{"article":{"id":67160,"heading":"Libertarians say hearings into Iraq's weapons program are pointless","author":"Libertarian Party","created":"2003-06-26 17:13:42","modified":"2003-06-29 11:52:57","last_modified":"Sun, 29 Jun 2003 18:52:57","article":"

Congressional hearings into Iraq's weapons program are pointless, Libertarians say

Libertarian Party Press Release - June 20, 2003

WASHINGTON, DC -- Congressional hearings into the Bush administration's claims about Iraq's weapons program are a waste of time, Libertarians say, because the public already knows that presidents routinely lie or exaggerate to justify waging war.

\"Surprise! It appears that another U.S. leader has manipulated facts and exaggerated threats in order to whip up war hysteria,\" said Joe Seehusen, executive director of the Libertarian Party, which staunchly opposed the invasion of Iraq.

\"Do we really need a congressional hearing to discover that politicians are adept at using words as weapons of mass deception?\"

Prompted by the continuing failure to find chemical or biological weapons since Baghdad fell on April 9, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is holding hearings into the accuracy of the Bush administration's prewar claims about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

Over the past several weeks Bush has been stung by allegations from intelligence officials and others that he misused intelligence data to justify the war.

But congressional hearings are utterly pointless, Libertarians say, because they will only tell Americans what they already know.

\"History is replete with examples of U.S. leaders lying our country into war, so why should we expect this war to be any different?\" he asked.

A few specific cases:

* In 1898, the U.S.S. Maine blew up off the coast of Cuba, killing over 250 U.S. sailors. Although most historians believe it was an accident, Congress used \"Remember the Maine\" as a rallying cry to declare war on Spain.

* In 1964, two U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin reported being fired upon by the North Vietnamese -- an attack that in reality never happened. Yet President Lyndon Johnson used the incident to win support for a Congressional resolution authorizing military force in Vietnam.

* In 1990, President George Bush Sr. perpetrated the infamous \"babies-being-pulled-from-incubators hoax,\" which claimed that Iraqi troops had invaded a hospital in Kuwait City, ripped babies from incubators and shipped the incubators off to Baghdad. After the war it was determined that the story had been fabricated by a Washington public relations firm that had been paid $10.7 million by the government of Kuwait.

With such a track record of presidential deceit, it's disingenuous for Congress to pretend to be shocked by another misuse of intelligence data, Seehusen said.

\"Perhaps Congress is hoping that these hearings will shield them from responsibility for a war that didn't have to be fought,\" he noted.

\"Keep in mind that last October, 296 Representatives and 77 Senators voted in favor of a resolution supporting the invasion of Iraq. So every one of these individuals is just as responsible as Bush for the consequences of that decision -- and convening a hearing won't change that.\"

Seehusen acknowledged that it may be too early to say definitively that Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction.

\"But if such evidence does turn up, two serious questions remain,\" Seehusen said.

\"One, did the weapons exist in a sufficient amount to pose an actual threat to the United States? The fact that Saddam declined to use WMD even when the destruction of his regime became imminent is a strong indication that they did not.

\"Two, even if Saddam did have such weapons, would he have used them to attack the United States if a U.S. strike against Iraq were not planned?\"

\"At the very least, Bush's claims about Iraq seem to have been exaggerated, and at worst, completely untrue.

