Wednesday, November 23, 2005
A Bridge Too (Phos)Far(Ous)...
Democrats and their allies on the left side of the blogosphere obviously have a good talking point on the issue of pre-war intelligence. Whether therewas intentional spinning going on remains an open question for many of us, though Murray Waas' latest scoop certainly bolsters the case of Bush critics. Even if the intel wasn't intentionally spun, embarrassments remain like George Tenet's assertion that the Iraq-has-WMD case was a "slam dunk."
Uh, not quite.
But, given all that -- plus the Abu Ghraib obscenities -- why does the Left have to go even further? Why the need to spin its own fantasies on the perceived venality of American activities in Iraq? John Cole pretty convincingly squashes the "U.S.-forces-are-using-white-phosphorous-as-'chemical weapon'-in-Iraq" urban myth:
Cole is anything but an apologist for the administration. He has had some of the toughest posts on any Republican blog in denouncing Abu Ghraib, the Bush team's generally lax standards on torture, the outing of Valerie Plame and a host of other administration and GOP bungles. Not only does he -- a veteran -- have the factual knowledge to refute Kos and Think Progress (the blog of the Center for American Progress); he also has the clear record of integrity to demonstrate that he's carrying no water other than for the honor of Americans serving in uniform.
C'mon, Lefties, the administration has provided you with more than enough, um, ammunition. You don't have to make shit up and spread easily disprovable rumors (the very crime you've accused Bush & Co. of doing)!
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Uh, not quite.
But, given all that -- plus the Abu Ghraib obscenities -- why does the Left have to go even further? Why the need to spin its own fantasies on the perceived venality of American activities in Iraq? John Cole pretty convincingly squashes the "U.S.-forces-are-using-white-phosphorous-as-'chemical weapon'-in-Iraq" urban myth:
First, you have to discount that no matter how many times Think Progress says it, WP is not a chemical weapon. It is an incendiary weapon, and considered a conventional munition.Cole comes back for seconds and gives another roundhouse here.
Second, you have to believe, completely, that the report is accurate, and that WP was being used as a weapon against Kurdish rebels and civilians. I applaud TP’s new-found faith in all things intelligence.
Third, you have to believe that the report is not some sort of internal agitation designed to, shall we say, make better the case against Saddam.
Fourth, you have to believe that a 10 year old memo somehow lends credibility to the accusations that WP was somehow used against the civilians in Fallujah. It doesn’t.
Cole is anything but an apologist for the administration. He has had some of the toughest posts on any Republican blog in denouncing Abu Ghraib, the Bush team's generally lax standards on torture, the outing of Valerie Plame and a host of other administration and GOP bungles. Not only does he -- a veteran -- have the factual knowledge to refute Kos and Think Progress (the blog of the Center for American Progress); he also has the clear record of integrity to demonstrate that he's carrying no water other than for the honor of Americans serving in uniform.
C'mon, Lefties, the administration has provided you with more than enough, um, ammunition. You don't have to make shit up and spread easily disprovable rumors (the very crime you've accused Bush & Co. of doing)!
