Why did everybody believe Iraq had WMD's?

[napi21]

ShrubCo keeps blaming it all on the intelligence community, and that the whole world believed it. But I've been thinking about just how the whole world got this idea. Wasn't it ShrubCo that kept repeating it, and finally convinced everybody? Did other countries have their own info, or did they just all rely on the US?

[morgan2]

1. the whole world didnt

it just seemed that way because they wouldn't let anyone on tv who didn't believe that they had them. Most of the world believed they did, because that was the information they got. The people who should know were so sure. The only person who seemed to make it on tv who believed they had no WMD was Dennis Kucinich.

[Nimrod]

2. Other countries didn't believe it

That was the point of the UN weapon inspectors: To find out one way or the other. Of course, our esteemed overlords didn't like that idea much.

[Eloriel]

3. Why do you think the U.N. wouldn't pass a resolution for the war?

Why do you think Saddam's neighbors weren't at all worried about him?

The whole world DIDN'T get the idea Iraq had WMD -- just too many Americans and a smaller percentage of Brits. The rest of the world knew the truth. Our mainstream media refused to report the truth.

[TrustingDog]

4. without 911 BaBushka would Never have pulled this massive lie off...

Working backwards from the so many unbelievable things that have occured since WTC - you have to be Thick to believe that the Veto Bushelones didn't have some sinister hand in the events of that day.

[patdem]

5. Check out Scott Ritter, and of course the Weapons Inspectors

NO...not EVERYONE...it was a myth of mythical proportions! :grr:

[Dr Fate]

6. America believed it because "The TV" told them so.

It was "on the TV," so they believed it.

[EST]

7. The dink said so, his ring leaders said so, most of the media

slavishly avoided asking serious questions, FUX news pounded it in 24/7.

[Lone_Wolf]

8. It was an organized propaganda campaign...

The administration was clearly trying to mislead the American public. The media helped these bastards accomplish this with their constant linking of Saddam Hussein and 9/11 and WMDs.

Essentially, only pro-war viewpoints were given serious credence in the media. Dissenting viewpoints were eliminated from the debate (For example, Phil Donahue was removed from the air.)

[dogtag]

9. Hans Blix was right!! He deserves an apology

from all the folks who ridiculed him daily. At least they didn't smear him like they did Scott Ridder, but they sure made fun of him and his accent. Those repugs just love to blame the messenger.

[liberalmuse]

10. Most of us here didn't believe it.

Most Americans didn't really believe Iraq was a significant threat. It's either that, or this country is populated with the dumbest people on the planet.

I think a lot of Americans just had a hard-on for war. Nothing like demonizing some third-rate dictator and slaughtering innocent people in order to relieve the boredom of the pathetic, material-grubbing, basically empty lives of gluttonous consumers.

War was simply a nice addition to the reality tv line up. If you get bored watching narcissists swapping spouses, there's always the bloody aftermath of a gunship attack on civilian 'others' to tune into.

I thought the people in this country were better than that, but apparently they are worse than I ever imagined. The Americans who supported this war ought to have known better, and because they were either too bored, apathetic, selfish, stupid or lazy to bother, they are now drenched in innocent blood.

[Toucano]

11. It doesn't make a difference.

Their argument is unsound.

Bush is responsible for his decision to go to war regardless of what others believed. Especially when the others did not agree with his decision to use force. If other's believed the same bad intelligence, but reached a different conclusion on how to deal with it, that just shows how far out of touch Bush is. It's the ACTIONS that he's being faulted for, not the BELIEFS.

The U.N.'s goal was to get Saddam to let the inspectors back in. That was a pretty good idea.

Bush's goal was to invade Iraq and takeover the oil fields and establish US military bases. That was a pretty bad idea.

Nothing Iraq did to comply with U.N. resolutions would have stopped Bush's plan. He'd already promised Bandar Bush.

[drunkdriver-in-chief]

12. We beleieved it cause we had the receipts

Reagan and Bush41 sold WMD to iraq and everyone figured at least some of them were still there. That doesn't excuse bush for thinking it too. It was his job to make certain before invading.

[Generic Other]

19. The only good argument they could use and they can't use it

because it makes them look like criminal baboons.

Welcome to DU, General. Or should I salute?

:hi:

[drunkdriver-in-chief]

24. No need to salute me after the way i screwed up on 9-11

Us folks at NORAD are damn lucky we weren't shot for treason.

