Antiwar Myths About Iraq Debunked

A lie told often enough becomes truth.

— Lenin

OH YEAH!? Not if I have anything to say about it, comrade!

Not only do lying liars rely on Lenin’s repetition principle, they rely on people being generally inattentive, uniformed and eager to believe anything consistent with their existing opinions.

I say that as someone who’s as inattentive and uninformed as anyone on most topics. But I do know a couple of things, and I set them forth herewith.

Note: All quotes are from “Revisionist History” by Peter Wehner.

Did the President mislead us into war?

Come on, people! Everyone thought Saddam had the WMDs! Big difference between relying on information that turns out be wrong, and lying about it.

Some pre-war quotes:

Iraq has continued its [WMD] programs in defiance of U.N. resolutions and restrictions. Baghdad has chemical and biological weapons as well as missiles with ranges in excess of U.N. restrictions; if left unchecked, it probably will have a nuclear weapon during this decade.

— 2002 National Intelligence Estimate

I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in [Saddam’s] hands is a threat, and a grave threat, to our security.

— John Kerry, in voting to authorize use of force

We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction.

— Ted Kennedy

In the four years since the inspectors, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability and his nuclear program.

— Hillary Clinton

I think all of our governments believe that Iraq has produced weapons of mass destruction and that we have to assume that they continue to have weapons of mass destruction.

— Wolfgang Ischinger, German ambassador to the U.S.

See, even countries like Germany that opposed the removal of Saddam believed that he had the weapons.

Is democracy in Iraq a post-war rationalization?

More pre-war quotes:

A liberated Iraq can show the power of freedom to transform that vital region, by bringing hope and progress into the lives of millions. America’s interests in security, and America’s belief in liberty, both lead in the same direction: to a free and peaceful Iraq. . . . The world has a clear interest in the spread of democratic values, because stable and free nations do not breed the ideologies of murder. They encourage the peaceful pursuit of a better life. And there are hopeful signs of a desire for freedom in the Middle East. . . . A new regime in Iraq would serve as a dramatic and inspiring example of freedom for other nations in the region.

— President Bush, Feb. 26, 2003

President Bush sketched an expansive vision last night of what he expects to accomplish by a war in Iraq. . . . The idea of turning Iraq into a model democracy in the Arab world is one some members of the administration have been discussing for a long time.

— The New York Times, Feb. 27, 2003