Lies Used To Launch A War Should Not Go Unchallenged

To the Editor:

In response to letters criticizing the recent vigil in Newtown:

It must be recognized that the Bush Administration lied about the prewar intelligence on Iraq. The Downing Street memo and other evidence points to this conclusion.

The Downing Street memo is a British government document — the minutes of a July 2, 2002, meeting of top UK officials and Prime Minister Tony Blair. Marked “secret — UK eyes only,” it was leaked to the London Observer, which published it earlier this year. In the meeting, a UK official reports on his recent meeting with top US officials, telling Blair and company that Bush has decided to remove Saddam and that the invasion will be “justified by the conjunction of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction.” He says “the case is thin” for justifying military action, so “the intelligence and facts are being fixed around the policy.”

Those last ten words appear to be a smoking gun confirming what many suspected: the intelligence was fixed as in a fixed game: rigged — a con.

Neither government has disputed the authenticity of the document.

After July 2002, we were subjected to a disinformation campaign that included forged papers depicting Iraq attempting to buy uranium in Africa, aluminum artillery tubes falsely touted as nuclear related, a defector named Curveball who told stories about mobile biological weapons labs in between his drinking binges, false warnings that Iraq could launch WMD-tipped missiles within 45 minutes of an order, false assertions by Rumsfeld and Cheney that “we know” that Iraq has WMD and “we know” where it is, deceptive dossiers fabricated in London, a pro-invasion corporate media propaganda campaign, deceptive linking of Iraq to 9/11 by Cheney, a State of the Union address which furthered the mass deception with bogus uranium claims, threats of a mushroom cloud, and more.

In a short video he made last year for laughs, George Bush peered under his desk, joking “hmm — no WMDs under here.” Meanwhile, young Americans and Iraqis continue to be killed and maimed for life. “Bring it on,” said Bush. Whatever partisan loyalties one may feel, there is no denying the astounding arrogance and stupidity of such statements. They are matched only by the incompetent planning of the chickenhawk neo-cons surrounding this President.

Truth was first casualty in this war. Silence in the face of that fact would be contrary to our tradition of free speech and liberty. Thus, I find this vigil and its timing here in the cradle of the revolution to be perfectly appropriate. Also, I have seen enough interviews with soldiers and others in the armed services to know that there is a range of opinion among those serving. Many have said they feel gladdened by knowing that people are demanding answers, an exit-strategy, more armor, etc.

Yes, this country is worth dying for. And because so many have, we cannot permit leaders who use lies to launch war go unchallenged. It sets a dangerous precedent. This is the basis of the antiwar position, not the mere partisan opportunism suggested by one writer last week.

James Allen

Main Street, Newtown                                                 August 29, 2005