[dennis4868]

31. yes....

but the military was pretty sure that Clinton's bombing in desert fox in the late 1990s finnsihed the job in getting rid of all their WMD labs/factories....

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

13. FAITH...faith in Bushco...faith in Gov't...faith in power...

Those who are given to unquestioning obedience to power and have faith in the goverment to "do the right thing"...these are the folks who march lock-step in the parade of fascism.

JB

[Gin]

14. I believed they had chemical weapons...but not nukes.....once they

US got to Baghdad and it was an open door..I said to myself...I had been had...it was that soon.....all the hype about the chemical weapons and what could happen to the troops had me worried. I am glad it didn't happen...but I bought the hype.

I opposed the war (invasion) and still do.

[Spazito]

15. Canada certainly didn't believe it!

Former Prime Minister Jean Chretien kept saying "Where's the proof?" over and over. No proof provided, no WMDs.

[Erratic]

16. People STILL DO believe Iraq has WMDs

I work with some bizarre individuals. It's mostly republicans in an environment where you would expect more "liberal" ideas... a Starbucks. The subject of politics and Iraq came up and I faced salvos of right wing garbage from all sides. One of my coworkers tried to convince me of the existence of WMDs because his friend, who is over there right now, is guarding them. The argument went something like...

Him: I KNOW we found them because my friend is responsible for guarding them.
Me: Why didn't the media report this, or why has Bush publically stated that we were wrong about the presence of WMDs?
Him: Because it would be a danger to the people. Besides it doesn't matter if there were weapons there or not.
Me: But wasn't that the entire premise of the war in the first place? To find these weapons, expose Saddam for the monster that he is, and prove to the world that everybody is safer because of our actions?
Him: Who cares what the world thinks. Saddam was worse than Hitler and he had biological and chemical weapons that could have reached us.
Me: Uh... whatever you say.

A manager decided to end the conversation to preserve workplace harmony. Considering how heated our argument was getting, this was probably a good idea.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

17. Who are you calling "everybody", Kemosabe? I would say outside

the U.S. the world at large was NOT buying, hence the massive disapproval even among some "coalition" partners like Spain (90% disapproval of the war) and majority disapproval even in chief "partner" Britain.

Even here in the U.S. there was a pretty sizeable population that was not buying the WMD thing. It was clearly a transparent put-up job from the very beginning for me. What, did you buy into it or something? :shrug:

[seabeyond]

18. because we gave it to him in late 80's

also saddam allowed the myth to continue that he was actively creating them. i think so his people wouldnt turn on him, but more important so other countries wouldnt go after him, in his paranoia. so he could remain tough. and keep the shiite and kurds in line with the threat

[Snotcicles]

20. Everybody this

n/t

[kayell]

21. American citizens believed because it is too horrific to believe that

the pResident is a sociopathic serial liar.

[not systems]

22. Propaganda.

I didn't believe it.

I believed Scott Ritter.

[the_right_is_wrong]

23. re

cause people are sheeple

[RebelOne]

25. I didn't believe they had shit.

[welshTerrier2]

26. imminent threat

let's not lose sight of the fact that the standard for war should be "imminent threat" ...

bush tried to change the national dialog to focus on whether Saddam had WMD's ... but that should never have been THE issue ...

even if he had WMD's, it was clear that the UN sanctions and the no fly zones were extremely effective in containing Saddam ... there was no evidence that Saddam had any capacity at all to use WMD's ... the standard was "imminent threat"; not WMD's ...

also, check out this paragraph from bush's "Mission Accomplished" idiocy:

"The liberation of Iraq is a crucial advance in the campaign against terror. We have removed an ally of al-Qaida, and cut off a source of terrorist funding. And this much is certain: No terrorist network will gain weapons of mass destruction from the Iraqi regime, because the regime is no more. "


well, the REAL reason no terrorist network will gain weapons of mass destruction from the Iraqi regime is that the Iraqi regime didn't have any !!! and during the first Gulf war, when Iraq did have weapons, let's remember that they were obtained from the U.S. under Reagan and Bush I ...

[Aussie_expat]

27. Is this what JK calls asking for help in in Iraq? WTF

Sorry, wrong thread

[William Seger]

28. I think it was simply because...

... we knew he DID have them and didn't trust that he had destroyed all of them. That suspicion was justified, I think -- which is why I think it was necessary to force Saddam to readmit the inspectors -- but launching an invasion based on that suspicion was illegal and stupid. Launching the invasion even though the inspectors had been readmitted was simply immoral (and stupid), and it clearly proved that WMDs really had nothing to do with it.

