This, of course, makes the USA very unpopular in the whole world. It is also a strong indication that the US is becoming more and more unilateralist, seeking only its own selfish interest.
- In the first days of May 2002, President George W. Bush pulled out of the
agreement, signed by ex-President Clinton, creating a permanent International
Court of Justice to deal with war crimes and other atrocities. According to
the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, a country that has signed
a treaty cannot act to defeat the purpose of that treaty, even if it does
not intend to ratify it. But the US is just doing it in this case, stating
that they do not feel bound by this convention!
- President Bush will not go to Johannesburg for the earth summit but he found
time to go to the northwest coast of the US to create more problems with the
environmentalists. In Oregon he spoke of a new plan to curb forest fires.
It is simple: he suggested cutting the trees!! No trees, no fires. And the
logging and timber companies are kept happy. Nobody must have thought about
it before him. This man is nut.
- At the Earth Summit in Johannesburg, Blair criticised President Bush for
not ratifying the Kyoto agreement and staying out of this important meeting.
Blair reproved Bush, the president of the most polluting country, for not
doing anything concrete to ease the situation. It is well known that Bush's
presidency has been bought by big business, so he cannot go against their
interests now. Colin Powell was jeered and often interrupted during his final
speech.
- The German Justice minister, Mrs Herta Däuber-Gmelin, compared the
tactics of George Bush to those of Adolf Hitler. According to a newspaper
she said, three days before the elections, that the US president was using
the possibility of a war with Iraq to divert attention from his domestic problems
adding: "such diversionary measures have been a popular method since
Hitler". Well it was not the right thing to say, or the right time, but
in fact there is nothing wrong in what she said. After all Hitler tried to
impose his will on Europe, his whole world at the time, by creating a kind
of empire led by Germany, and bound to exist for at least one thousand years.
Now Bush wants to impose the American way of life -and the US interests- to
the whole world led, of course, by the US! What is the difference, except
that Bush is thinking about the whole world and Hitler's views were limited
to Europe? However she did not resign but she will not be included in the
new government.
- Mr Bush, and the Americans in general, did not appreciate what she said,
of course, creating a problem between Berlin and Washington. After Mr Schroeder
was re-elected a few days later, Mr Bush did not bother to send the usual
diplomatic congratulations!
- It is well known that George W Bush is a limited person, and a very limited
president. However, when he concentrate himself on a single objective, it
is difficult, if not impossible, to stop him. He will attack Iraq and open
the oil fields to American interests, which is his only aim and war is necessary
to reach it.
- President Bush kept unusually silent at the beginning of 2002 or, perhaps
better, he was told to keep quiet. He spent most weekend and many weekdays
at Camp David resting. He went to his ranch in Texas for about twelve days
around New Year. But the American people are happy with what he does, or does
not do, to be more precise. Outside the US he is seen as a very, very weak
president to say the less. The war in Afghanistan looks like being run by
the Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld and the Army General Tommy Franks.
- Now, in February 2002, President Bush told the Washington Post that he is
keeping track of the most-wanted members of al-Qaida using a baseball scorecard.
He crosses off their faces as they are killed. He justifies this as follow:
"I am a baseball fan, I want a scorecard. I understood that when you
are fighting an enemy like al-Qaida, people -including me- don't have a sense
of whom we are fighting. And I actually have got a chart". He added that
he is keeping a list of what each country in the coalition against terrorism
is doing to help. He calls it "The What We Expect List". But us,
is it what we expect from an American President who pretend to speak for the
whole free world?
- Around May 15, 2002, it became known that the CIA and FBI had told President
Bush, months before September 11, 2001, of the possibility of an attack on
American targets by bin Laden and his al-Qaida terrorist network using hijacked
US civil airplanes. An FBI officer in Phoenix, Arizona, informed his head
office in Washington that many nationals from Arab countries were learning
to fly in the US. A middle-ranking officer reviewed the report, filed it,
but no action was ever taken.
- The French national, Zacarias Moussaoui, the alleged 20th hijacker was arrested
before September 11, 2001. The police investigated him and found that his
visa was out of date. They put him in prison but did not do anything more
although the French authorities told their counter part in the US that he
was suspected to be linked to al-Qaida.
- The Bush administration replies that the information was too vague to anticipate
what would happen on September 11, that the competent services were alerted
and did the best they could. However there is still a big doubt. The re-election
of President Bush was very doubtful taking into consideration the way he was
elected. The terrorist attack on New York City and Washington DC put him in
a much better light as the election pools of these last few months have shown.
The American people see him, at least, as the saviour of his country for the
way he dealt with the problem. The media is convinced that he knew something
in advance, and that he did not react: this because he thought he needed something
like this to save his career, or by negligence!! In both cases Bush comes
out in a bad light.
- Was President Bush aware of these attacks beforehand and let it happen for
political reasons? We honestly do not know. He asserted in very strong words
that he did not know anything specific in advance. Some other strange revelations
came to light showing some incredible decisions taken by the counter-terrorist
authorities after September 11:
-
. The FBI was unable to e-mail photographs of suspects to its field offices;
it had to use the ordinary post.
. The US embassies, in charge of issuing visas, all over the world have no
access to the list of potential terrorists.
. It is ironic that a President often accused of ignorance should be suddenly
criticised for knowing too much
- President Bush goes on making a fool of himself each time he opens his
mouth. In the four weeks up to April 22, 2002, the Israeli Army occupied many
Palestinian towns and refugee camps and at Jenin, they destroyed hundred of
houses and killed many civilians. President Bush sent Colin Powell who could
do nothing. Bush called Powell's mission, "productive," reflecting
"America's vision for Peace" when there was none. He also called
Ariel Sharon, the Israeli Prime Minister, "a man of peace." Condoleezza
Rice, Mr Bush's national security adviser, described her president as a man
"having foreign policy successes all over the place" but she was
unable to say where these successes happened!
- Following a meeting in President Bush's ranch in Texas, the Crown Prince
Abdullah of Saudi Arabia -in fact the real leader, the king being sick- said
that Bush was completely ignorant about the Middle East problems, and especially
about the suffering of the Palestinian people. He added that it took him several
hours of personal tuition to bring Bush up to speed.
- They spent five hours together, much more that what had been foreseen. The
White House said that this showed that they really got on well. The Prince
Abdullah, on the contrary, said that this was necessary for him to teach Bush
the simple truth about the Arab world. He added: "He is the type of person
who sleeps at 9.30pm after watching the domestic news. In the morning, he
only reads a few lines of his global intelligence briefing report." The
prince added: "I felt it was my duty to spend as long a time as possible
to brief him on the facts directly without any intermediary." He came
out convinced that the man will act in the right direction ". What he
meant was: "George Bush is nice, but dim". But 70% of the American
people, those who matter most to him, approve his Middle East policies!!
- President Bush is starting a tour of Europe on May 22, 2002, that will take
him to Germany, Russia, France and Italy. There is no doubt that he will be
welcome in Russia where he will sign two treaties: a reduction of the number
of atomic bombs by two third (to a total of 1700 to 2200) over a period of
ten years, and another that declares that Russia is not an enemy anymore,
but a friend of the USA.
- In the other countries there were loud protests. In Berlin 10,000 people
had to be contained by as many policemen. Presidents Kennedy and Reagan were
able to talk directly to the people, this one has to be put in a glass cage.
Italy roads will be closed, flights to Ciampino and Urbe cancelled for one
day, and flights to Fiumicino reduced. It is obvious that he is not welcome!
President Bush could have at least tried to improve the relations between
the US and Europe. But for doing it he had to give something up: steel tariff,
subvention to the agriculture, Kyoto Treaty,... Instead he maintained his
selfish position to see only American interests and nothing else.
- President George Bush signed a corporate reform bill at the end of July
2002 hoping to restore confidence in Wall Street before the mid-term elections
in November. The recent corporate scandals threaten his administration, and
his approval rating is slipping below 70% for the first time since September
11, 2001. This bill, however, is probably not enough to whitewash the Republicans.
- In particular the Vice-President, Dick Cheney, is embroiled in the Halliburton
controversy, a company of which he was chairman for five years until he became
vice-president. Halliburton is accused to have artificially increased its
profits when Cheney was its chairman. He is also accused of dealing with Libya
and Iran, the latest, part of Bush's "axis of evil". Speaking of
greed, Cheney received $36m when he left Halliburton from cashing in share
options and from a very generous farewell package. Now Halliburton is struggling
to stay afloat; its shares were worth $52 when Cheney left and now they are
worth $12.70! Of course, Halliburton is still claiming that the changes in
accounting practises were perfectly legal!
- President Bush is talking again to the German Chancellor, Mr Schroeder.
The row seems to be deflated, but the Germans insist that the war with Iraq
is not necessary and that they will not participate in any way if the US decides
to do it.
- During the NATO meeting in Prague Françoise Ducros, an assistant
to the Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, called President Bush a moron.
Unfortunately some journalists heard her. She offered to resign, but the Prime
Minister refused to accept her demission saying that it was a word used often
in private conversation. She had to resign on November 26, 2002, not because
Washington complained, but because the Canadian opposition parties attacked
her in the media.
- During his visit to Romania on November 23, 2992, Bush equated Iraq with
the Nazis. He compared the dual threat of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and
global terrorism to the oppression of Nazism and communism. Would it be that
he believes that it is OK for him to say this, but not for the German Justice
Minister.
- The British Government on December 2, 2002, banned an advertisement that
shows Bush as a moron. This surprised even the Americans. The truth is, he
behaves like a fool.
- On Tuesday December 17, 2002, President Bush decided officially to install
a rudimentary missile defence system, known by "Star War". Ten interceptors
operational in 2004 will be based in Alaska and California. The system is
still very unreliable, about half the tests have failed. Britain and Denmark
have been asked to let the US use some radar installations already in these
countries.
- On January 3, 2003, President Bush's brother, Marvin Bush, was involved
in a financial scandal. Marvin Bush, an external director of South Florida's
Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc, resigned straight away to avoid being mixed in
the court case, and throwing bad light on his political brothers. This is
nothing new in the Bush family.
- President George W. Bush was also involved in a scandal in the 1980s. While
a director of the Texan oil company Harken, he sold his shares just before
the company reported bad earnings. He was accused of inside trading, but things
did not go any further. Jeb Bush, the governor of Florida, joined the board
of Jacksonville's Ideon Group. In 1996 Ideon was a financial disaster and
its directors faced multiple shareholder lawsuits. Jeb Bush was not condemned
and the company was sold. Neil Bush, another brother, was a director of Colorado's
Silverado Savings and Loans whose chief was condemned to 3 1/2 years in prison
after pleading guilty to stealing $8.7 millions from investors. Neil Bush
was not charged, but he agreed to pay $50,000 to settle a civil lawsuit in
1992. Nice people the Bushes!!!
- On January 28, 2003, President Bush gave the usual State of the Union speech.
Half of it was dedicated to the problem of the US economy that is not very
good just now, but he tried to give a rosy picture. The second half was dedicated
to the fight against terrorism and to Iraq. There again it was a self-glorification
speech. Apparently, terrorism was invented on September 11, 2001, and only
the US suffered from it. What happened in other countries does not count.
