Prelude to War The Weapons of Mass Deception 1998 – 2010 september11news.com treehugger.com f orum.globaltimes.cn newsone.com By Bill Lere DeVry University 2011
January 26, 1998: The Project For the New American Century The Project For the New American Century (Including, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz and John Bolton) Urge President Clinton to Take Out Saddam Hussein. Claiming policy of containment is a failure Recommending total removal of the dictator Citing weapons of mass destruction as an immediate threat to USA and allies (Alexandrovna, Kane ) Flickr.com
May-July 1999 Governor of Texas George W. Bush has his eyes on invading Iraq Vice President Cheney encourages small invasions. Bush impressed by Margaret Thatcher and Falkland War Bush wants to be a wartime President (Alexandrovna, Kane )
December 1999 Governor Bush As Presidential Front Runner in New Hampshire Makes bold statements about Saddam’s weapons stash Proclaimed he would remove the WMDs Proclaimed he would finish the job his father started (Alexandrovna, Kane )
January 2001 President George W. Bush Former Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill announces Bush fully intends to invade Iraq Colin Powell predicts Saddam’s demise Dick Cheney suggests the use of force. Rumsfeld supports the suggestion. (Alexandrovna, Kane )
April 2001: * Dick Cheney’s energy task force Meets * Topic? The oil reserves in Iraq *Targets Sadamm because he controls the oil reserves (Alexandrovna, Kane ) February 16, 2001: United States and British war planes strike inside Iraq
September 11, 2001 Tragedy Strikes America, America Attacked by Terror 3000 Americans Die Bush Address to The Nation – Stern warning to those who sponsor terror and harbor terrorists (Alexandrovna, Kane ) AMERICA UNITES
September 12, 2001 Osama Bin Ladin Named as mastermind of attacks Bush Tries to link Saddam Publicly Bush talks about justice regarding Osama Bin Ladin Behind Closed doors, with Joint Chiefs, he discusses implicating Iraq. (Alexandrovna, Kane )
September 13, 2001 Paul Wolfowitz Pumps the rhetoric on Iraq Powell and others very alarmed about inflamatory language concerning Iraq Powell tries to calm the rhetoric Powell will not concur with Paul Wolfowitz (Alexandrovna, Kane )
September 16, 2001 Bush and Condoleezza Rice plan to attack Afghanistan first them move on to Iraq Rumsfeld encourages taking out Saddam Bush and Condoleezza Rica resolve to make it part of the plan after Afghanistan. (Alexandrovna, Kane )
October 2001 Bush and company try to tie Saddam to nuclear Chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction The public begins to buy it. October 7 th, 2001 US. Invades Afhanistan Cheney tries to link Yellow Cake Uranium to Saddam Investigation proves it was a lie. (Alexandrovna, Kane )
November 21, 2001 Bush Pushes Rumsfeld for war plans against Iraq General Tommy Franks begins war planning (Alexandrovna, Kane )
January 29, 2002 Bush give State of the Union Address Names the Axis of Evil, Includes Iraq Bush openly accuses Saddam of pushing a Nuclear Program Says Saddam bought Uranium from Niger in Africa (Alexandrovna, Kane )
July 23, 2002 The Downing Street Memo discloses that Bush and Blaire Knew WMDs didn’t exist. Intelligence was fixed around the policy of war Military Action was just on the horizon against Iraq Un Weapons inspectors found no evidence of WMDs (Alexandrovna, Kane )
July 23, 2002 – March 16, 2003 Bush pushing hard for war, No WMDs ever found Inspectors turn in a report confirming no WMDs Bush calls Saddam a liar and falsely links him to Osama Bin Ladin Iraq wants inspectors to stay as long as they want to. Bush Orders them out. (Alexandrovna, Kane )
March 19, 2003 SHOCK and AWE: War begins in earnest. America holds it’s breath Public opinion is against the war (Alexandrovna, Kane )
Conclusion The run up to the war started years before the war did A result Of Group Think Lack of courage of conviction A morally bankrupt ideology A tragedy that will affect the world for many years to come
References Alexandrovna Larisa and Kane Muriel (n.d). The Path of War Timeline, Raw Story. Retrieved from website. (09/29/2011) Photos unless labeled are retrieved from Google images