Today's Chicago Tribune features the type of
editorial headstanding so popular with the wingnuts today. It pertains to the administration's cessation of all searching for Saddam's nonexisent WMD. The editorial regards that as "news of some moment," which must be why the story itself was buried about a dozen pages in.
The editors first exonerate Dubya and his neocon chorus from all culpability:
First, there was a colossal failure of U.S. intelligence. An excoriating report last summer from the Senate Intelligence Committee documented those failures at every turn, from a lack of human intelligence sources on the ground in Iraq to analysts who were quick to draw erroneous conclusions from sketchy and contradictory data.
Then they refer back to the US's chief weapons inspector's report from last October. Emphasis is mine:
Most alarming, Duelfer wrote that Hussein wanted to re-create Iraq's WMD capability, which was virtually destroyed in 1991, after sanctions were removed and Iraq's economy stabilized. High on his disturbing wish list: nuclear weapons.
They then quote a former Iraqi scientist (emphasis is again mine:)
"In many ways," Obeidi wrote, "Saddam was himself a weapon of mass destruction. He had invaded two neighboring countries, killed thousands of Iraqis and Iranians with chemical weapons, tortured and terrorized his own people, and buried many of his victims in mass graves. ... The idea that he might one day surprise the world with a nuclear bomb was a powerful nightmare."
So, there you have it folks. The man himself was a Weapon Of Mass Destruction. All that death and mayhem seems well worth it now, doesn't it?
I sent the following e-mail to the Trib's public editor, Don Wyclliff at dwycliff@tribune.com.
Dear Mr. Wycliff,
So, let me see if I have this straight. The hideous quagmire we find ourselves in over in Iraq is justified because Saddam was DESIRING of WMD?
Allowing Hans Blix and his inspectors another three months to complete their work wasn't an option because, when Saddam blew out his birthday candles, he WISHED for WMD?
Cherry picking the intelligence that suited the administration's already decided upon policy (the only failure of intelligence was that of the American people's) was the right thing to do because, whenever Saddam got the larger half of the wishbone he WISHED to have WMD?
You sir, work at a newspaper with a crackerjack reporting staff, and a crackpot editorial staff.
In the past Mr. Wycliff has responded to every e-mail I've sent him, which is to say that he actually reads what he's sent. No small task since by his own admission he's been inundated with e-mail from readers ever since the paper endorsed Bush in this past election.
If you're so inclined, read the editorial and share your thoughts with Mr. Wycliff.