Did Bush Manipulate Facts to Take Us to War in Iraq?

See http://2slick.blogspot.com/2005_09_01_2slick_archive.html

Many anti-war folks are certain that the Bush administration was responsible for public opinion believing that Saddam Hussein and Iraq were involved in the 9/11/2001 attack destroying the World Trade Center in New York. This is a major claim that he misled the country into war. When asked when and how Bush did this manipulation, the best commentator RM states “I don't know why people can’t just acknowledge that he manipulated the public, and THEN debate if it was necessary or not”, but the best evidence offered is “The closest thing to proof of his desire to link 911 to Iraq is the assertion, ‘fight them over there, so we don't have to fight them here’.”

2Slick, a former Army Black Hawk pilot, responded making some great points:

“As a member of the 101st Airborne Division, I knew that I'd be one of the first to go over there, so I listened CAREFULLY. I'm going to say it again- not once did I hear anyone in his administration even imply that Iraq was involved in planning and/or executing the attacks on 9/11.

"I've not seen one shred of evidence to suggest that he [Bush] "bent any facts"- our intelligence matched up with every intelligence agency in the world. He did, however, present a lot of reasons (some turned out to be better than others) for going to war. Is this manipulation? I suppose you could call it that. I'd call it "doing his job."I agree with you about the "we fight them over there, so we don't have to fight them over here" stuff, but I think you read a little too much into it. I don't see anything in that statement that suggests Iraq was responsible for 9/11."

"I think it's pretty obvious that he's making the point that there are terrorists over there who are fighting like hell to keep Iraq from becoming a free society- and it's better that they are engaged in that fight instead of planning and executing attacks on US soil."

"I can tell you that the Iraqi people (whom we are there to help) would rather we be fighting those terrorists in Iowa instead of Baghdad and Mosul, and I certainly don't blame them. But most of them accept that it's a battle between good and evil that needs to be fought and won by the good guys (the good guys being us and the Iraqi Security Forces)."

"I believe that we will prevail in Iraq- and when we do, the Iraqis will begin to enjoy life again. The entire middle east will follow them towards the path of freedom, and the world will be a better place. And I'll just be glad to have been a part of it.”

See Prior Post:
Iraq war - Did President Bush Lie?
Battle for Mosul: Progress Report
Analysis of Military Situation in Iraq
What’s Happening in Mosul, Iraq
Facts from Iraq
World Watches as Iraq Becomes Test for Democracy
1,286 Accidental US Military Deaths Per Year Twice Iraq Combat Deaths
US Technology to Win War Against Islamofascists
Army Reenlistments Up
How do the US Armed Forces conduct their operations in Iraq?
Iraq is no Vietnam – How’s Troop Morale?
US Technology to Win War Against Islamofascists
Young Iraqi Shiite Cleric to US: Bet on Democracy in Iraq