The non-American people who were killed on September 11, 2001, do not count
either. The only victories against the terrorists are those won by the USA,
those won by other countries do not count either.
- As for Iraq, the UN inspectors are useless, they will no find any weapons
of mass destruction, only the US intelligence services know where they are,
but they do not tell anybody, so a war with Iraq is justified. Secretary of
State, Colin Powell, will deliver evidences of Iraqi violations of resolution
1441 to the UN Security Council on February 5. These should include proofs
that Iraq has and produces more weapons of mass destruction. Until now the
US has not convinced many people besides "Doggy" Blair. These so-called
evidences will include satellite pictures showing that Iraq is moving materials
out of suspected weapons facilities shortly before the UN inspectors arrive.
Other pictures show what could be trucks equipped for transporting biological
and chemical weapons materials. The question, once more, is: why not give
these evidences, if they exist, to the inspectors? As we learned later on,
this was all lies
- On January 30, 2003, President Bush postponed a February 12 poetry symposium
organised by Mrs Laura Bush because it could have been used to protest military
action against Iraq.
- In the meantime this moron of a president is blocking a deal to allow the
poor countries to produce cheap copies of the drugs necessary to treat aids
and other illnesses in the third world. And all this because the big drug
companies that helped elect him do not want to loose money.
- Many war opponents begin to say loud and clear that Bush's obvious victory
in Iraq is even a bigger victory for Osama bin Laden who, in his wildest dreams,
could not have hoped for such an opportunity. After the attack on New York
City and Washington DC on September 11, 2001, the USA had the sympathy of
the whole world and, as a result, Osama bin Laden's hopes for a holy war were
thwarted. Now Bush and his clan have squandered it to near zero as the British
and American Infidels walked straight in the Iraqi trap.
- Saying that the war is about destroying Iraq's weapons of mass destruction
is a non-sense. Blair has no personal opinion about this war; he is only following
Bush taking his orders in Washington. Bush's reasoning is that since the terrorists
involved in 9/11 were Arab, he had to attack an Arab country, and the easiest
one to defeat without hurting any US interests was Iraq forgetting, of course
-but probably he never knew or bothered to ask- that Iraq has a non-religious
regime.
- Bush is a born-again Christian, that is a Christian Fundamentalist, and
he saw the invasion of Iraq as a new Christian crusade for which he saw himself
chosen by his own God to lead. And Blair goes on yapping behind his heels
- On March 27, 2003, one of President Bush closer pro-war adviser, Richard
Perle, resigned from his job as chairman of the influential defence policy
board following allegations that he faced a serious conflict of interest because
of his corporate connections. He denied any wrong doing, but resigned anyway.
- Not only Bush was not very successful in the war on terrorism, but also
his domestic policies did not go too well either. In May 2003, Senator Bob
Graham of Florida said that Bush invaded Iraq as a "distraction":
"They have conducted a ideological war in Iraq and at the same time they
have stopped the war against terror. We have left al-Qaida off the hook".
- On May 7, 2003, we were told that Dick Cheney will run for re-election with
Bush in 2004 although he has had four heart attacks already. He is considered
to be the most powerful and less visible vice-president in the American history.
His involvement with Halliburton, the firm that received big contracts to
rebuild Iraq, is an embarrassment for the White House but his presence is
deemed necessary by Bush who delegates to him most of the day-to-day running
of the government.
- In the last two weeks of June 2003, George W. Bush is preparing his re-election
campaign. He hopes to collect $20m, more that all the democrat candidates
got in three months. Money is no object for Bush. For the last election, he
collected $100m and this time he is expected to gather about $200m. In other
words, he will buy his election again, and nobody can stop him. On June 23
alone he received a record-breaking $4m at a single cocktail party in New
York City.
- In his weekly address on June 21, 2003, president Bush was forced to defend
the rising US death toll in Iraq. He had to recognise that Iraq is still a
very dangerous place and that the US forces have been unable to bring security
despite a massif presence of about 146,000 troops. Finding Saddam Hussein,
or a significant amount of weapons of mass destruction would decrease the
pressure on him.
- On June 26, 2003, Bush, like Blair, is accused of having distorted the intelligence
reports to justify the invasion of Iraq. The Democrats would like to open
an official inquiry but the Republican majority will oppose it.
- On July 22, 2003, George Bush's deputy national security adviser, Stephen
Hadley, took the blame for the inclusion of faulty intelligence in the President's
State of the Union address. He was referring to the wrong claim that Saddam
Hussein had attempted to buy uranium from Niger. The presided still trust
him and he kept his job.
- On September 10, 2003, President Bush asked for more power for the fight
against terrorism. Donald Rumsfeld, not to be left behind, said that the 660
suspected terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay could be held for the duration
of the war against terrorism, that is, forever.
- The funding requested for Iraq ($87bn) was described as outrageous as it
was revealed that the Bush administration spent more by head on the Iraqis
that they spend on the Americans ($255 per head until 2005 on electrical equipment
in Iraq against $.71 a year in the US; £38 per head in Iraq for hospitals
against $3.30 at home).
- On September 21, 2003, the White House officials played down the impact
of global warming over the opinion of their own scientists. And all this to
allow Americans to use big cars that have a negative effect on the environment,
and to please his money contributors of the oil and car industries.
- On September 22, 2003, the results of a pool in the USA show that less of
50% of the Americans -46% in fact-approve the way George Bush is handling
the situation in Iraq and 56% believe that too much money is spent there.
In addition 57% disapprove of his economic policies. His general approval
rating also fell 14 points.
- On September 30, 2003, there was some trouble at the White House as, apparently
somebody on the staff released to the press the name of a secret CIA agent.
What is more the agent, Mrs Valerie Palme, is the wife of an ex-diplomat and
ex-ambassador to various African countries during the Clinton years, Joseph
Wilson. Mr Wilson had been sent to Niger in February 2002 to see if Iraq tried
to buy uranium from this country. He found that it was not the case and informed
the State Department and the CIA.
- Nevertheless, in January 2003, President Bush in his State of the Union
Address to the Congress said that Iraq had bought uranium from Niger. This
information was wrong and the White House had to admit it later on. In July
2003, some American newspapers were informed by two "high level officials"
that Mr Wilson's wife was a secret agent, specialised in weapons of mass destruction.
Mr Wilson complained and said that the leak came from the White House, most
probably from Karl Rove, the senior political advisor to president Bush who
describes him as his "little genius" for helping him win the 2000
elections. Of course, this was denied but the president had to launch an enquiry.
- On October 4, 2003, President Bush was in trouble: leaks to the media of
the name of a secret agent by somebody in the White House, scandals, the consequences
of bad planning of the post war in Iraq, the absence of weapons of mass destruction
-and its implication that Bush was lying in justifying invading Iraq- and
a weak economy are impossible to hide.
- On October 6, 2003, Michael Moore published an article in The Guardian in
which he asks eight questions to President Bush on behalf of the 3,000 people
who died September 11, 2001, and the American people in general:
. Is it true that the bin Laden have had business relations with you and
your family, off and on for the last 25 years? The answer is known, it is
YES, the Bush did business with the bin Laden, but we do not know if there
was something else in their relationship. The bin Laden also invested heavily
in American firms, and land in Texas.
. What is the special relationship between the "Bushes" and the
Saudi Royal family?
. Who attacked the US on September 11, a guy on dialysis from a cave in Afghanistan,
or your friends from Saudi Arabia? The official answer is that bin Laden is
responsible but could he, a sick man, do it from so far away, and without
any local help? Also 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudis. If they had been
North Koreans, would you not say that it was North Korea that attacked the
USA? The same if they had been Cubans, Libyans, Iranians?
. Why did you censor 28 pages of the Congress report on September 11, all
of them related to the Saudi's role in the attack? It is also difficult to
believe that trainee pilots, with planes flying at 500 miles an hour, could
hit the five story high Pentagon. This requires military trained pilots. Trained
by which Air Force? Saudi or American?
. Why did you allow a private Saudi jet to pick-up 24 members of the bin Laden
family after September 11, 2001, when flying was forbidden, and fly them out
of the country on September 18 without allowing the FBI to investigate first?
. Why are you protecting the Second Amendment rights of potential terrorists?
Attorney General John Ashcroft forbad the FBI to inquire if any of the 186
suspects arrested during the 5 days following the attacks had bought arms
recently. You negated the suspects the protection of the first, fourth and
sixth Amendments but not the Second. Would you be afraid to upset the national
Rifle Association?
. Were you aware that, while you were governor of Texas, the Taliban travelled
to Texas to meet with your oil and gas company friends?
. What exactly was that look on your face in the Florida classroom on the
morning of September 11 when your chief of staff told you, "America is
under attack"? You did not show any emotion, or perhaps were you thinking
that you should have read carefully the CIA reports of one month before telling
you that al-Qaida was planning to attack the USA, possibly with highjacked
planes?
- On October 7, 2003, President Bush, instead of condemning Israel for bombing
Syria, said that he was backing US sanctions against the country for helping
terrorists. A project of law has been presented to the Congress. It was thought
that President Bush would have vetoed it, but apparently he changed his mind
(if he has any), or somebody else changed his mind. The question now is, Will
the USA invades Syria? Nobody knows, of course.
- In his radio address on October 11, 2003, President Bush did his best to
convince the Americans that everything is going well in Iraq, that the country
was making progress and that the bad news are mainly inventions of the media.
According to Bush, all is for the best in Iraq today, the markets are busy,
the shelves are full of previously banned goods, oil is flowing, and an independent
media has replaced Saddam Hussein's state controlled newspapers and television.
Some of this is true, of course, but what about the attacks on US forces,
soldiers dying together with many more Iraqi civilians?
- A conference will take place in Madrid, Spain, on October 23 and 24 October,
2003, between the countries that agree to participate financially to the reconstruction
of Iraq. It is already known that France, Germany and Russia will not pay.
However it is hoped that Japan will participate for $1.5bn, Spain with $300m,
$200m from the EU, and Britain with about $800m. After we were told that the
Madrid summit went better that expected. The following countries will contribute
as follow for a total of $33bn (as compared with the $55bn requested):
. USA, $20.3bn in the next three months.
. World Bank, $5bn over 5 years.
. International Monetary Fund, $4.25 over three years.
. Japan, $5bn.
. EU, $827m in 2004.
. UK, $495m until March 2006.
. Italy, $235m, over three years.
. Spain, $300m over three years.
. Saudi Arabia, $1bn.
. Kuwait, $650.
. South Korea, $200m over four years.
. France, Germany and Russia will not participate.
- In a speech given to Washington on November 7, 2003, President Bush said
that the US priority in the Middle East is to bring democracy to the region.
After the invasion, Iraq is going this way already, according to him. He also
said that more soldiers and civilians will die in Iraq, that big sacrifices
are still required, but that it is necessary for the US to stay as long as
necessary.
