Bush Stashes WMD in Iraq

 

“I thought it was very interesting that Charlie Duelfer, — he’s the head of the Iraqi Survey Group — reported some interesting findings from his recent tour there. And one of the things was, he was amazed at how deceptive the Iraqis had been toward UNMOVIC and UNSCOM; deceptive in hiding things. We knew they were hiding things — a country that hides something is a country that is afraid of getting caught. And that was part of our calculation. Charlie confirmed that. He also confirmed that Saddam had a — the ability to produce biological and chemical weapons. In other words, he was a danger.”

President George Bush, April 13 Press Conference

“Even knowing what I know today about the stockpiles of weapons, I still would have called upon the world to deal with Saddam Hussein. See, I happen to believe that we’ll find out the truth on the weapons. That’s why we’ve sent up the independent commission. I look forward to hearing the truth, exactly where they are. They could still be there. They could be hidden.”

Bush 4-13-04

“But it will all settle out, John. We’ll find out the truth about the weapons at some point in time.”

Bush 4-13-04

It is difficult enough trying to unravel the current set of White House fabrications without having to anticipate the next wave of lies bubbling up to the surface.

It’s a full time job.

In this case it seems that critical clues in the Bush Press Conference may have been passed over without proper scrutiny because so much attention was devoted to the 9-11 investigation and the continuing turmoil in Iraq.

The President’s quotes (above) however, imply that there could possibly be a major development regarding the missing WMD’s in the very near future.

A careful reading of the text shows Bush trying, once again, to prove that Saddam was skillful at “hiding things” and a “master of deception.”

At the same time, Bush demonstrates surprising confidence that after a year’s time, we will “find out the truth about the weapons.”

Why the sudden burst of confidence?

Does Bush know something we don’t know?

“The President’s self assurance is conspicuous in his final remark, “But it will all settle out, John. We’ll find out the truth about the weapons at some point in time.”

Really?

Again, how is it that after 1,400 weapons inspectors have spent a full year searching for any trace of the phantom weapons, and the President’s own man (David Kay) has filed a detailed report that such weapons never existed during the 1990’s, Mr. Bush is still brimming with confidence?

Why?

Bush’s comments probably would have passed unnoticed if it wasn’t for recent reports that suggest that the Administration may be planting weapons in Iraq right now. Certainly, the present chaos would provide the necessary cover for smuggling in the weapons and hiding them in a believable location.

An article by Professor Ira Chernus that appeared in Common Dreams said that, ” U.S. forces secretly unloading parts for long range missiles in Southern Iraq.”

He continues by saying, “Mehr News Agency has discovered, through a source in the Iraq Governing Council, that the U.S. has been secretly unloading parts for long range missiles in Southern Iraq. It seems as though “ordinary cargo ships were used to download the cargo, which consisted of weapons produced in the 1980’s and 1990’s.” It also appears that the weapons being unloaded are weapons that the “U.S. obtained through confiscations during banned arms sales over the past two decades.” According to the Mehr News Agency’s source, “the parts are old ones, just like the kind the U.S. gave to Saddam Hussein in the 1980’s.”

Another article states that the weapons parts are being transported around Iraq in crates marked Maersk in trucks with fake Jordanian license plates. Apparently, a member of the Iraqi Governing Council discovered what was going on and contacted an Iranian news service.

Of course, all of this sounds very “conspiratorial.” The only thing that makes it seem at all believable is that the charade is being carried out by the Bush Administration, whose record of misleading the public is already impressive. Hiding WMD would just be one more in a long list of deceptions.

No one would be the least surprised if Bush and his cadres were pushing missals into the dessert sands right now; in fact, we’d be surprised if they weren’t.

 

MIKE WHITNEY lives in Washington state. He is a contributor to Hopeless: Barack Obama and the Politics of Illusion (AK Press). Hopeless is also available in a Kindle edition. He can be reached at fergiewhitney@msn.com.