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Scott Ritter. Can anyone give me an issue he was wrong about in the last 6 years?
No? That might explain it. The MSM has a problem with correct analysis. (I guess we could infer that from the civic pig wallow we find ourselves in right now.)
And he is (or was) a registered Republican.
"Well, yeah, the Constitution is worth it if you can succeed." -Nancy Pelosi, 6/29/07.
by nailbender on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 09:52:56 AM PDT
[ Parent ]
I'm not saying he did it, but I'm sure that's the reason no one in the mainstream listens to him.
Meet John McCain.
by DelRPCV on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 10:01:55 AM PDT
I don't know about this.
"Mom, did you hurt yourself, or are you yelling at the TV again?
by litigatormom on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 10:06:11 AM PDT
CNN on 2001 arrest
by DelRPCV on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 10:12:09 AM PDT
The case was dismissed. It's sealed evidently, but was leaked. Purportedly involves sex talk on internet with a minor.
If you love Bush, Vote John McCain '08
by biscobosco on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 10:20:20 AM PDT
I think that the judge tossed a gag order on top of everything.
Mariachi Mama Candidate Bickering Moratorium! Signatory to the Carnacki Petition
by kredwyn on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 10:34:01 AM PDT
Someone on a chatline made arrangements to meet with him. He shows up, the police are there.
The charges, leaked to the Press illegally, were summarily dismissed, but "tainted" as he was, he suddenly stopped appearing on the MSM during the run up to the Operation Murder Innocent Iraqis. No one ever identified who set him up or who leaked the charge.
Until we break the corporate virtual monopoly on what we hear and see, we keep losing, don't matter what we do.
by Jim P on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 10:36:06 AM PDT
when I'd heard that he'd been arrested.
My first reaction?
"Well that's one way to shut up a vocal opponent when other attempts didn't work."
by kredwyn on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 10:38:25 AM PDT
Given that the arrest was in June 2001.
It's obvious that the leak of the record was politically motivated. It's less obvious that the arrest itself was.
by DelRPCV on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 10:42:46 AM PDT
about the arrest. True, though, about the leak about the arrest.
On the other hand, Ritter was an outspoken, public critic of the Iraq-as-threat scenario as early as 1999.
Ritter again promoted a conciliatory approach toward Iraq in the 2000 documentary In Shifting Sands: The Truth About UNSCOM and the Disarming of Iraq, which he wrote and directed. The film tells the history of the UNSCOM investigations through interviews and video footage of inspection missions. In the film, Ritter argues that Iraq is a "defanged tiger" and that the inspections were successful in eliminating significant Iraqi WMD capabilities.[5] (For more see below under "Documentary".)
We know Bush spoke of his wish to attack Iraq as early as January 2001, and that Killer Dick had been discussing ownership of Iraq oil in March, 2001. Though there is no proof that Ritter was set up in June 2001, it certainly is reasonable to believe that the Party of Treason knew who Ritter was, and how his accounts would counter their arguments, long before then.
So, in light of any direct knowledge, that he was set up is certainly as fair a surmise as that he wasn't. But certainly not something to claim as being the fact of the matter.
by Jim P on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 11:51:58 AM PDT
I keep firing the proofreader, he takes a few drinks and comes back on the job.
by Jim P on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 12:04:45 PM PDT
Policies towards Iraq. http://www.pbs.org/...
I cant find a source for it, but I know I heard this story line somewhere, and I believe that it is true. Ritter has always been a wild card. by that I mean no disrepect. I just mean that he is outspoken and not in the pocket of anyone.
Ritter was a "golden-haired child" of PNAC people in the late '90's (98,99?) while Clinton was president. He had resigned as lead weapons inspector of Iraq. I think they liked him because there he was making statements critical of the Clinton Administration for not putting more pressue on the Iraqis to let the weapons inspectors back into Iraq. He was also outspoken on the subject of the CIA gathering information as part of the UN inspections. - He was pretty clear that this is why the Iraqis said they didnt want the inspectors in anymore. And that this was a reasonable fear.http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/unscom/interviews/ritter.html
I think he wrote a book on this subject.
So everyone most certainly knew who Scott Ritter was in advance. He was well known for being a whistleblower type, for quite a long time.
My conjecture is that when the drums of war started to get beaten for iraq, ritter saw how what he said earlier was being misused as a rationale for war.
I would not be all surprised if the arrest was a politically motivated job. its just to convenient to BushCo - to get the one guy who had been in iraq, and could say with authority "they are not a reasonable threat" out of the way.
by biscobosco on Mon Feb 26, 2007 at 10:25:50 AM PDT
Statement before the House National Security Committee, Sept 18, 1998 Paul Wolfowitz
It is an honor to appear as part of a hearing in which Scott Ritter testifies. Scott Ritter is a public servant of exceptional integrity and moral courage, one of those individuals who is not afraid to speak the truth. Now he is speaking the truth about the failures of the UN inspection regime in Iraq, even though those truths are embarrassing to senior officials in the Clinton Administration.
Right from the horse's mouth http://www.newamericancentury.org/...
Former weapons inspector Scott Ritter has been warning Congress that the day is not far off -- maybe a matter of a few months -- when Saddam will suddenly present the United States and the world with a horrifying fait accompli: He will have his weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them.
http://www.newamericancentury.org/...
by biscobosco on Mon Feb 26, 2007 at 10:56:18 AM PDT
Ritter was a major obstacle to the neoconservatives who drafted the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 and were obviously gunning for a war prior to 9/11.
Sí Se Puede Cambiar
by pontechango on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 01:11:20 PM PDT
the person - knowing they are meeting a minor - goes to the meeting? Unless he didn't know it was a minor.
Sue, it could have been a setup, but there is really significant culpability on his behalf, if that is in fact what happened.
If there's one thing that makes me sick | It's when someone tries to hide behind politics. - Ramones
by Everest42 on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 12:20:24 PM PDT
by pontechango on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 01:12:07 PM PDT
I am so out of the loop I didn't even know about the arrest. According to the link, it should be expunged by now. But it still dogs him, I'm sure.
by nailbender on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 10:15:17 AM PDT
That was a very effective counterintelligence op, wasn't it?
John McCain - all aboard the lobbyist express!
by jrooth on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 10:15:50 AM PDT
It is almost impossible to believe otherwise.
To announce...that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.
by potownman on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 10:20:55 AM PDT
didn't listen to Bush who was also arrested for DWI. Oh well.
"The truth waits for eyes unclouded by longing." The Tao Te Ching
by hester on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 10:31:16 AM PDT
He got caught taking money from an Iraqi businessman who had obtained it via the UN Oil-for-food program to make pro-Iraq propoganda.
Both he and George Galloway were alleged receipiants, although neither has ever been charged with anything.
by RyoCokey on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 01:37:46 PM PDT
Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night.
by Glorfindel on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 03:06:09 PM PDT
"Everyone thought Iraq had WMD" I cringe. Ritter was one of the last Americans with on the ground knowledge of what raq did and did not have. Also ote that the CNN story was January 2003---hmmmm.
C'est la guerre!
by never forget 2000 on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 11:46:50 AM PDT
wide narrow
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