- On November 24, 2003, President Bush signed into law the military budget
for the next financial year. For the first time it gives the Pentagon more
than $400bn. In addition $87bn has already been approved to finance the post-war
in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is believed that the military budget will be higher
than $500bn in the next few years.
- On November 27, 2003, President Bush made a good public relation move by
going to Baghdad for Thanksgiving Day. Paul Bremer was telling the troops
assembled for the traditional meal of turkeys that he had a message from President
Bush, but he looked around saying that perhaps someone more senior that him
should deliver it, and Bush appeared. He was welcomed by a huge ovation. He
spoke to the soldiers and had lunch with them before flying home after only
a few hours in Iraq. It was the first visit of an American president there.
- The journalists had been bound to secrecy, and the news of his trip was
revealed on American television at 12.10 Eastern Time -just when people are
sitting down for the feast dinner. By then he was already flying home. Nobody
expected this from him, as Iraq is still a very dangerous place to be.
- On December 2, 2003, a survey showed that Bush's approval was up after his
Thanks Giving trip to Baghdad, the improved economy, and the approval of the
new Medicare Bill. According to this survey 61% of the Americans (up from
56) approve his work while the number of those who disapprove fell from41
to 36%.
- On December 9, the Pentagon decided that only the USA and the countries
that supported the invasion of Iraq could bid on the 26 primary contracts
to be attributed in the near future for about $18.6bn. France, Germany, Russia,
China, but also Canada, are left out. On the other hand, Britain, Spain, Italy,
Japan, Australia, The Netherlands, Turkey, but also Tonga, Palau, Eritrea,
the Marshall Islands, Rwanda, Afghanistan, etc can bid!!
- The decision was announced in a memo signed by Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy
Defence Secretary who said that the decision to limit the competition to firms
from the countries that "share in the US view of a free and stable Iraq"
was "necessary for the protection of the essential security interests
of the USA." The sub-contracts can be given to firms from any countries.
This, of course, generated a lot of noise and new anti-American feelings among
the excluded. The European Union is looking if this decision breaks the World
Trade Organisation laws and, if it is the case, they will denounce the USA.
Russia is saying that they will review their decision to cancel some Iraqi
debts. Canada is shocked, being a close partner of the USA. In clear, it is
a mess.
- What is really stupid is that most countries would have agreed if the USA
had quietly given the contracts to American firms and close allies. After
all it is their money. But making such a decision public is a complete non-sense.
- On December 10, 2003 Bush phoned Chirac, Schroeder and Putin a few hours
after they were told that they could not bid on contracts for the reconstruction
of Iraq. He wanted France, Germany and Russia to cancel the Iraqi debts. His
suggestion was not well received, given the timing.
- On December 23, 2003, the president's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board
admitted that the White House made a mistake in January's State of the Union
Address when Bush claimed that Saddam Hussein was trying to buy nuclear material
from Niger.
- On January 17, 2004, a poll showed that 50% of the Americans fully approve
Bush's politics in general. However 68% approve his campaign against terrorism
and the same number say that he has made the USA safer from terrorist attacks.
- On January 22, 2004, President Bush wants a 10% increase in the homeland
security budget. Vice President Cheney repeated against all evidence that
Saddam Hussein regime had a special relationship with al-Qaida and that two
trailers discovered after the war are proofs that Iraq had biological weapons
programmes.
- On January 28, 2004, President Bush was changing his ways. After the elections
in 2000, he said that he would not be driven by the public opinion, that he
would do what he thought was right, and that means pleasing his conservative
backers with tax cuts for the rich, increasing military spending, a ban on
partial birth abortion, a limit on cell research, and the invasion of Iraq
to control its oil. Now that he has to be re-elected he is following a poll-driven
agenda to please the voters.
- On January 29, 2004, Condoleezza Rice defended Bush's decision to invade
Iraq despite the fact that no weapons of mass destruction were found until
now. Also, Saddam Hussein had used weapons of mass destruction (chemical and
biological) and had attacked his neighbours twice. She added, without showing
evidences, he was allowing terrorists in his country and was funding terrorists
outside Iraq. Of course, she forgot to mention that he went to war with Iran
with the benediction of the USA that supplied him with arms and chemical/biological
weapons.
- On February 1, 2004, President Bush was forced to accept an independent
investigation into intelligence failure in relation to the missing weapons
of mass destruction in Iraq. This is a complete u-turn by the president but
he had little choice after the declaration of the US chief inspector, David
Kay, that "We were all wrong about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq"
and the request of many Republican and Democrat Congressmen.
- On February 6, 2004. President Bush named seven of the nine members of the
independent commission that will investigate intelligence failures in the
run-up to the Iraq war. The former Democratic senator, Charles Robb, and the
retired republican judge, Laurence Silberman, will head the panel. On February
10, 2004, The Guardian revealed that Judge Silberman was previously involved
in a major cover-up during the Reagan administration.
- On February 10, 2004, the US Vice President, Dick Cheney's political future
was put in doubt. A grand jury is investigating his role in the disclosure
of the name of an undercover CIA secret agent, Valerie Plame. Moreover Cheney
is accused of having hardened the CIA report justifying the invasion of Iraq
and for covering the payment of brides by Halliburton when he was running
the firm.
- On February 10, 2004, the White House was defending George Bush military
conduct during the Vietnam War. It is well known that he was in the Texas
Air National Guard during this period, while his probable democrat contender
in the elections, John Kelly, was fighting in Vietnam. Moreover there were
some indiscretions that he was "Absent Without Leave" from his post
for about one year in 1972.
- The White House presented to the media copies of his military records showing
that he fulfilled his duties but many people are still not convinced. Moreover
none of the officers present at the base in Alabama where he claimed to have
been transferred from Texas could remember seeing him there. On February 12,
it was revealed that Bush tried to cover-up traces of his youthful arrests.
- On February 11, 2004, President Bush proposed an international agreement
to curb the trade in nuclear technologies adding, "terrorists and terrorist
states are in a race for weapons of mass murder, a race they must loose".
He proposed that proliferation of these weapons be declared an international
crime by an UN resolution.
- On February 11, 2004, Halliburton, the company once run by US Vice President
Dick Cheney, is facing another investigation over business dealings with Iran.
Halliburton is suspected of breaking trade embargo when Cheney was working
there.
- On February 12, 2004, President Bush was taking credit for breaking the
black market in nuclear weapons technologies. As usual he claimed that the
USA under his leadership did all the work. On the other hand, the IAEA said
that the American proposals to close this market, which has been going on
for at least 15 years, were not enough.
- On February 17, 2004, the US firm Halliburton could really become a political
liability for president Bush in the election campaign as it is involved in
another financial scandal in Iraq this time overcharging for catering services.
Halliburton has more than $9bn worth of contracts in Iraq, more that any other
company. But it has been accused many times of cronyism, corruption, and financial
mismanagement. The US Justice department is also investing claims that the
company bribed Nigerian officials while the US Treasury department is inquiring
whether it broke trade embargo with Iran.
- On February 18, 2004, President Bush was accused of "bending science
to his political needs". His administration is misrepresenting scientific
knowledge and misleads the public on various subjects going from climate change
to whether Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, a group of senior American
scientists said. These scientists, including 20 Nobel Prize winners, belong
to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).
- On February 24, 2004, President Bush confirmed his trust in his vice president,
Dick Cheney, who he still wants as running mate in the coming elections. With
his experience Cheney was a good vice president to bolster the unqualified
George W Bush.
- On March 22, 2004, Richard Clarke's book, "Against All Enemies",
was put on sale in the USA. In it he reveals that the White House under President
Bush did not take any notice of the warnings about al-Qaida before September
11, 2001. If it had, probably some of the highjackers would have been caught.
He also said that Bush came to the White House having already decided to attack
Iraq. Mr Clarke was a security adviser to four US presidents, ten of them
in the White House. He also said that although Tony Blair's support was important,
his influence on Bush was very limited.
- On March 23, 2004, the White House was facing strong criticism of the way
it handled the al-Qaida problem especially before September 11, 2001, but
also after. The members of the public inquiry commission into the September
11 attacks wanted to interrogate some of Bush's staff people, including Condoleezza
Rice. Bush refused saying that this would breach constitutional protocol.
Mrs Condoleezza Rice has been strongly criticised by Richard Clarke, the president
former counter-terrorism adviser. In his book Clarke said that Mrs Rice as
ill informed about the threat posed by al-Qaida.
- A former FBI translator, Sibel Edmonds, said that the Bush administration
knew two or three months in advance that an al-Qaida attacks using airplanes
was due to happen, possibly on September 11.
- On April 7, 2004, President Bush had crisis talks with his national security
advisers on the disastrous situation in Iraq. It looks like the radical Shia
are becoming stronger as a result of the US soldiers' dirty war where killing
civilians seems to be the accepted rule.
- On April 7, 2004, the day before she appears before the commission inquiring
on September 11, 2001, Mrs Condoleezza Rice was accused of negligence by a
senior terrorism expert. He is saying that he warned her, five days before
the attack on New York and Washington, of an imminent al-Qaida attack but
that she did not do anything. A former democratic presidential candidate,
who co-chaired an inquiry of the threat to US security established by President
Clinton, also said that he also warned her of the al-Qaida danger, but his
warning was also ignored.
- On April 8, 2004, the National Security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, will
defend Bush before the commission of the Congress looking at the September
11, 2001, attacks. She is facing a difficult task as the commission has heard
from many sides that the Bush administration's preoccupation with Iraq took
its mind off a possible al-Qaida attack on the USA before New York and Washington
were hit.
- Condoleeza Rice appeared before the commission of inquiry on the September
11, 2001, attacks on April 8, 2004. She admitted that Bush had received a
report entitled "Bin Laden Determined to Attack inside the United States"
on August 6, 2001. This report warned of possible terrorist attacks by hijackers
in the USA. Nothing specific was done about these revelations and, moreover,
they were not precise enough to prevent the attacks.
- The fact that President Bush was in holiday in Texas at that time had not
bearing on the case she said, even if he did not cut short his holidays, and
went on fishing. Mrs Rice admitted that the various intelligence services
worked independently of each other and did not share their information. As
a result many important department heads (transport, Federal Aviation Administration
among others) did not hear about the above report and the imminent al-Qaida
threat. The Attorney General, John Ashcroft, was briefed but did not do anything
either.
- President Bush phoned Mrs Rice to congratulate her on her testimony, but
the members of the commission were not fully convinced.
- On April 11, 2004, a secret document -top-secret Presidential Daily Brief
or PDB- released by the White House shows clearly that Bush was warned a few
weeks before September 11, 2001 (on August 6, 2001), of "pattern of suspicious
activities, consistent with preparation for a highjacking action". The
document also mentioned "recent surveillance of federal buildings in
New York" and an FBI/CIA investigation in the allegation of a possible
al-Qaida cell planning attacks with explosives in the USA.