\"The way to avoid unnecessary wars in the future is to demand the truth before the war -- rather than holding congressional hearings after the war.\"<\/p>\n","contact":"","link":"http:\/\/www.lp.org\/press\/archive.php?function=view&record=647","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/plain","summary":""Do we really need a congressional hearing to discover that politicians are adept at using words as weapons of mass deception?" ","numcomment":16,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2003\/06\/67160.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[{"id":67164,"heading":"Libertarians & War","article":"from Libertarians & War\r\nby Harry Browne, May 3, 2003 \r\n\r\nI've been surprised by the number of libertarians who have supported the war against Iraq. The two principal arguments I've heard from libertarian war-supporters are:\r\n\r\n1. Saddam Hussein is a threat to the U.S. We must remove him from power before he attacks us or gives weapons of mass destruction to terrorists.\r\n\r\n2. We libertarians should be the first to support the liberation of the Iraqi people from a cruel dictator.\r\n\r\nWith regard to the first argument, supporting a politician's pre-emptive attack violates virtually every principle underlying libertarian thought \u2014 the simple truths that are taught in Libertarianism 101: Non-aggression & the Credibility of Politicians\r\n\r\n. . . The second argument offered by libertarians is that we should do anything we can to free other people from a brutal dictator.\r\n\r\n. . . Is it your responsibility to enter someone's home and beat up the man you believe is abusing his wife? Is it your responsibility to go into a dangerous section of your city and protect people from drug gangs that engage in drive-by shootings?\r\n\r\nYou might say the Drug War breeds those gangs and shootings, and thus you're working instead to end the Drug War itself \u2014 rather than trying to alleviate the symptoms of it. Why then wouldn't you be working to end the causes of the profound anti-American sentiment that has swept the globe and provoked terrorist acts \u2014 rather than trying to alleviate the symptoms by supporting the attacking of Iraq?\r\n\r\nThe answer to the question "Is it your responsibility?" is simple: that's for you to decide. Each of us must choose for himself what he feels responsible for. If you believe you have a duty to help those fighting for Iraqi freedom \u2014 perhaps even to go fight yourself \u2014 you should be free to make that choice, and no one should get in your way.\r\n\r\nBut what gives you the right to make that choice for others? Why should you have the power or moral authority to decide which countries I must free, which countries warrant extracting money from me by force, which dictatorships warrant provoking terrorist attacks that put my life at risk? And what libertarian would believe that George Bush should have that moral authority \u2014 plus the power to compel all of us to obey that authority?\r\n\r\nYou will face the consequences of your acts and I will face the consequences of mine. But George Bush won't face the consequences of his acts; you and I will. Is that the way it should be according to libertarian principles?\r\n\r\nI think not.\r\n\r\nAnd thus there is nothing George Bush can say that will make me believe I should put my faith in him to decide how many innocent Iraqis it's okay to kill, how many countries it's okay to attack and invade, how many Americans it's okay to put at risk, or how many libertarian principles it's okay to violate.\r\n\r\n------\r\nHarry Browne was the Libertarian Party presidential candidate in 1996 and 2000, and is now the Director of Public Policy for the American Liberty Foundation. You can read more of his articles at HarryBrowne.org.","author":"Harry Browne","parent_id":67160,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-06-26 17:28:00","modified":"2013-11-11 00:23:21","fileurl":""},{"id":67177,"heading":"hearings","article":"Well, the Libertarians can believe what they want to believe, but I think that a considerable percentage of the US population still believes the Bush lies and open hearings can do a lot to bring Bush down - just as the McCarthy hearings of the fifties and the Watergate hearings of the seventies brought down a couple of power-mad thugs thought to be unbeatable.","author":"Meyer London","parent_id":67160,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-06-26 18:36:44","modified":"2003-06-26 18:36:44","fileurl":""},{"id":67219,"heading":"Libertarians demand to know...","article":"...where Uday's stash is, and when will it be for sale in LA.\r\n\r\nAlso, when will Qusay Memorial Bongs be available. ","author":"daveman","parent_id":67160,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-06-26 21:46:22","modified":"2003-06-26 21:46:22","fileurl":""},{"id":67268,"heading":"The point I think is not...","article":"...that the murderous Bastards of the Bush Junta should not be held to account but that Congress is so cowed and in-bed that they would be too cowardly to actually hold open and complete hearings.\r\n\r\nIt would be nice. I think the entire upper tier of the Junta should be shipped off to the Hague for a nice little War Crimes Trial.\r\n\r\nWhile I don't want to be a defeatist it is going to take one hell of a lot of push to bring them to justice.\r\n\r\nIt can be done but will it?\r\n\r\nBUSH LIED, AND CHILDREN DIED. It really is that simple.","author":"Diogenes","parent_id":67160,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-06-27 03:10:46","modified":"2003-06-27 03:10:46","fileurl":""},{"id":67402,"heading":"What Would Bush-Haters Do Without Experts?","article":"The latest entry in the absurd attempt to discredit the liberation of Iraq is a piece in yesterday's New York Times titled "Expert Said to Tell Legislators He Was Pressed to Distort Some Evidence." Here's the lead:\r\n\r\nhttp:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2003\/06\/25\/international\/worldspecial\/25INTE.html\r\n\r\nA top State Department expert on chemical and biological weapons told Congressional committees in closed-door hearings last week that he had been pressed to tailor his analysis on Iraq and other matters to conform with the Bush administration's views, several Congressional officials said today.