Iraq or Bust!

The morning of September 11 Richard Clarke led the Counterterrorism Security Group meeting in which State, Defense, the Federal Aviation Administration, and others grounded jets, roused rescue workers, and protected the president. He has worked for Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush, serving as counterterrorism chief for the last two. He voted Republican in the last election.

This is an excerpt from Richard Clarke's new book, in which he describes the conversation he had with the president the evening of September 12.

""Look," he told us. "I know you have a lot to do and all … but I want you, as soon as you can, to go back over everything, everything. See if Saddam did this. See if he's linked in any way."

I was once again taken aback, incredulous, and it showed.

"But, Mr. President, Al Qaeda did this."

"I know, I know, but … see if Saddam was involved. Just look. I want to know any shred."

"Absolutely, we will look … again." I was trying to be more respectful, more responsive. "But, you know, we have looked several times for state sponsorship of Al Qaeda and not found any linkages to Iraq. Iran plays a little, as does Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, Yemen."

"Look into Iraq, Saddam," the President said testily and left us."

Whether or not you think the War in Iraq was justified, and there are valid arguments to be made for both sides on this issue; if in reading this segment you are not struck with an overwhelming sense that President Bush was grasping for a reason to invade Iraq then are blinded by your own partisanship. If you think it coincidental that two high level members of the Bush Administration have written in detail about his preoccupation with attacking Iraq, then you're fooling yourself.

Why then I ask you, when given the knowledge that Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Yemen all sponsored Al Qaeda, did Bush persist in requiring information on a possible Iraq link.

A president is well within his rights to examine all possible culprits when a crime of this magnitude is committed against his country. Asking if Saddam was in any part responsible for 9-11 was a valid question. This was different. The president was being told the facts, the possible culprits, and was ignoring reality, looking for any shred of evidence to incriminate Saddam. There are good arguments to be made for the war in Iraq, including and not limited to the threat they may well have posed one day; however using 9-11 as a veil to cloak your previous intentions is reprehensible.