- No action was taken to find more details about this threat while the president
was playing golf in Texas. This document contradicts in part Condoleezza Rice's
testimony in front of the commission. She said the PDB document only contained
"historical" information, and this is completely untrue. The report
mentioned that al-Qaida was possibly ready to use highjacking to attack the
USA. Mrs Rice said that the FBI and the Federal Aviation Administration were
fully informed. It is now known that Norman Mineta, the head of the FAA, was
not informed.
- Since he was elected, President Bush spent more than 40% of his time, or
500 days, in vacation in one of his three residences. He has been 33 times
to his ranch in Texas where he has spent 233 days since January 2001; he also
went 78 times to Camps David and five times to Kennebunkport, Maine. He usually
goes to bed at 22.00 independently if there is a problem needing his attention
or not.
- On April 14, 2004, President Bush agreed with Prime Minister Sharon of Israel's
proposal to pull out of the Gaza strip, but keep his settlements in the West
Bank. Bush said that it was unrealistic to expect Israel withdrawing from
land occupied during the 1967 war, or the right of return for the Palestinians.
Bush believes he needs a foreign Middle East policy success, and the Jewish
votes for his re-election in November. The Arab world will not like it, but
with the war in Iraq going from bad to worse it looks like the Bush administration
could not care less about the Muslim opinion.
- On April 15, 2004, The Guardian revealed that five months before the September
11 2001 attacks a war game, including a terrorist attack using a commercial
plane flown into the Pentagon dropped because the senior officers thought
that it was too unrealistic! And still Bush goes on saying that the attacks
could not have been foreseen.
- On April 15, 2004, Bush gave his 12th press conference (at that time in
their presidencies Clinton and Bush father had had about 70). He talked for
17 minutes, and then tried not to answer any question. He is only able to
deliver speeches prepared by his staff. Alone he can only boast, and tell
generalities like "in Iraq we are changing the world and after it will
be a better one" and "America will be more secure as a result of
the actions we ARE TAKING". He also boasted that he did not make any
mistake as a president until now.
- The results of a poll released on April 16, 2004, show that 56% of the Americans
now believe that Bush does not know how to resolve the Iraqi problem.
- On April 29, 2004, President Bush and Vice-President Cheney will meet together
the members of the committee inquiring in the September 11, 2001, attacks.
The meeting will take place in the White House. However their depositions
will take place behind close doors, without oath, and no official records
will be taken down (only hand written notes will be allowed).
- On April 29, 2004, Paul Wolfowitz was asked by a House appropriation committee
what was his estimate of the number of US soldiers killed in Iraq. He estimated
the number to 500, about 200 below the real number (720 now).
- In a speech to the Arab world on May 4, 2004, President Bush refused to
recognise that the Palestinians have a territorial claim to the West bank.
The Arab countries such as Jordan and Egypt will not it. European countries,
Russia, and the UN will also not be very pleased as they recognise the Palestinians'
rights on this territory. A future peace in the region is still pushed further
back if not made impossible.
- On May 10, 2004, President Bush confirmed his trust in Donald Rumsfeld and
refused to fire him despite the many evidences of torture in Iraq by US soldiers
on civilians and his handling of the whole affair. Bush told him "you
are courageously leading our country in the war against terror. You are doing
a superb job. Our nation owns you a debt of gratitude". His dismissal
is asked by some of the American media and by most people outside the USA,
especially by the Muslims.
- On June 2, 2004, George Bush needs to find somebody or some country to blame
for his mistakes in Iraq. He found both. First the fall guy will be Ahmad
Chalabi, and the bad country will be Iran. Chalabi, according to what we are
now told, said that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, and that the Iraqis
would welcome the US soldiers as "liberators". As it is now known,
no weapons of mass destruction were found and the Iraqi people did not welcome
the invaders.
- Tehran, on the other hand is guilty because Tehran convinced George Bush
to attack and destroy their number one enemy, Saddam Hussein of Iraq. They
convinced the American president and the CIA by giving wrong information to
Ahmad Chalabi.
- During the festivities for the 60th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy
(June 6 2004), President Bush and President Chirac tried to mend their differences
over Iraq. It looks like they succeeded and that even Chirac will agree on
a new UN resolution fixing the power of the interim Iraqi government.
- On June 11, 2004, a Los Angeles Times poll showed that a majority (53% against
43%) of US voters believe that it was not worth invading Iraq and two third
believe that the US is "getting bogged down". Last November and
March, the figures were reversed.
- On June 13, 2004, 26 former US diplomats and military officers criticised
Bush's policy in the Middle East especially by supporting the Israeli Prime
Minister Sharon.
- On June 14, 2004, new evidences show that Dick Cheney, through his top aide
Lewis Libby, was likely to have been involved in awarding many contracts to
his former company, Halliburton. Included is a contract for $7bn for reconstruction
work in Iraq.
- On June 15, 2004, President Bush agreed with Vice President Cheney that
Saddam Hussein had close link with al-Qaida. Unfortunately his own intelligence
services, as well as those of most western countries, disagree.
- On June 26, 2004, President Bush speaking at the US-EU summit in Ireland
expressed his gratitude to the European countries for ending the past row
over Iraq. At this meeting the European Union approved a plan for Nato participating
in the reconstruction of the country.
- Bush popularity reached a new low on June 29, 2004. A CBS/New York Times
poll showed that nearly 80% of the Americans thought that he had been hiding
or lying in his statements on Iraq. Only 18% believe that he told the truth.
This is due to the fact that no weapons of mass destruction were found in
Iraq and the absence of any evidence linking Saddam Hussein to al-Qaida although
Bush and Cheney still insist that there was links. Unfortunately for them,
nobody believes it anymore. Only 42% of the Americans believe that Bush is
doing a good job and 51% disapprove of his performance. In addition 47% of
the Americans believe that the terrorist threat has increased since the invasion
of Iraq and 55% said that they believe the war has created more anti-American
terrorists. Only 13% believe that the America is safer.
- On July 14, 2004, Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate John Edwards said
that President George W. Bush lacked the courage of Prime Minister Tony Blair,
who took full responsibility for the failures of intelligence that led both
nations into war in Iraq.
- On August 2, 2004, President Bush made another political u-turn and accepted
two of the most important recommendations of the congressional inquiry into
September 11, 2001, He appointed a national intelligence director and he agreed
to create a government counter-terrorism centre.
- On August 5, 2005, President Bush, in a speech after signing a $417bn defence
bill, said: "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we.
They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people,
and never do we." Well, one more mistake!
- On August 10, 2004, President Bush named a right wing US representative
from Florida, Porter Goss, to head the CIA. Mr Goss was heading the House
Intelligence Committee and, before, he was a CIA operative. His first job
will be to restructure the CIA.
- About 250,000 demonstrators carrying colourful banners and shouting "no
more Bush" marched in Manhattan on Sunday August 29, 2004, the day before
the Republican convention opens to decry the Iraq war and President Bush's
economic policies.
- Hundreds of thousands of people have rallied in New York against President
Bush on Sunday August 29, 2004, as his Republican Party gathers for its national
convention. Police officers with dogs, bomb-detecting equipment, and riot
gear have closed off the surrounding streets.
- Democratic vice-presidential candidate Senator John Edwards accused President
Bush on August 31, 2004, of fumbling in the war against terrorism by not finishing
"what they started" in Afghanistan.
- On September 2, 2004, President George W Bush vigorously defended the invasion
of Iraq and his leadership in the war on terror and pledged "a safer
world" as he accepted his party's nomination for a second term in office.
Bush declared to a raucous Republican convention crowd: "We have fought
the terrorists across the earth -not for pride, not for power, but because
the lives of our citizens are at stake. ... We have led, many have joined,
and America and the world are safer."
- Chapter One of President Bush's war on terror was the US invasion of Afghanistan,
where the governing Taliban were protecting al-Qaida. In June 2004, Bush called
Afghanistan "the first victory in the war on terror." And during
the Republican convention, Bush supporters played up Afghanistan to draw attention
away from the mess in Iraq. But last weekend's bombing in Kabul, the Afghan
capital, provided the latest reminder that the victory is nowhere near complete.
In September 2004, President Bush has a lot to think about. The Taliban are
far from destroyed, and their leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, is still at large.
So is Osama bin Laden, and al-Qaida still fight US troops. Chapter two is
Iraq but it is still too early to draw conclusions although the future there
is not promising for the USA.
- As US deaths mount and a new intelligence report details a disastrous future,
on September 17, 2004, Bush sticks to its story -and the American people keep
buying it. The occupation of Iraq is getting out of control. Yet despite the
cascading bad news President Bush is steadfastly sticking to his narrative.
The occupation of Iraq is muddled, confused, and messy and the prospects for
the future are bleak.
- On Tuesday September 21, 2004, President Bush told the world leaders gathered
for the UN General Assembly that the US-led military campaigns in Iraq and
Afghanistan are aimed at promoting freedom and democracy. He urged other countries
to step up their support and help interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi make
his country "secure, democratic, federal and free."
- On October 3, 2004, US President George W. Bush's campaign has been forced
on the defensive after a report that the White House knew before invading
Iraq that key intelligence on Iraq's alleged nuclear weapons program was questionable.
- Bush is a limited person, as everybody knows, with the exception of the
majority of the American people. He also only wants to hear "good news",
true or false. "Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News" said the US president.
- Evidently, there are two Iraqs. One exists here on our earth, the other
occupies a parallel space-time continuum perceivable only by a select few
individuals, one of whom is the president of the United States. Everybody
knows that the situation in Iraq is bad. Yet, to hear the president talk,
the situation is actually a lot better than anybody really knows. We're getting
the job done, he said.
- Two Iraqs. That's got to be it. That must be why the Iraq the president
Bush describes bears so little resemblance to the one described by, well .
. . just about everybody else in the world that is:
-
. "It's Worse Than You Think," reads a headline in Newsweek, accompanying
a picture of a wounded man who seems to be in shock.
. A Wall Street Journal correspondent sends colleagues an e-mail saying that
in Baghdad, it is unsafe to talk to strangers, eat in restaurants, shop for
groceries, take a drive, speak English, be an American.
. The New York Times reports that 2,300 insurgent attacks took place in Iraq
during a recent 30-day period -that's 76 car bombs, land mine explosions,
rocket-propelled grenade assaults, shootings and mortar strikes "every
day" in a place roughly the size of California.
.Yet the president describes an Iraq where children go peacefully to school,
their parents peacefully to work. "Freedom is on the march," he
says.
- While the president' Iraq would be:
. "Progress is being made," says the president.
. "It's getting worse," says Secretary of State Colin Powell.
. "I'm optimistic we'll succeed," says the president.
. "Right now, we're not winning," says Chuck Hagel, Republican senator.
. "The Iraqi citizens are defying the pessimistic predictions,"
says the president.
. "The situation has obviously been somewhat deteriorating," says
John McCain.
- The New York Times reports that in July, the National Intelligence Council
issued a 50-page report representing the consensus of the US intelligence
community on the likely course of things in Iraq. It foresaw continuing instability
and possible civil war. The president brushes it aside, saying, "They
were just guessing as to what the conditions might be like."
