.

You know he said it.

[dennis4868]

10. OMG....

they all have Reagan's disease now....

[Kool Kitty]

11. It may be time for Pop to retire.

[hatrack]

12. "The Earth is flat, and if you sail too close to the edge, you'll fall off

http://www.workingforchange.com/comic.cfm?itemid=15717

There are some times when only Tom Tomorrow has the vocabulary you need for quotes like this.

[0rganism]

13. Well goodness gracious, perhaps he'll just have to refresh that memory

Seems like something your average person concerned with national defense would pay close attention to, but far be it from me to do his job for him.

[barbaraann]

14. Check out this pic of Rumsfeld from today.

&e=20

I think he's insane. Also, he needs to have his teeth whitened. :-)

[Bronco69]

17. Looks like he's constipated.

n/t

[Kinkistyle]

37. looks like he is holding in a monstrous tirade.

You know he would just love to just snap and start snapping necks and eating manflesh in that room. Its all he can do to hold in the bloodlust.

[NJCher]

20. That pic and this line go together perfectly

Iraq war?



500+ soldiers dead? Nope, doesn't ring a bell.


Cher

[Blue Gardener]

31. Excellent Pic!

Constipated perhaps?

[LiberalFighter]

28. Is he trying to do the Vuclan grip?

Too bad they don't print what the reporters were thinking when they saw that.

If he resorts to that type of expression then he needs help. Preferably in a strait-jacket. The sooner the better.

[young_at_heart]

15. Words escape me!!! What major audacity!

If I was a parent of one of those killed or injured I would be speechless right now.

[muriel_volestrangler]

16. So they find Dubya's speeches put them to sleep too?

"President George W Bush twice said Iraq could launch a chemical or biological attack within 45 minutes even though the CIA had not verified the claim, it emerged yesterday.

Although Mr Bush attributed the claim to the British government, a White House release issued at the same time stated it as fact and did not say where it had come from.

"According to the British government, the Iraqi regime could launch a biological or chemical attack in as little as 45 minutes after the order were given," Mr Bush said in the Rose Garden on Sept 26."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/07/21/wmd21.xml

Like hell he doesn't remember. Bush's full fear-inducing prophecy is at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/09/20020926-7.html

plus:

Bush's radio address that week:

The danger to our country is grave and it is growing. The Iraqi regime possesses biological and chemical weapons, is rebuilding the facilities to make more and, according to the British government, could launch a biological or chemical attack in as little as 45 minutes after the order is given. The regime has long-standing and continuing ties to terrorist groups, and there are al Qaeda terrorists inside Iraq. This regime is seeking a nuclear bomb, and with fissile material could build one within a year.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/09/20020928.html


"Global message" (not including Rumsfeld, obviously):

The danger is grave and growing. The Iraqi regime possesses biological and chemical weapons and is rebuilding facilities to make more. It could launch a biological or chemical attack 45 minutes after the order is given. The regime is seeking a nuclear bomb -- and, with fissile material, could build one within a year.

Iraq's regime has longstanding and continuing ties to terrorist groups -- there are al-Qaida terrorists inside Iraq.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/09/20020926-19.html


WH press briefing 24th Sept 2002:

Q Ari, some members of Tony Blair's own party -- say there's nothing new in the dossier Blair delivered to his Parliament. Is there a smoking gun?

MR. FLEISCHER: Well, I think there was new information in there, particularly about the 45-minute threshold by which Saddam Hussein has got his biological and chemical weapons triggered to be launched. There was new information in there about Saddam Hussein's efforts to obtain uranium from African nations. That was new information.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/09/20020924-3.html

[Zero Gravitas]

18. LOL

these creeps are really grasping for straws now.

Whats next sticking his fingers in his ears and saying "lalalalalala I can't hear you!" ?

[Terran]

19. Hey, ease up on Rumsfeld!

How can he be expected to remember every single damn lie he's spewed in the last three years? Sheesh!

[snooper2]

21. I've been scanning the archives...

And I haven't found anything...YET, where Rumsfeld says something about the 45-minute claim. But I know there is something out there.

If anyone wants to help...
:)
http://www.pentagon.mil/search/

[serryjw]

33. 45 Minutes

Bushit and Rummy didn't use the 45 minute....they used the statement 'mushroom cloud"....TONY Blair used the 45 minute statement referring to Saddams ability to reach any European country in 45 minutes

http://www.tedcor.com/bip300503.htm
http://blogs.salon.com/0002551/2003/07/16.html

[Robb]

22. Hell, it worked for Reagan.

...and McClellan's been spouting "the president recalls serving in Alabama and Texas" line over and over.

CYA.

:eyes:

[pinto]

23. that is just unbelievable....but please DUers, no alzheimer jokes, OK?

[agingdem]

24. Sounds alot like...

George I when he was asked about Iran-Contra. If Rumsfeld follows "I don't remember" with "I was out of the loop" then you know that Bush I is whispering in his ear.

[NNN0LHI]

25. This guy has been partying with Limbaugh again n/t

[UpInArms]

26. Rummy opens his mouth

and a turd fall out.

[youngred]

29. That's funny

Cheney was talking about it 2 months ago and how he still believed it.

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[samsingh]

30. he only needs to read the news

its everywhere. denying the obvious is a sign of enormous desperation and an insult to everyone. Rummy is making a huge mistake by being this insulting.

[Aristus]

32. You know an administration's in trouble when the soundbites are

all variations of "At the present time, Senator, I have no clear memory of that."

[The_Casual_Observer]

34. Ok, the new strategy is to deny that the Iraq war never happened

"There isn't any war....only congress can declare war!", "This is only a peace keeping operation" sort of like Vietnam.

[yellowcanine]

35. Oh it must not have happened then.

This guy really is unbelievable. Pretty soon he will be saying he doesn't remember claiming that Iraq had WMDs.

[Catshrink]

36. Let me again elevate the conversation:

Rummy is a fucking idiot and proves it every time he opens his mouth.