the lethal consequences of Bush & Cheney's insistence on repeating the lie

[G_j]

Consequential Lies
by Ray McGovern

The veteran CIA analyst describes the lethal consequences of Bush and Cheney's insistence on repeating the lie that Iraq had a relationship with Al Qaeda.

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/consequential_lies.php

<snip>
The continual spinning—not only about cosmic issues like Iraqi ties to Al Qaeda and WMD but also more limited episodes like the “Jessica Lynch Story”—constitutes what might be called consequential lies, not only for what they do to U.S. credibility, but also for the effect that have day to day on the ground in Iraq.

Consider the explanation offered, with no hint of shame, by U.S. Army Corporal Michael Richardson in Iraq to the London Evening Standard in June 2003:

“There was no dilemma when it came to shooting people…I just pulled the trigger…If they were there, they were enemy, whether in uniform or not…There’s a picture of the World Trade Center hanging up by my bed and I keep one in my flak jacket. Every time I feel sorry for these people I look at that. I think, they hit us at home and now it’s our turn. I don’t want to say it’s payback but, you know, it’s pretty much payback.”

The lies about WMD have been no less consequential. Consider Iraqi Gen. Amir Saadi, a British-educated chemist and erstwhile liaison between the Iraqi government and UN weapons inspectors. He was the first of the 55 “most wanted” senior officials to surrender. He did so on April 12, 2003, and took pains to ensure that German TV filmed his surrender lest he disappear down the memory hole. Yet he has been in solitary confinement ever since.

According to Pentagon and intelligence officials, Charles Duelfer, who took over from David Kay as head of the group still searching for WMD believes that Saadi “has not fully answered questions.” Rather, it seems to be a case of coming up with the “wrong” answer.

<snip>

[enough]

1. Excellent article -- thanks for the post

snip>

…and Little Lies

These too have consequences.  Remember the unproven allegation about Jessica Lynch being raped?  Around midnight on May 12, 2003, Master Sgt. Lisa Girman and three other Army MPs decided to retaliate by abusing Iraqi prisoners at Camp Bucca in southern Iraq, according to a report by Lt. Col. Jerry Phillabaum, commander of her MP battalion.   Phillabaum wrote that Girman got it into her head that the rapist might be among the prisoners she was guarding, and decided to exact what he termed “vigilante justice.”

snip>

[G_j]

3. and I'd guess there are hundreds of

similar examples. The outrageous aspect of this is that many of the liars know exactly what the consequences are and that is part of the motivation behind the lies.

Of course that was certainly Hitler's MO also.

[Bullshot]

2. Bush continues to claim there's a link between Iraq and al-Quaida

even though the 9/11 Commission has just stated that there is no link. If Bush is so adamant about going after the real culprits behind 9/11, we should be attacking Saudi Arabia and taking members of their royal family as prisoners for funding al Quaida.

Why not, George?

[G_j]

6. and if they had proof of a link

why didn't they give this information to the commission?
duh, maybe because it was a complete fabrication....

[teryang]

4. This is the arrogance of total power

The brazen lies already known to be false on the basis of published and corroborated reports, the deliberate and intentionally poorly disguised torture and murders, the belligerent invasions and arbitrary slaughter, the full spectrum Gulag which now threatens the very basis of our system of law, are all designed to terrorize the foreign victims and the domestic audience, alike.

To the mass followers of the totalitarian mind, the profiteers, the corporate lackies, and the "marketing" experts who all imagine themselves part of the "movement," in their infinite capacity for self delusion and self importance, there is no need for "checks and balances," or the Bill of Rights, "because everything changed after 911." This in fact, gives them license not to know what they are talking about, as long as they mimic their leaders. This makes them realists in the struggle for survival. This makes them fascists without the slightest insight into what they have become. Those who contradict the state are "paranoids" who believe in "black helocopters" and who don't trust their own leaders. What cause could they have not to trust their leaders? They must be unpatriotic citizens of corrupt character and unsound minds.

Where has the world heard all of this before? This regime has absolutely no intent of giving up power. It is obvious.

[G_j]

5. yep... n/t