- There are two Iraqs. There must be. Because the alternative is profoundly
troubling, suggesting a president divorced from reality, holding firmly to
his version of truth that nothing can shake him from it. Not news reports,
not members of his own party, not his secretary of state, not the intelligence
community. If there are not two Iraqs, we ought to be scared, because a man
who filters out information that challenges his beliefs is a man ill-equipped
to adapt to new circumstances, unable to formulate new strategies, slow to
make necessary change. If there are not two Iraqs, it means such a man has
ultimate responsibility for stewardship of American foreign policy in an increasingly
volatile world. Ergo, there are two Iraqs. Otherwise, how can we sleep at
night? I do wish the president had publicized his ability to pierce the space-time
continuum. It would have saved a lot of confusion.
- From time to time President Bush should be forced to hear about the Iraq
on this planet. The one where they're planning an election in which maybe
a quarter of the population won't be able to participate because it's too
dangerous. The one where dozens of children were blown to shreds last week.
The one where people we "liberated" hate us. The one that's dissolving
into chaos. Bush's silence is understandable. Why mention the bad Iraq when
you have another to talk about? Unfortunately for the rest of us, we have
just the one.
- Former President George H.W. Bush famously declared, "By God, we've
kicked out the Vietnam syndrome once and for all!" The former President
Bush can be forgiven his triumphal pronouncement in 1991. He had just assembled
and successfully led a mighty international coalition that flushed Saddam
Hussein's forces out of Kuwait. The war was short and provoked few casualties
on the allied side; it was largely financed by others; and it captured the
popular imagination. Since this trauma of September 11, 2001, America's national
security strategy has been reinvented. The current president, George W. Bush,
may have created a new syndrome -the Iraq syndrome- based on three cardinal
principles:
. First, the concept of pre-emption, which was always part of US policy,
has been elevated to a central role; the nation cannot wait for terrorists
to strike, but must hit them first, wherever they are and with whatever it
takes.
. Second, the new doctrine proclaims that the US will take whatever measures
are necessary to insure its supremacy over any other country or combination
of countries, especially in military terms.
. Third, the strategy is specifically aimed at spreading democracy throughout
the world, particularly in the Middle East, as an antidote for the kind of
lawless tyrannical regimes that are likely sources of aggression and terrorism.
- A few things that Bush said but did not do were reminded to us on October 29, 2004:
. September 2, 1999: "Effective reform requires accountability. High
hopes, low achievement. Grand plans, unmet goals. My administration will do
things differently." Yes!
. September 25, 2000: "It is clear our nation is reliant upon big foreign
oil. More and more of our imports come from overseas (yes, it is what he said)."Now
oil imports are about 1.3 million barrels per day higher than in Clinton's
last year in office.
. October 11, 2000: "If we are an arrogant nationalist, foreigners will
resent us. If we are a humble nation but strong, they will welcome us... We
have got to be humble." But was he humble? If he had not been, the US
approval rating in Jordan would even be lower than the 5% it is now and Osama
bin Laden's approval in Pakistan would be higher that the present 65%.
. February 27, 2001: "We should approach our nation's budget as any prudent
family would." But Bush has transformed the Clinton budget surpluses
into huge deficits
. June 11, 2001: "My administration is committed to a leadership role
on the issue of climate change." America's carbon dioxide emissions have
risen 1.7% since then.
. May 24, 2003: "We will not tolerate nuclear weapons in North Korea."
It is generally accepted that North Korea has gone from two nuclear weapons
to about eight.
. June 26, 2003: "Notorious human rights abusers, including Burma, Cuba,
North Korea Iran and Zimbabwe, have sought to hide their abuses by staging
elaborate deceptions and denying access to international human rights monitors."
What about Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib and, more generally, the US practice
of hiding certain Arab prisoners from Red Cross and other inspectors.
. May 25, 2004: "One of the challenge we face is to make sure the health
care system responds to the needs of the citizens." But five million
more Americans do not have health insurance.
- On November 3, 2004, President Bush was formally re-elected for a second
term. This time he was elected by a majority of the voters although his majority
in the Electoral College was rather small.
- On November 3, 2004, a new video tape broadcasted by al-Jazeera showed Osama
bin Laden accusing president Bush to have ignored warnings against invading
Iraq because he wanted Iraq's "black gold". According to Osama bin
Laden Bush acted to protect his personal interests (Bush has a past story
in oil business.)
- On November 30, 2004, President Bush was in Canada on a state visit. The
prime minister and the authorities received him politely, but the divergences
of opinions, especially on the war in Iraq, were not solved. The Canadian
public manifested in strength against the visit. The police had a lot to do
to protect the unpopular president, and to avoid him to see that many Canadians
hate him.
- On December 3, 2004, President Bush decided to keep Donald Rumsfeld during
his second term.
- On December 4, 2004, President Bush lauded the visiting Pakistani dictator-president,
General Pervez Musharraf, for Pakistan's collaboration in the hunt for Osama
bin Laden, even if he was not found or killed.
- On December 17, 2004, President Bush signed into law the reform of the US
Intelligence services. They will now work together under the command/coordination
of a national intelligence director who will supervise the 15 separate intelligence
agencies.
- In a news conference on December 20, 2004, President Bush had to admit that
the war in Iraq was not going as foreseen. He also recognised that the Iraqi
soldiers are not always willing to fight ... their own people. What a surprise
since if they do, they are seen as collaborators of the enemy, the USA, and
as such risking to be killed by the insurgents. He defended Donald Rumsfeld
saying, that Donald is doing a fine job, that he cares for his troops, that
he is a caring fellow. The problem is that many people, also in the US, do
not believe it.
- President Bush went through his second inauguration ceremony on January
20, 2005. The same day Vice President Dick Cheney said that Iran was a major
threat to the USA, and could be invaded. Another possibility would be for
the US to tell Israel to bomb Iran's nuclear installations. He also accused
Iran of sponsoring terrorism against Americans and building a "fairly
robust new nuclear programme." "Plus cela change, plus c'est la
même chose."
- In his "State of the Union" speech to the US Congress on February
2, 2005, President Bush said that the Iraqi elections were a success, however
it was still to soon to talk about a date for the withdrawal of US troops.
- On February 8, 2005, the Americans are giving President Bush a higher job-approval
rating following last month's elections in Iraq. A new poll by the Gallup
Organization puts the president's approval rating at 57 percent, up six points
from the previous poll in mid-January. Roughly 61 percent of those surveyed
said the elections went better than they expected. The poll indicates 53 percent
of Americans say things are going well for the United States in Iraq, up from
40 percent. Meanwhile, Karl Rove, Mr. Bush's top political strategist during
his re-election campaign, has been promoted to Deputy White House Chief of
Staff.
- On February 9, 2005, President George W. Bush said he will ask lawmakers
for 400 million dollars to reward nations that took "political and economic
risks" by backing US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. "This assistance
will support nations that have deployed troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, as
well as other partners promoting freedom around the world."
- President Bush formally asked Congress on February 14, 2005, for some 80
billion dollars to pay for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's
on top of the two and a-half trillion dollar regular budget that the president
sent lawmakers last week. The special budget request is expected to boost
spending on Iraq and the war on terror to over 280 billion dollars.
- President George W. Bush, on February 18, 2005, named his ambassador to
Iraq, John Negroponte, as the first Director of National Intelligence, to
oversee all 15 US spy agencies, including the CIA. Mr Negroponte, 65, is the
British-born son of a Greek shipping magnate. At least three other possible
candidates had rejected the job.
- President Bush on Wednesday May 11, 2005, signed legislation that will provide
$82 billion more funding this year to the US military for combat operations
in Iraq and Afghanistan. Of the total amount, $76 billion would go to the
Pentagon to buy armour for soldiers and combat vehicles, ammunition, missiles
and other war materials. The bill would also increase death benefits for families
of soldiers killed in combat.
- On May 10, 2005, President Bush nominated Zalmay Khalilzad, a former ambassador
to Afghanistan, to be the next ambassador to Iraq.
- On June 24, 2005, US President George W Bush insisted that the "violent
and ruthless" insurgency in Iraq will be defeated. After talks in Washington
with the Iraqi Prime Minister, Ibrahim Jaafari, Mr Bush said the political
progress that was being made in the country would lead to victory. He said
US troops would eventually withdraw "with honour", but declined
to set a timetable for withdrawal.
- US President George W Bush said in a speech on June 28, 2005, that the sacrifices
being made to fight insurgents in Iraq are vital to the future security of
the United States. Speaking at an air force base in North Carolina, he urged
Americans to stand firm on "the latest battlefield in the war against
terrorism". He said the only strategy to tackle militants was to "defeat
them abroad before they attack us at home".
- On July 2, 2005, President George W Bush ruled out US backing for any Kyoto-style
deal on climate change at the G8 summit. He said he would instead be talking
to fellow leaders about new technologies as a way of tackling global warming.
But he conceded that the issue was one "we've got to deal with"
and said human activity was "to some extent" to blame. He believes
that the Kyoto treaty would have wrecked the US economy.
- US President George W. Bush's approval rating on how he handles the Iraq
problem dropped further to 38 percent, the lowest point in recent months.
The latest poll also showed that the percentage of people who trust Bush's
honesty has dropped from 53 percent last month to 48 percent. Bush's overall
job approval remained at 42 percent, unchanged in recent months. The survey
also found 60 percent of those interviewed said they think the country is
going down the wrong track.
- On August 12, 2005, President George Bush has said he "sympathised"
with the mother of a US soldier killed in Iraq, but refused her call to pull
out the troops. Cindy Sheehan has been holding a roadside protest near Bush's
ranch in Texas. Ms Sheehan is vowing to remain until she can speak to the
president about his justification for the war. Dozens of well-wishers have
turned out to join her demonstration.
- The protest by the mother of an American soldier killed in Iraq that was
still going on August 15, 2005, has given US President George Bush little
escape from politics during an August vacation at his Texas ranch. Sheehan's
son Casey was killed in April 2004 five days after he arrived in Iraq. She
launched her protest a week ago outside the gates of the president's ranch
in Crawford with a demand to meet Bush, and a call for the US to withdraw
its 138,000 troops from Iraq. By Sunday, about 200 people had joined Sheehan.
- On August 15, 2005, US President George W Bush has praised the "heroic
efforts" of Iraqi lawmakers who failed to meet a deadline to agree a
new constitution for the country. On Monday, Iraq's parliament agreed to extend
the deadline until 22 August to enable negotiators to try to resolve their
disputes.
- On August 17, 2005, Cindy Sheehan has vowed to remain camped out in Crawford
until either President Bush meets with her, or until his summer vacation is
over later this month. It appears the end of the president's vacation will
be what sends Sheehan back home in Vacaville, California. She wants to express
her outrage over losing her son and to protest the war that has taken something
very precious from her. Two high-level officials of the Bush administration
have met with Sheehan but the president refused to talk to her. He found the
time to do some bicycling with Lance Amstrong, the winner of seven "Tours
de France."
- Can Iraq evolve into a stable country before President Bush's term ends
in January 2009? This question was asked on August 25, 2005. If it does, he
can leave the legacy he has been seeking in the Middle East. If he does not,
his presidency will be in large part judged by a failure in Iraq.