\r\n\r\nBut if you read on, it turns out the Times is punching the air. The official himself, "identified by several officials as Christian Westermann," refused to talk to the paper. But the Times' secondhand account of his testimony makes clear--albeit not until the sixth through eighth paragraphs--that there's nothing here:\r\n\r\nMr. Westermann told lawmakers last week that while he felt pressure, he never actually changed the wording of any of his intelligence reports. \r\n\r\nHe did not immediately provide lawmakers with details about his complaints, and it remains uncertain the degree to which his concerns related to Iraq or other regional issues. \r\n\r\nAdministration officials said his most specific complaints concerned issues related to intelligence on Cuba, and he has not yet provided similar specific complaints about the handling of intelligence on Iraq.\r\n\r\nMeanwhile, far-left author William Rivers Pitt, in an article that shamelessly exploits the memories of fallen American soldiers in an unsuccessful effort to score political points against the president, rests his argument on a "wretchedly revealing exchange" between Tim Russert and Wesley Clark, the retired general and frequent TV talking head, on "Meet the Press":\r\n\r\nhttp:\/\/www.truthout.org\/docs_03\/062303A.shtml\r\n\r\nhttp:\/\/msnbc.com\/news\/927000.asp?cp1=1\r\n\r\nClark: I think there was a certain amount of hype in the intelligence, and I think the information that's come out thus far does indicate that there was a sort of selective reading of the intelligence in the sense of sort of building a case.\r\n\r\nRussert: Hyped by whom? \r\n\r\nClark: Well, I . . .\r\n\r\nRussert: The CIA, or the president or vice president? Secretary of defense, who? \r\n\r\nClark: I think it was an effort to convince the American people to do something, and I think there was an immediate determination right after 9\/11 that Saddam Hussein was one of the keys to winning the war on terror. Whether it was the need just to strike out or whether he was a linchpin in this, there was a concerted effort during the fall of 2001 starting immediately after 9\/11 to pin 9\/11 and the terrorism problem on Saddam Hussein.\r\n\r\nRussert: By who? Who did that?\r\n\r\nClark: Well, it came from the White House, it came from people around the White House. It came from all over. I got a call on 9\/11. I was on CNN, and I got a call at my home saying, "You got to say this is connected. This is state-sponsored terrorism. This has to be connected to Saddam Hussein." I said, "But-I'm willing to say it but what's your evidence?" And I never got any evidence. And these were people who had-Middle East think tanks and people like this and it was a lot of pressure to connect this and there were a lot of assumptions made. But I never personally saw the evidence and didn't talk to anybody who had the evidence to make that connection.\r\n\r\nSo Clark got a call from "all over"--note that he gives no hint of the actual identity of the caller--in which "all over" encouraged him to say something he wasn't sure he agreed with, and apparently he did not say it. All this proves . . . what, exactly? Only the utter insubstantiality of the arguments being proffered by President Bush's fevered foes.\r\n","author":"Ffutal","parent_id":67160,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-06-27 14:19:55","modified":"2003-06-27 14:19:55","fileurl":""},{"id":67406,"heading":"Aaaawwwww","article":"It looks as though Ffutal has its panties in a bunch.","author":"Scottie","parent_id":67160,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-06-27 14:24:52","modified":"2003-06-27 14:24:52","fileurl":""},{"id":67417,"heading":"The Key point is of course...","article":"...that we know now from leaked reports and the crumbling edifice of lies that apparently not everybody had the courage to resist "cooking up some reports".\r\n\r\nBush Lied.\r\n\r\nColin Powell was caught in a complete and obvious lie and FALSE REPORT with his cooked dossier at the U.N..\r\n\r\nThe question isn't did some people have the courage to withstand the pressure to "cook the books", but who didn't?\r\n\r\nBUSH LIED, CHILDREN DIED. It really is that simple.","author":"Diogenes","parent_id":67160,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-06-27 14:31:32","modified":"2003-06-27 14:31:32","fileurl":""},{"id":67421,"heading":"Eric","article":"Please take a remedial grammar course.","author":"Wordsmith","parent_id":67160,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-06-27 14:35:55","modified":"2003-06-27 14:35:55","fileurl":""},{"id":67471,"heading":"remedial grammar course","article":"\u201cHowever, I just wanted to it's author know the what it doing is "Typing not Writing".\u201d\r\n\r\nSorry! I'm in line way ahead of Eric.","author":"Diogenes","parent_id":67160,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-06-27 16:48:38","modified":"2013-11-11 00:23:22","fileurl":""},{"id":67473,"heading":"Not one of mine","article":"Faker is back - the above is not my post.","author":"Diogenes","parent_id":67160,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-06-27 16:50:08","modified":"2003-06-27 16:50:08","fileurl":""},{"id":67481,"heading":"^","article":"faker is hiding under your bed. you're nuttier than a train load of snickers bars.","author":"faker","parent_id":67160,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-06-27 17:06:13","modified":"2003-06-27 17:06:13","fileurl":""},{"id":67660,"heading":"^","article":"That was me. I'm so clever!","author":"Eric","parent_id":67160,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-06-28 11:30:58","modified":"2003-06-28 11:30:58","fileurl":""},{"id":67664,"heading":"faker\/KOBE","article":"I appreciated last night, but next time you can just lick the semen off my ass like you normally do.","author":"anti-moron","parent_id":67160,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-06-28 11:36:06","modified":"2003-06-28 11:36:06","fileurl":""},{"id":67960,"heading":"Oxymoron","article":""Libertarian Party" is an oxymoron. \r\n","author":"Oxymoron","parent_id":67160,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-06-29 02:44:44","modified":"2003-06-29 02:44:44","fileurl":""},{"id":68086,"heading":"I'm pathetic.","article":"I wrote the fake "anti-moron" post. I try to ridicule people who are smarter than me.\r\n\r\nwww.kobehq.com","author":"KOBE SBM","parent_id":67160,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2003-06-29 11:52:57","modified":"2003-06-29 11:52:57","fileurl":""}]}