Defector admits to WMD lies used to justify Iraq War
Sucker!
The defector who convinced the White House that Iraq had a secret biological weapons programme has admitted for the first time that he lied about his story, then watched in shock as it was used to justify the war.
Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi, codenamed Curveball by German and American intelligence officials who dealt with his claims, has told the Guardian that he fabricated tales of mobile bioweapons trucks and clandestine factories in an attempt to bring down the Saddam Hussein regime, from which he had fled in 1995.
“Maybe I was right, maybe I was not right,” he said. “They gave me this chance. I had the chance to fabricate something to topple the regime. I and my sons are proud of that and we are proud that we were the reason to give Iraq the margin of democracy.”
Don’t concern your pointy little head over the deaths of hundreds of thousands of your fellow Iraqis.
The admission comes just after the eighth anniversary of Colin Powell’s speech to the United Nations in which the then-US secretary of state relied heavily on lies that Janabi had told the German secret service, the BND. It also follows the release of former defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s memoirs, in which he admitted Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction programme.
The careers of both men were seriously damaged by their use of Janabi’s claims, which he now says could have been – and were – discredited well before Powell’s landmark speech to the UN on 5 February 2003.
The former CIA chief in Europe Tyler Drumheller describes Janabi’s admission as “fascinating”, and said the emergence of the truth “makes me feel better”. “I think there are still a number of people who still thought there was something in that. Even now,” said Drumheller.
Try to put this question to a schmuck like Cheney – or any of Bush’s neocon dunce brigade – and you will certainly witness repetition of all the same lies from Day One of planning for the Iraq War. Including the lies from al-Janabi. Truth, history, mean nothing to criminals.
It comes down to a question of treason. And, I will not hesitate to add, if Bush and Cheney are not at least charged our Nation can look forward to future criminals thinking they can commit the same crimes.
….crimes that have killed thousands and thousands and thousands of young American Patriots.
It’s sickening.
E Trams
February 16, 2011 at 3:51 am
This is something we already knew. And, as Ed’s comment points out, was already discredited before the invasion by other sources. STILL, having the original conspirator admit the lie, has a small sense of satisfaction to it.
So what was GW’s major claim to fame again?
Mr. Fusion
February 16, 2011 at 5:53 am
My answer to that would be he was unduly elected…having conspired with his brother Jeb, Florida Sec of State Katherine Harris, and the only people who’se vote counted in the 2000 Election (the Supreme Court-some of which his Father selected).
E Trams
February 16, 2011 at 6:23 am