- Cindy Sheehan said on Friday August 26, 2005, she will now focus on Congress,
starting with Bush close ally and fellow Texan House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.
Next Thursday she plans to begin a bus tour from Bush's ranch to the White
House to campaign for withdrawal of US troops.
- Several thousand people descended on US President George W. Bush's ranch
to attend rallies, some to support him, others for the last leg of an anti-war
demonstration. The pro-Bush rally on Saturday August 27, 2005, was the culmination
of the "You don't speak for me, Cindy!" tour. The crowd of about
1,500 chanted, "Cindy, go home!" Meanwhile, busloads of war protesters
gathered several kilometres away at "Camp Casey," named for Sheehan's
24-year-old son, for a bell-ringing ceremony on Saturday to honour soldiers
serving in Iraq. Organizers estimated the size of the crowd at more than 2,000,
but it appeared smaller.
- On September 1, 2005, public opinion polls suggest that the violence in
Iraq and rising fuel prices at home are taking a toll on President Bush's
political approval ratings. The latest found the president's job approval
rating at 45 percent. Another recent survey by the Gallup polling organization
had Mr. Bush's approval at 40 percent. The fuel situation could worsen, given
the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina along the Gulf of Mexico.
- Fewer than half of Americans now believe the United States will win the
war in Iraq, according to a new poll published on September 23, 2005. Confidence
in President George Bush is at an all-time low, due to the Iraq war and his
government's slow response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Some 55% of
those questioned in a Gallup poll this week said the US should speed up withdrawal
plans in Iraq. Only 21% said the US would definitely win the war. Despite
the majority's call to pull out, more than two-thirds said they believed US
troops would leave behind a chaotic situation or even civil war. Around a
third said they did not understand what the war was about.
- Cindy Sheehan, the bereaved mother who led anti-war protests near Mr Bush's
Texas ranch last month, will lead a march around the White House on Saturday
September 24, 2005. More than 100,000 are expected at the rally.
- Cindy Sheehan was arrested on Monday September 26, 2005. Sheehan was one
of some 200 protesters who sat in circles on the sidewalk along the White
House compound's northern edge, purposely courting arrest. Hundreds more rallied
in Lafayette Park, across Pennsylvania Avenue from the executive mansion.
Sheehan was the first of several dozen to be taken into custody. The US Park
Police charged those arrested with demonstrating without a permit, a misdemeanour
that carries a $50 fine. Other slogans ranged from "Mothers say no to
war" and "Liar, liar, Iraq's on fire" to "War is terrorism
with a bigger budget".
- President Bush delivered a vigorous defence of the war in Iraq on Thursday
October 6, 2005, framing it as part of an expansive effort to prevent terrorists
from establishing a "radical Islamic empire that spans from Spain to
Indonesia.'' Bush said the United States and its partners have disrupted at
least 10 terrorist attacks, including three al Qaeda plots to attack on U.S.
soil, since September 11, 2001. One of the plots in mid-2002 involved hijacked
airplanes and targets on the West Coast.
- Bush rejected calls for a speedy withdrawal from Iraq. He called the broader
struggle against terrorism "the great challenge of our new century''
and compared it to previous battles against Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot. Evil
men obsessed with ambition and unburdened by conscience must be taken very
seriously, and we must stop them before their crimes can multiply. And him,
what is he?
- US President George W. Bush believes that he was given a "divine order"
for Americans to attack Afghanistan and Iraq we were told on October 7, 2005.
Palestinian Information Minister Nabil Shaat talked about his meeting, together
with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abas, with Bush in June 2003. According
to Shaat, Bush said that he acts according to a divine order given by God
to him to fight against terrorists in Afghanistan and he fulfilled that order.
Later, God told Bush to go to Iraq, and to end the tyranny in this country,
said Shaat. God also asked Bush to provide security for Israelis and a state
for Palestinians, and he will do so with God's permission. If this is really
what he said his credibility has reached the bottom!
- On October 29, 2005, President George W Bush said he remains focused in
his work despite the charges against Lewis Libby, the vice-president's chief
of staff who resigned after being charged with perjury over the inquiry into
the unmasking of a covert CIA agent. Mr Bush said he was saddened by the news,
but would continue to work hard to protect the American people. The identity
of CIA agent Valerie Plame - whose husband criticised the Iraq war - was leaked
to a US reporter in 2003. Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has accused
Mr Libby of lying to investigators about how and when he learned and disclosed
to reporters classified information about Ms Plame. If found guilty on all
five counts in the indictment, Mr Libby, 55, faces a maximum of 30 years in
prison and a $1.25m fine for each charge.
- Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff Lewis Libby is known to be a
quiet but powerful force in the Bush administration. He helped build the case
for the U.S. invasion of Iraq, arguing that Saddam Hussein's regime had weapons
of mass destruction. No such weapons have been found. Mr. Libby shies away
from media attention, but is described by colleagues as being closely involved
in everything the vice president does. Widely known by his nickname "Scooter,"
Mr. Libby is also a lawyer and a writer, who earned praise for a 1996 mystery
novel he wrote.
- On November 21, 2005, Vice President Cheney accused the critics of the war
in Iraq of "corrupt and shameless" revisionism when saying that
the White House misled the nation in the justification for going to war. He
also criticised suggestions for a quick withdrawal from Iraq. A US Representative,
Democrat Murtha, suggested that all 160,000 US troops in Iraq should be withdraw
within the next six months to prevent another Vietnam he added. He believes
the White House will soon agree, as the Iraqi war cannot be won on the ground.
- According to some information released on November 22, 2005, Bush wanted
to bomb the al-Jazeera television studios in Qatar at the beginning of 2004.
Tony Blair dissuaded him.
- On Wednesday December 7, 2005, President Bush defended again his Iraqi policy
before the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington DC? He said that Iraq
was making steady progress in its economy and that reconstruction was going
on although at a slower pace that foreseen. One wonders if he is blind and
if not, if he believes what he is saying.
- On January 1, 2006, President Bush defended again its decision to allow
the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on telephone conversations and email
messages without asking authorisation from the competent court. He justified
this interference in American citizens' privacy as follow: "We are at
war with an enemy who wants to hurt us again." He added that its disclosure
has done great harm to the country. The Justice department is making inquiries
to find how the New York Times was informed. But is it true that enemies threaten
the USA? It is certainly not threatened by Iraq -and has never been. Al-Qaida
is destroyed or at least confined to Afghanistan and Pakistan and Iraq did
not participate in the September 11, 2001, attacks and did not threaten the
USA in anyway. They had not the means to do it. It was the US who invaded
Iraq, justifying it with lies but helping terrorists to get stronger. So what
is all this nonsense about? The only answer is "More lies."
- On January 4, 2006, President Bush still believes that real progress are
made in Iraq and this will allow the US to reduce its troops there. Cheney
repeated the same story later on in the day.
- On January 17, 2006, two civil liberty groups filed lawsuits in two US District
courts to block President Bush's policy of listening to phone, emails and
fax messages of American citizens and other residents without getting first
a court authorisation.
- On January 24, 2006, a new audit has found that American reconstruction
financing in Iraq was ripe with fraud, irregularities and incompetence.
- On January 25, 2006, President Bush asked the Americans to take Osama bin
Laden's threat seriously. It is one of his arguments to justify his authorisation
to the National Security Agency to spy on the phone, fax and email messages
of many American citizens without a court authorisation as required by law.
- The White House has told Congress on February 2, 2006, to expect requests
for about $70 billion in additional funding for the current budget year for
the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The funding for Iraq is in addition to $50
billion approved in December and should be enough to conduct the war through
the September 30, end of the fiscal year.
- On February 10, 2006, a former CIA official who coordinated US intelligence
on the Middle East accused the Bush administration of "cherry-picking"
intelligence on Iraq to justify a decision it had already reached to go to
war. Paul Pillar, who was the national intelligence officer for the Near East
and South Asia from 2000 to 2005, also accused the administration of ignoring
warnings that the country could easily fall into violence and chaos after
an invasion to overthrow Saddam Hussein. "Official intelligence on Iraqi
weapons programmes was flawed, but even with its flaws, it was not what led
to the war," Pillar wrote in the upcoming issue of the journal Foreign
Affairs. Instead, he asserted, the administration "went to war without
requesting - and evidently without being influenced by - any strategic-level
intelligence assessments on any aspect of Iraq". Pillar said mistakes
made by US intelligence agencies in concluding that Hussein's government possessed
weapons of mass destruction did not drive the administration's decision to
invade, according to The Post.
- Opinion polls in the US on Monday March 20, 2006, have continued to indicate
weakening support for the president on Iraq, with a Newsweek survey last Friday
suggesting 65% now disapproved of his policy.
- The New York Times has seen a memo, which shows that the US president was
firmly set to invade Iraq two months before the 2003 invasion. From private
talks between George Bush and UK PM Tony Blair, the memo makes it clear the
US was determined to go to war whether or not he had UN backing. He is quoted
discussing ways to provoke Saddam Hussein into a confrontation. The five-page
memo, dated 31 January 2003, was written by Mr Blair's then chief foreign
adviser, David Maning. Summarising the two-hour White House meeting, the memo
says: "Our diplomatic strategy had to be arranged around the military
planning." Mr Bush is paraphrased as saying: "The start date for
the military campaign was now pencilled in for 10 March. This was when the
bombing would begin."
- White House chief of staff Andrew Card has resigned and will be replaced
by budget director Josh Bolten, an administration official said Tuesday.
- It has emerged on April 7, 2006, that a former senior White House official
testified that US President George W Bush authorised the leaking of classified
material on Iraq, according to court papers made public that have ignited
a political storm. The court papers cited Lewis "Scooter" Libby,
Vice President Dick Cheney's former top aide, as testifying Mr Cheney had
told him that Mr Bush authorised him to disclose certain classified material
to a reporter. Democrats, who hope to seize control of Congress from Republicans
in November elections, demanded an explanation but Mr Bush and the White House
declined to discuss the disclosure.
- Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell said on April 30, 2006, he urged
President George W. Bush to deploy a greater number of troops for the 2003
invasion of Iraq than advocated by the Pentagon in order to deal with any
unforeseen problems. At least seven retired generals as well as Democrats
and some Republicans have criticized Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld handling
of the Iraq war and the failure to anticipate the instability in the country
after dictator Saddam Hussein's regime was toppled three years ago.
- UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George W Bush have made a
public acknowledgement on May 26, 2006, that they made mistakes in Iraq. Mr
Bush said the biggest US error was the prison abuse scandal in Abu Ghraib,
which it was now paying for. The two leaders have never admitted their mistakes
in such frank terms. They also called for the international community to give
its full support to the new Iraqi government.
- The retired general, Major General Buford C. Blount III, who commanded the
Army's 3rd Infantry Division when its tanks led the charge to Baghdad in 2003
says the initial war planning was flawed and likely contributed to the drawn-out
conflict with insurgents in Iraq. He added on Friday June 2, 2006, that pulling
out "is not an option" for US forces.
