"I'm going to invade Iraq" George W Bush, 1999

[FluffyMcDeath]

Two years before the 9/11 attacks on America, George W. Bush told Houston Chronicle reporter Mickey Herskowitz, if elected president, “I’m going to invade Iraq.”

This is just one of the interesting things Russ Baker learned while investigating for his book, “Family of Secrets” (Bloomsbury Press).

The Bush Dynasty has many skeletons in their family closet.

 

[Robert]

Before the 2000 elections I had no interest in US politics. I didn't even know who were the Democrats and who were the Republicans.

In the run up to the vote a friend told me, "If Bush wins, he'll invade Iraq." I took it with a pinch of salt at the time but when they later started sabre rattling, I began to take more of an interest and did some research.

It soon became all-too-apparent that it was indeed pre-ordained.

And yet there are *still* plenty of useful idiots who will claim otherwise.

 

[cecilia]

Why George Went To War

In interviews I conducted [fall of 2004], a well-known journalist, biographer and Bush family friend who worked for a time with Bush on a ghostwritten memoir said that an Iraq war was always on Bush's brain.

"He was thinking about invading Iraq in 1999," said author and Houston Chronicle journalist Mickey Herskowitz. "It was on his mind. He said, 'One of the keys to being seen as a great leader is to be seen as a commander-in-chief.' And he said, 'My father had all this political capital built up when he drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait and he wasted it.' He went on, 'If I have a chance to invade…, if I had that much capital, I'm not going to waste it. I'm going to get everything passed that I want to get passed and I'm going to have a successful presidency.'" :roflmao:

Bush apparently accepted a view that Herskowitz, with his long experience of writing books with top Republicans, says was a common sentiment: that no president could be considered truly successful without one military "win" under his belt. Leading Republicans had long been enthralled by the effect of the minuscule Falklands War on British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's popularity, and ridiculed Democrats such as Jimmy Carter who were reluctant to use American force. Indeed, both Reagan and Bush's father successfully prosecuted limited invasions (Grenada, Panama and the Gulf War) without miring the United States in endless conflicts.

 

[faethor]

The scary part was Bush was right. He clearly lied about Iraq. It lead to his reelection.

History books will write the Bush legacy as one of the most successful presidencies ever. There is little doubt that Bush got nearly everything he wanted. OTOH, Plato would say a leader pushing in the wrong direction is a misleader.

 

[Glaucus]

In interviews I conducted last fall, a well-known journalist, biographer and Bush family friend who worked for a time with Bush on a ghostwritten memoir said that an Iraq war was always on Bush's brain.

"He was thinking about invading Iraq in 1999," said author and Houston Chronicle journalist Mickey Herskowitz. "It was on his mind. He said, 'One of the keys to being seen as a great leader is to be seen as a commander-in-chief.' And he said, 'My father had all this political capital built up when he drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait and he wasted it.' He went on, 'If I have a chance to invade…, if I had that much capital, I'm not going to waste it. I'm going to get everything passed that I want to get passed and I'm going to have a successful presidency.'"

Unfortunately this is out of context. Because of that the above quote doesn't really say much, and is a typically discombobulated Bush Jr sentence to boot. Meaning; he could have simply been talking about his father's failure at re-election due to his decision to not take Baghdad which was seen as weakness by many. In other words, the above is not proof that Bush had his sights on Iraq in 1999.

Of course as I'm sure everyone knows, I fully believe that Bush's motive to go into Iraq in 2003 had nothing to do with Saddam or WMD and especially not 9/11. I just don't think this revelation adds much to that debate.

 

[cecilia]

I think the existence of the Plan for the New American Century in the mid 90's is WAY more compelling, frankly

 

[Robert]

I think the existence of the Plan for the New American Century in the mid 90's is WAY more compelling, frankly

Couldn't agree more, although that implicates the regime rather than Bush himself.

But it is rather compelling, stating in plain English that the Iraqi regime could not be allowed to keep control of all that oil and had to be removed.

There is a link to the PDF of PNAC document, "Rebuilding America's Defences" and analysis here:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.inf ... le3249.htm:

While the unresolved conflict with Iraq provides the immediate justification, the need for a substantial American force presence in the Gulf transcends the issue of the regime of Saddam Hussein"

(p. 14).