[TankLV]

29. I and millions of others certainly didn't!

Your hypothesis is terribly wrong and flawed.

IN SPITE OF THE VAST MAJORITY OF EVERYBODY KNOWING THAT IRAQ DID NOT HAVE WMD'S, BUNKERBOY WENT TO WAR ANYWAY!

That is the whole sorry point.

And the amerikkkan sheeple are willing to give him a pass on it, too, apparently.

[dennis4868]

30. most of our intelligence agencies including the CIA.....

did not believe it....plus, most of the world thought Sdaam might have had some left over Chemical weapons but not enough to pose any kind of threat....I remember before the war there were drips and draps coming out of the State Department, Department of Energy, Intelligence wing of the Air Force, and even the CIA (a memo to Bush from the CIA in February 2003)doubting Sadaam had any of these bad weapons, had the intent to use them if he did, had the capability to have his WMD reach the United States, and would never give his WMD to terrorist.

I remember reading about these doubts (especially in Knight Ridder, Walter Pincus of the Washington Post and listenting to Scott Ritter) and saying to myself, "how in the world is Bush going around saying all this stuff scaring the shit out of the people of our country...he was acting so sure when no one in the intelligence community was....

Bush lied to us and exxagerated the evidence and he should be held acountable.....not Dan Rather for christ sake!

[paulk]

32. most other countries were not really sure

but after four years with no arms inspectors, it wasn't unreasonable to assume they had something -

That was the whole reason for the UN resolution - to get arms inspectors back in and determine whether Iraq had any WMD. Also a determination needed to be made as to whether any weapons or weapons programs found presented an imminent threat.

Bush sabotaged the whole process.

[bvar22]

33. 1/2 of America didn't totally believe Saddam had:

WMD or, if he did have some, he didn't have the ability to use them. America was pretty evenly split before the invasion. Many people forget that Half of America supported the position of letting the inspectors finish the job.

After the invasion was launched and America was the victim of a NeoCon/republican media blitz that it was unpatriotic to criticize the preznit, the split changed to 75/25.

The pudding proof for me that Saddam did not have the capability to deliver WMD locally (much less across an ocean) was the passive stance of Israel. Believe when I tell you that if Saddam had WMD and the ability to deliver them, the Israelis would have taken them out!!! The FACT that Israel wasn't worried about Saddam proves that Saddam was nothing to worry about!

[dennis4868]

34. Plus, our own National Intelligence Estimate before the war.....

said that Sadaam had NO INTENT IN USING WMD AGAINST THE USA AND WOULD NEVER GIVE IT TO TERRORIST!

This is why Bob Graham voted against the IWR!

[LibDemAlways]

35. I know someone who attends

job related meetings that involve military issues, and the military people he came in contact with before the Iraq invasion all knew Saddam was no threat. They were convinced, however, that No. Korea was up to no good.

It wasn't a question of intelligence. It was a matter of the Neo-cons going into Iraq come hell or high water, and telling any and every lie they could think of to justify it.

[leesa]

36. Their teevees told them.

[gcomeau]

37. ANY time someone says the whole world believed it.

Link them here:

http://c-span.org/resources/fyi/frenchresolution.asp

That's the memorandum France, Germany and Russia submitted to the UN the month before the invasion. The most important point it it being:

"While suspicions remain, no evidence has been given that Iraq still possesses weapons of mass destruction or capabilities in this field;"

-Grant

[Ronnie]

38. I didn't believe it from the beginning.

And I was REALLY sure there were none when we invaded the way we did. I don't believe even Bush and Company would send in all those kids with so little protection. I remember reading somewhere that only half the gas masks worked.

[ComerPerro]

39. To repeat what most everyone has said, NO ONE believed it

except for the Bushbots.

[Strelnikov_]

40. I Figured They Had Some Nerve Gas, Mustard Left Over

from the Iran/Iraq war, stashed in some hole they had forgotten about, and no longer effective due to age.

But, then again, I do not consider these WMD.

Also, even if they did have some more recent gas that was still dangerous, they had no way threaten us with it, therefore I always discounted the 'imminent' part of threat.

Thank Hollywood, where they put out movies showing a 90 lb. cylinder of 'nerve gas' that would kill off the entire eastern seaboard.