-Cindy Sheehan, who gained international attention a year ago for protesting
the Iraq war, returned to the town near President George W. Bush's ranch on
Sunday August 6, 2006, to resume her protest. Talking to reporters, Sheehan
defended the purchase of a 5-acre plot of land for use as a protest location.
The land was purchased by her supporters through a third party to keep secret
her connection to it.
-Thousands of protesters including former American soldiers rallied outside
UN headquarters on Tuesday September 19. 2006, urging the US government to
end the war in Iraq and bring home the troops. Nearby, about 200 other protesters
demonstrated against the presence of the Iranian president, others called
for human rights in Myanmar, and just a handful demonstrated to press claims
the United States orchestrated the September 11 attacks.
-The New York Times newspaper published on September 24, 2006, what it says are the findings of a classified US intelligence paper on the effects of the Iraq war. The document reportedly blames the three-year-old conflict for increasing the threat of terrorism and helping fuel Islamic radicalism worldwide. However, a White House spokesman said the newspaper report was "not representative of the entire document".
-The conflict in Iraq is breeding a new generation of terrorist leaders and feeding resentment of U.S. involvement in the Muslim world, an intelligence assessment released on September 26, 2006, by the Bush administration says. President George W. Bush ordered declassification of the ``key judgments'' from an April National Intelligence Estimate after disclosure of the document brought renewed criticism of his policies in Iraq. The four-page document, posted on the Web site of the Director of National Intelligence, says that while US counter terrorism efforts have ``seriously damaged'' al-Qaida's leadership, the terrorist movement is growing and the threat of attacks worldwide will increase if current trends continue.
-The Iraq conflict has become a "cause celebre" for Islamic militants worldwide, declassified parts of a US intelligence report published on September 26, 2006, said. The war has helped recruit "supporters for the global jihadist movement," the National Intelligence Estimate says. President George W Bush had promised to release parts of the report following earlier leaks to the US media. He said he disagreed with those who guessed at what was in the report and concluded invading Iraq was an error. But Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf also weighed in to the dispute, saying in an interview for CNN that he stood by remarks in his new book that he opposed the invasion because he feared it would encourage terrorism.
-The Bush administration has misled the American people about the level of
violence in Iraq, where there is an attack by insurgent forces every 15 minutes,
Bob Woodward, the investigative journalist, said on Friday September 29, 2006.In
a new book, State of Denial, Woodward argues that the White House disregarded
warnings from advisers in the autumn of 2003 that it needed thousands more
troops to put down the insurgency. He says the administration continues to
deny the gravity of the situation in Iraq because of Mr Bush's conviction
that it was right to go to war.
-President George W. Bush retains "full confidence" in Defence Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld, despite accusations that he botched the Iraq war and a disclosure
that a former top Bush aide had recommended his replacement, the White House
said on Sunday October 1, 2006. White House counsellor Dan Bartlett also said
Condoleezza Rice, who served as Bush's national security adviser before becoming
secretary of state, had urged a complete change of Bush's national security
team after his 2004 re-election. This was in addition to efforts by White
House Chief of Staff Andrew Card to replace Rumsfeld.
-United States President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair were looking more isolated than ever on Thursday October 19, 2006, as the ground shifted further under their strategy of remaining in Iraq "until the job is done". The President and the Prime Minister were left clinging to the dream of establishing a lasting democracy in Iraq as their advisers urged them to look for a more realistic exit strategy.
-US President George W Bush is holding a videoconference on Saturday October 21, 2006, with his senior generals in Iraq to discuss the escalating violence there. Mr Bush has said they may focus on changing tactics to combat the unrest, but not the overall military strategy.
- Top members of the Bush administration have been speaking out on October 25, 2006, to try to convince US public opinion that success can be achieved in Iraq. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was among several officials defending the government's Iraq policy as adaptable. The US envoy to Iraq earlier said Iraq could be stabilised, despite setbacks. A top Republican has meanwhile joined Democrats in criticising Mr Bush in a month when 90 US troops died in Iraq, the highest toll since November 2004. Three hundred Iraqi troops have also died in October, and some estimates say sectarian attacks now claim an average of 40 Iraqi lives every day.
- US President George W. Bush, at a press conference held in the White House, admitted that many Americans are not satisfied with the situation in Iraq and said he will consider any proposal to achieve victory in Iraq. He added "I know many Americans are not satisfied with the situation in Iraq," he said. "I'm not satisfied either." A total of 93 US soldiers have been killed in Iraq, the highest of any month this year put the Bush administration under pressure to change tactics in the country. Bush said that he would consider any proposal that leads to victory in Iraq, signalling a willingness to change tactics in the trouble-stricken country.
- US Vice-President Dick Cheney said on October 31, 2006, that insurgents in Iraq have increased their attacks in order to influence the upcoming US mid-term elections. He blamed a recent rise in violence on al-Qaida and others trying to "break the will of the American people".
- President Bush said on December 1, 2006 Vice President Cheney and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld would stay in place until the end of his administration. This isn't exactly major news since the president hasn't ever shown any inclination to drop the men, more than once refusing offers from Rumsfeld to resign. Indeed, Cheney and Rumsfeld are long-time friends. In the 1970s, Rumsfeld was President Gerald Ford's chief of staff back and Cheney worked for him as deputy chief of staff. Given that, it's always been unlikely that Rumsfeld would be shown the door.
- George Bush was consulting US military commanders in Iraq on December 12, 2006, as part of his own policy review even as a new poll showed most Americans favour a quick withdrawal. A USA Today/Gallup poll found 55% of those surveyed wanted most US troops out of Iraq within a year, but only 18% believed that this would happen. A record high 62% said the war in Iraq was not "worth it", and a record low 16% said the US was winning. Only 14% of Americans thought the Democrat party would chart the proper course. Three out of four supported the major recommendations unveiled by the Iraq Study Group last week, but most predicted that the administration would not implement the proposals. The group's two key recommendations were a switch from military combat to training of Iraqi troops, and a diplomatic initiative that would include direct talks with Iran and Syria. Mr Bush has made clear his lack of enthusiasm for the Baker-Hamilton panel, pointing out that it was just one of several reviews he was considering. The Pentagon, state department and national Security Council are all conducting their own reviews. Mr Bush is expected to announce his approach in what has been called a "new way forward" before Christmas. The president yesterday met a group of experts, who agreed with the ISG that current policy was not working, but disagreed with the panel's call for a rapid reduction in the number of combat troops.
- In Kansas City, they will light candles and lay out more than 80 pairs of empty combat boots. In Chicago, anti-war activists will hand out black ribbons, each bearing the name of a US soldier killed in Iraq. In New Haven, Connecticut, opponents of the war plan to read aloud the names of 3,000 dead US soldiers. In all, organizers say some 140 demonstrations in 37 states are planned to mark the 3,000th US military death in Iraq. By Thursday, some 2,989 US troops had died in Iraq since the invasion in March 2003. Tens of thousands of Iraqis have been killed in the unrelenting violence. Among those keeping track of the US death toll, including soldiers' families, peace activists, politicians, veterans and others, many say they will commemorate the 3,000 mark as both a way to honour the dead and demand an end to the war.
- On January 2, 2007, George W. Bush is facing mounting opposition to plans to reinforce America's military presence in Iraq, as he prepares to unveil his administration's new strategy for dealing with a conflict that has now claimed the lives of 3,000 US soldiers. The US president is expected to announce a "new way forward in Iraq" sometime before his annual State of the Union address to Congress in late January. Mr Bush is thinking to increase the number of US troops by between 20,000 and 30,000 as a short-term boost to the existing 140,000 level, with the aim of stabilising the violence in Baghdad and surrounding provinces.
- President George W. Bush announced that he will send about 21,500 extra US troops to Iraq in a major policy speech on January 9, 2007. 17,500 troops would go to Baghdad and 4,000 to the Al-Anbar Governorate. The cost of the troop increase would be around $5.6 billion. An additional $1.2 billion would go to financing rebuilding and jobs programs. Bush is also expected to recommend the transfer of responsibility for security to the Iraqis for all of the country's 18 provinces by November. Three provinces are currently under Iraqi government control.
- US President George W Bush has urged America to give his new Iraq strategy "a chance to work", in his seventh annual State of the Union address on January 24, 2007. Failure in Iraq would have "grievous" consequences, Mr Bush told Congress.
- Tens of thousands of people took part in demonstrations on January 27, 2007, in Washington DC, to demand a withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. Chanting, "Bring our troops home," the demonstrators criticized the administration of President George W. Bush for its policies on Iraq and called on Congress to cut off funding for the war.
- President-hopeful Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton said Sunday January 28, 2007, that President Bush has made a mess of Iraq and it is his responsibility to "extricate" the United States from the situation before he leaves office. President Bush should withdraw all US troops from Iraq before he leaves office, asserting it would be "the height of irresponsibility" to pass the war along to the next commander in chief.
- President Bush intervened on March 3, 2007, in a scandal over the way wounded
American soldiers were treated after they returned home from Iraq or Afghanistan.
He is deeply troubled by the treatment of some military veterans in a Washington
medical centre. He is forming a cross-party commission to oversee how they
have been handled. Army Secretary Francis Harvey and the medical centre's
commander were sacked over the allegations. The move follows critical reports
in the US media about the care of troops wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq at
Washington's Walter Reed hospital. The Washington Post said last week that
some of the soldiers lived in buildings infested with rodents and cockroaches.
- On Saturday March 3, 2007, U.S. President Bush ordered a thorough investigation
into the medical care available to returning veterans in the wake of the scandal
around the Walter Reed Army Medical Centre's treatment of the veterans. Maj.
Gen. George W. Weightman was relieved of his command on Thursday following
disclosures that wounded soldiers who were being treated as outpatients in
Walter Reed Army Medical Centre were living in dilapidated quarters and endured
long waits for treatment. Army secretary Francis Harvey was forced to resign
by Defence Secretary Robert Gates, who said, "some in the army have not
adequately appreciated the seriousness of the situation". President George
W. Bush said he was appalled by the conditions at the prestigious army hospital.
- Vice President Dick Cheney resumed his controversial claims Monday March 12, 2007, that the war in Iraq is the central front in the worldwide US response to the September 11 attacks. Cheney linked Iraq and al Qaida even though post-invasion reports by the Senate Intelligence Committee and the presidential Commission on Intelligence Capabilities found no link between Saddam Hussein and al Qaida before the US-led invasion on March 19, 2003. Everybody must decide for him or herself: or Vice President Cheney is a nutcase or he has information unknown even to the US president. He is a nutcase!
- Four years ago today March 20, 2007, American forces and their coalition partners invaded Iraq and quickly deposed Saddam Hussein. Today, the country is torn by sectarian violence. Insurgents and militia groups continue to attack U.S. and Iraqi troops, as well as the civilian population. At the same time, many Americans are divided on whether US troops should stay or leave the country. All President Bush who ordered the invasion of Iraq can now ask the American people is for more patience. It is all he can do.
