Bush: Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11

In yesterday's press conference, once again George W. Bush admitted that Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11. But the news on NBC and CBS (and probably ABC) didn't allow any coverage of this admission. There are still people who believe that Iraq was responsible for 9-11. Our mainstream media isn't about to tell them otherwise. From the site linked in the title:

THE PRESIDENT: I square it because, imagine a world in which you had Saddam Hussein who had the capacity to make a weapon of mass destruction, who was paying suiciders to kill innocent life, who would -- who had relations with Zarqawi. Imagine what the world would be like with him in power. The idea is to try to help change the Middle East.

Now, look, part of the reason we went into Iraq was -- the main reason we went into Iraq at the time was we thought he had weapons of mass destruction. It turns out he didn't, but he had the capacity to make weapons of mass destruction. But I also talked about the human suffering in Iraq, and I also talked the need to advance a freedom agenda. And so my question -- my answer to your question is, is that, imagine a world in which Saddam Hussein was there, stirring up even more trouble in a part of the world that had so much resentment and so much hatred that people came and killed 3,000 of our citizens.

You know, I've heard this theory about everything was just fine until we arrived, and kind of "we're going to stir up the hornet's nest" theory. It just doesn't hold water, as far as I'm concerned. The terrorists attacked us and killed 3,000 of our citizens before we started the freedom agenda in the Middle East.

Q What did Iraq have to do with that?

THE PRESIDENT: What did Iraq have to do with what?

Q The attack on the World Trade Center?

THE PRESIDENT: Nothing, except for it's part of -- and nobody has ever suggested in this administration that Saddam Hussein ordered the attack. Iraq was a -- the lesson of September the 11th is, take threats before they fully materialize, Ken. Nobody has ever suggested that the attacks of September the 11th were ordered by Iraq. I have suggested, however, that resentment and the lack of hope create the breeding grounds for terrorists who are willing to use suiciders to kill to achieve an objective. I have made that case.

And one way to defeat that -- defeat resentment is with hope. And the best way to do hope is through a form of government. Now, I said going into Iraq that we've got to take these threats seriously before they fully materialize. I saw a threat. I fully believe it was the right decision to remove Saddam Hussein, and I fully believe the world is better off without him. Now, the question is how do we succeed in Iraq? And you don't succeed by leaving before the mission is complete, like some in this political process are suggesting.

Meanwhile CNN reports that 61% of Americans want us out of Iraq. Obviously, there is some sanity in America. And getting out of Iraq is a mainstream majority position -- but you won't hear that emphasized in the corporate media either.

Then at yesterdays press conference Bush tells Republican candidates to run on the economy, "which is strong", he says. But strong for whom? Not the average Americans who see costs going up a lot faster than the raises in their paychecks. I've ordered my copy of Thom Hartmann's book, Screwed: The Undeclared War Against the Middle Class and What We Can Do about It and look forward to sharing its information -- but buy your own copy and give this book and its message more coverage.

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne