Even as the president claimed the two small trailers found after the invasion of Iraq vindicated his claim of banned WMDs, intelligence officials had already concluded that the trailers were bogus.
The Washington Post has the scoop.
Washington Post:
Lacking Biolabs, Trailers Carried Case for War
Administration Pushed Notion of Banned Iraqi Weapons Despite Evidence to Contrary
By Joby Warrick
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 12, 2006; A01
On May 29, 2003, 50 days after the fall of Baghdad, President Bush proclaimed a fresh victory for his administration in Iraq: Two small trailers captured by U.S. and Kurdish troops had turned out to be long-sought mobile “biological laboratories.” He declared, “We have found the weapons of mass destruction.”
The claim, repeated by top administration officials for months afterward, was hailed at the time as a vindication of the decision to go to war. But even as Bush spoke, U.S. intelligence officials possessed powerful evidence that it was not true.
A secret fact-finding mission to Iraq—not made public until now—had already concluded that the trailers had nothing to do with biological weapons. Leaders of the Pentagon-sponsored mission transmitted their unanimous findings to Washington in a field report on May 27, 2003, two days before the president’s statement.
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Jump to Comments
By rex, April 12, 2006 at 2:59 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
This whole story never made sense from the moment we saw the first pictures of these open frame canvas-covered “bioweapons labs”.
Report thisA real bio-hazard lab would be in a hermetically sealed steel containment vehicle so a leak would not kill the entire staff of scientists and half the Iraqi army.
It also would be easy to see inside these
cloth covered trailers with infrared satellite cameras that have been routinely used by the CIA for the past forty years.
By Harvey Reese, April 12, 2006 at 2:24 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
President Bush should come to the realization that this job just isn’t working out for him, and he should go back to cutting underbrush on his ranch (which he seems to do with such zeal). Yes, we’d get Chaney the Impaler, but at least he has a brain.
Report thisBy Jay, April 12, 2006 at 2:19 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
What do you expect with a morally bankrupt and ethically challenged white house. not to mention the willing lapdog of a congress. its time for some type of change since our elected officials are no longer interested in representing the people that elected them.
Report thisBy Kurt Franke, April 12, 2006 at 8:29 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Bushes lies are no longer a reflection on him or his administration, they say more about us as a country, that so many of us are willing to put up with this crap, not to mention his his supporters.
Report thisBy Paul, April 12, 2006 at 7:54 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Just one more act of treason by our leaders.
Report thisBy JP, April 12, 2006 at 4:20 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Let’s be honest--it’s time for censure.
Report thisBy Mike, April 12, 2006 at 12:40 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
How many more instances of this type of lie do we need before we impeach this fool? These repugs are so arrogant they believe they can outright lie with impunity. I call upon the congress to begin the impeachment process NOW.
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