- President Bush used his weekly radio address Saturday March 24, 2007, to discuss two major disagreements between his Republican administration and the Democratic-controlled Congress. One is about a congressional demand for testimony under oath from White House aides in connection with the firing of eight U.S. attorneys. The other deals with a bill approved by the House of Representatives that establishes a timetable for removing troops from Iraq. VOA's Marissa Melton reports from Washington. Mr. Bush also expressed support for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Some lawmakers this week called for the resignation of the nation's top legal official for his role in the firing of eight US attorneys. Mr. Bush said he regrets that the issue has become what he called "a public spectacle." He urged members of Congress to drop their demand that Gonzales and other top Bush aides testify under oath. He called on Democrats in Congress to put partisan politics aside and agree to interview the White House officials in private.
- On March 31, 2007, US President George W. Bush apologized to soldiers who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan and were mistreated at Walter Reed Army Medical Centre. "It is not right to have someone volunteer to wear our uniform and not get the best possible care. I apologize for what they went through, and we're going to fix the problem", Bush said.
- US President Bush prodded Congress again on April 3, 2007, to enact a bill to finance the war in Iraq, saying that if the lawmakers fail to do so, "the price of that failure will be paid by our troops and their loved ones." Bush repeated his warning that he would veto any such bill that also contains a timetable for withdrawing from Iraq, as both the Senate and House versions of the legislation now do.
- Angling for the upper hand, President Bush told Democratic lawmakers on Thursday April 19, 2007, that their effort to end the war in Iraq is futile and will only undermine the military. But his message was the same: He will veto legislation that orders US troops to come home, and Democrats in Congress do not have the votes to override him.
- US President George W Bush said on April 21, 2007, early indications suggest a security operation begun in Iraq more than two months ago was "meeting expectations". Anybody agrees? Meanwhile the US defence secretary met Iraq's PM to urge more progress towards national reconciliation. Robert Gates said he wanted to emphasise that the US commitment to Iraq was not open-ended.
- President George W. Bush on Tuesday May 1, 2007, vetoed legislation from
the Democratic-controlled Congress that would have set dates for withdrawal
of US troops in Iraq, saying such a timetable would be "setting a deadline
for failure."
- US President George W Bush urged Congress on Saturday May 5, 2007, to approve a new and "responsible" funding bill for the Iraq war, warning of new violence if the money fails to materialise quickly. At the same time, he warned that if radical Islamists take control of Iraq, they would have control of a nation with massive oil reserves, which they could use to fund their ambitions and spread their influence. "The Al Qaeda terrorists who behead captives or order suicide bombings would not be satisfied to see America defeated and gone from Iraq," Bush said. "They would be emboldened by their victory, protected by their new sanctuary, eager to impose their hateful vision on surrounding countries, and eager to harm Americans."
- A defiant President George W. Bush will wield another veto to strike down a bid by congressional Democrats to bankroll the Iraq war for only a few months, the White House said Wednesday May 9, 2007.The House of Representatives bill, a response to Bush's veto last week of a 124 billion dollar war budget which included Democratic timelines for withdrawal from Iraq, could come to a vote as early as Thursday.
- On May 15, 2007, President Bush has chosen Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, the Pentagon's director of operations, to oversee the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan as a "war czar" after a long search for new leadership. In the newly created position, Lute would serve as an assistant to the president and deputy national security adviser, and would also maintain his military status and rank as a three-star general.
- On Tuesday May 22, 2007, US President George W Bush has won a battle over funding the Iraq war as congressional Democrats abandoned troop withdrawal efforts for now, but pledged to fight with new legislation in July. Senior congressional aides say a $US100 billion war funding bill the US Congress is trying to finish this week will not contain timetables for withdrawing most of the 147,000 US troops from Iraq, as anti-war Democrats had hoped. President Bush signed the bill on Friday at the Camp David presidential retreat where he is spending part of the Memorial Day weekend. In announcing the signing, White House spokesman Tony Fratto noted that it came 109 days after Bush sent his emergency spending request to Congress.
- President Bush began Memorial Day weekend -Friday May 25, 2007- at the bedside of wounded US troops, handing out Purple Hearts. Bush visited troops injured in Iraq and Afghanistan, their families and the medical staff at the National Naval Medical Centre just outside Washington. The president was making his seventh visit to the medical centre before flying aboard the Marine One helicopter to Camp David, Md., where he planned to spend part of the weekend.
- On July 3, 2007, US President George W Bush intervened to prevent Lewis
Libby, a convicted former vice-presidential aide, from serving a prison term.
He described as "excessive" the 30-month sentence Libby was facing
for obstructing an inquiry into the leaking of a CIA agent's name. Though
no longer required to go to jail, Libby is still due to serve a period of
probation and pay a fine.
- US Vice-President Dick Cheney insisted on August 1, 2007, that the recent
increase of US troops in Iraq, or "surge", has improved security
there. Mr Cheney said he believed a report on the US-led crackdown, due in
September, would reveal significant progress. Official figures showed 74 American
service members died in Iraq in July, the lowest figure since late last year.
US troop numbers have been boosted by 30,000 since the start of the year.
- Diplomatic talks with Iran are failing to stem the insurgency in neighbouring Iraq, the US State Department said on August 8, 2007, as the military revealed Iranian-linked bomb attacks on troops are increasing. Two rounds of talks between Ambassador Ryan Crocker and his Iranian counterpart in Baghdad, and lower level security discussions, haven't ``yielded positive results. President George W. Bush said at a press conference that Iran is being told that ``there will be consequences'' for people sending deadly explosives to Iraq to be used against US soldiers.
- US President George W. Bush sternly warned Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki Thursday August 9, 2007, against cozying up to Iran, amid what Washington sees as unsettling signs of warming Baghdad-Tehran relations. Bush said he was not surprised at pictures showing cordial meetings between Maliki and top Iranian leaders in Tehran but that he hoped the prime minister was delivering a tough message.
- On August 13, 2007, top White House aide Karl Rove, seen by many as the
brains behind George W Bush's presidency, said he will resign at the end of
August. "I just think it's time," Mr Rove said, adding that he was
quitting for the sake of his family. Mr Rove has worked with Mr Bush since
1993 when he ran for Texas governor. As Mr Bush's chief strategist, he is
seen as instrumental in delivering election victories in 2000 and 2004.
- The next time you hear confident assurances from the White House and its supporters that the "surge" of U.S. troops in Iraq is working and that something called "victory" is within sight, remember the Yazidis. The who? Before Tuesday August 14, 2007, you almost certainly would have asked that question -- before two villages in northern Iraq, populated by an obscure religious sect, suffered what is now officially the deadliest terrorist attack of the war, with more than 400 people confirmed dead. The final toll is expected to rise, but the coordinated suicide truck bombings in the Yazidi towns already constitute the second-worst terrorist attack of modern times, trailing only the carnage of September 11, 2001.
- On August 22, 2007, President George W. Bush laid out his argument for
maintaining the US presence in Iraq, asserting that an early pullout would
lead to the kind of bloodshed Southeast Asia experienced after American forces
left Vietnam. The president added "Prime Minister Maliki's a good guy,
a good man with a difficult job, and I support him.'"
- President Bush made a surprise eight-hour visit to Iraq on Monday September
3, 2007, emphasizing security gains, sectarian reconciliation and the possibility
of a troop withdrawal, thus embracing and pre-empting this month's crucial
Congressional hearings on his Iraq strategy. His visit, with his commanders
and senior Iraqi officials, had a clear political goal: to try to head off
opponents' pressure for a withdrawal by hailing what he called recent successes
in Iraq and by contending that only making Iraq stable would allow American
forces to pull back.
- On Friday December 28, 2007, President George W. Bush rejected a US military spending bill on the grounds it would throw up legal obstacles to reconstruction money. The bill "would imperil billions of dollars of Iraqi assets at a crucial juncture in that nation's reconstruction efforts and ... would undermine the foreign policy and commercial interests of the United States," he said. A key provision of the bill would expose the Iraqi government to "massive" demands for compensation from victims of Saddam Hussein's regime. The administration believes Iraqi funds in the United States would be frozen when a claim was filed, blocking money desperately needed for Iraq's reconstruction.
- On January 24, 2008, we were told that President George W. Bush and seven
of his administration's top officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney,
National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld,
made at least 935 false statements in the two years following September 11,
2001, about the national security threat posed by Saddam Hussein's Iraq. On
at least 532 separate occasions (in speeches, briefings, interviews, testimony,
and the like), Bush and these three key officials, along with Secretary of
State Colin Powell, Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, and White House
press secretaries Ari Fleischer and Scott McClellan, stated unequivocally
that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (or was trying to produce or obtain
them), links to Al Qaida, or both. It is now beyond dispute that Iraq did
not possess any weapons of mass destruction or have meaningful ties to Al
Qaida. In short, the Bush administration led the nation to war on the basis
of erroneous information that it methodically propagated and that culminated
in military action against Iraq on March 19, 2003. - President Bush made 232
false statements about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and another 28
false statements about Iraq's links to Al Qaida. Secretary of State Powell
had the second-highest total in the two-year period, with 244 false statements
about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and 10 about Iraq's links to Al
Qaida. Rumsfeld and Fleischer each made 109 false statements, followed by
Wolfowitz (with 85), Rice (with 56), Cheney (with 48), and McClellan (with
14).
- President Bush used the fifth anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq on Wednesday March 19, 2008, to make the case for persevering in a conflict that will in all likelihood have many more anniversaries. Mr. Bush, speaking before troops, officers and defence officials at the Pentagon, acknowledged in some of his bluntest language yet that the costs of the war, in lives and money, had been higher than he had anticipated - and longer. He remained unwavering, however, in his insistence that the invasion of Iraq that began in March 2003 had made the world better and the United States safer. Unfortunately for him, very few people believe it.
- President George W. Bush marked the US military death toll of 4,000 on
March 24, 2008, with a promise to achieve victory in Iraq and ensure that
American troops didn't die in vain.
- President Bush and top administration officials repeatedly exaggerated
what they knew about Iraq's weapons and its ties to terrorist groups as the
White House pressed its case for war against Iraq, the Senate intelligence
committee said yesterday in a long-awaited report. While most of the administration's
pre-war claims about Iraq reflected now-discredited U.S. intelligence reports,
the White House crossed a line by conveying certainty about the threat that
Saddam Hussein posed to the United States, according to the report, approved
over the objections of most of the committee's Republican members. "In
making the case for war, the administration repeatedly presented intelligence
as fact when it was unsubstantiated, contradicted or even nonexistent,"
Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.), the committee chairman, said. "As
a result, the American people were led to believe that the threat from Iraq
was much greater than actually existed."
- Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Desmond Tutu called Sunday September 2, 2012, for George Bush and Tony Blair to “face prosecution at the International Criminal Court for their role in the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.” They should be made to "answer for their actions”, he wrote. The International Criminal Court (commonly referred to as the ICC or ICCt) is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression (although it cannot, until at least 2017, exercise jurisdiction over the crime of aggression).