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Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Tuesday, November 01, 2005 1:15 PM Another U.S. Death in Iraq Ends a Lethal Month: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Nov. 1 - The military announced the death of another American soldier today, after it said on Monday that seven American soldiers and marines were killed near Baghdad, making October the fourth deadliest month for troops here since the war began. The military said in a statement that the soldier, who was attached to a Marine force, was killed by a homemade bomb during a foot patrol in the vicinity of al-Haswah, in Anbar province west of Baghdad, on Monday. The attack brought the number of Americans killed in October to 93, the highest monthly toll since January, when 106 American troops were killed in violence ahead of national elections here. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: Exactly 1,501 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 915 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Johnny, Get Your Gun Posted: Tuesday, November 01, 2005 1:16 PM Saddam Hussein has the materials to produce as much as 500 tons of sarin, mustard and VX nerve agent. —George W. Bush, State of the Union address, January 28, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Tuesday, November 01, 2005 1:17 PM There's been a lot of damage, and we want to help in any way we can. I told the Ambassador that -- reminded him what I told President Musharraf -- I said -- once talked to him, I said Pakistan is a friend, and America will help. —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., October 14, 2005
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Wednesday, November 02, 2005 9:50 AM 2 More U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq: The deaths raised to at least 2,028 the number of members of the U.S. military who have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,502 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 916 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Johnny, Get Your Gun Posted: Wednesday, November 02, 2005 9:51 AM We know that Saddam Hussein is determined to keep his weapons of mass destruction, is determined to make more.   —Colin Powell, February 5, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Wednesday, November 02, 2005 9:53 AM We're nearing the end of a year where -- of substantial progress at home and here abroad -- and abroad.   —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., December 20, 2004
Norway	The Iraq War Posted: Thursday, November 03, 2005 8:55 AM To send a THANKS to Senator Reid......   http://www.democrats.org/page/s/thankharry
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Thursday, November 03, 2005 10:11 AM 6 More U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq: The American military announced the deaths of six troops, two from a Marine helicopter crash in western Iraq that may have resulted from insurgent fire. The helicopter, an AH-1W "Super Cobra," went down at about 8:15 a.m. near the insurgent stronghold of Ramadi, the capital of rebellious Anbar Province, the Marines said in a statement. Col. Dave Lapan, a Marine spokesman, said the cause of the crash remained unclear. But there were strong indications that the helicopter had been brought down by insurgents. At 2 p.m., a Marine Corps F-18D fighter jet dropped two 500-pound bombs on "a reported insurgent command center" just 500 yards from the helicopter crash site, said Capt. Jeffrey S. Pool, another Marine spokesman. He added that there was no immediate report on the number of casualties from the air strike. Anbar lies at the heart of the Sunni Arab insurgency, and several American helicopters have been shot down over its harsh desert terrain. Two of the other American deaths announced Wednesday, those of a marine and a sailor, occurred Tuesday in Ramadi, when insurgents attacked an American vehicle with a roadside bomb, the military said. A soldier was killed south of Baghdad Tuesday in a roadside bomb explosion, and another died Wednesday of wounds sustained in an attack near Balad the previous day. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,503 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 917 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Johnny, Get Your Gun Posted: Thursday, November 03, 2005 10:12 AM Saddam Hussein recently authorized Iraqi field commanders to use chemical weapons.   —George W. Bush, February 8, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Thursday, November 03, 2005 10:13 AM I really appreciate the different backgrounds of the people who spoke. We had your entrepreneur, we had your academic, we had your corporate leader, we just had plain old citizens show up.   —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., December 16, 2004
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Saturday, November 05, 2005 11:47 AM Another U.S. Soldier Killed in Iraq: South of Baghdad on Friday, an American soldier was killed by small-arms fire, according to the military, which said it was investigating. The military also reported that last Saturday it had killed five senior members of Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, the militant group led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, in an airstrike in the western town of Husayba. The military said three safe houses had been destroyed. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,505 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 919 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Saturday, November 05, 2005 11:54 AM To the American people, "Marine" is shorthand for "can do". —George W. Bush, White House, April 22, 2005
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Sunday, November 06, 2005 11:02 AM 2 More U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq: The American military said Saturday that a marine had been killed Friday after his vehicle hit a mine near the town of Habbaniya. Elsewhere in Iraq, near the town of Tallil, an American serviceman was killed and three were injured Saturday in a vehicle accident, the military said. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,506 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 920 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Johnny, Get Your Gun Posted: Sunday, November 06, 2005 11:03 AM Iraq has provided Al Qaeda with chemical and biological weapons training.   —George W. Bush, February 8, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Sunday, November 06, 2005 11:04 AM A pandemic is a lot like a forest fire. If caught early it might be extinguished with limited damage. ...   A pandemic is unlike other natural disasters. Outbreaks can happen simultaneously in hundreds, or even thousands, of locations at the same time. —George W. Bush, Bethesda, Maryland, November 1, 2005
Been There	When Their Lips Are Moving Posted: Sunday, November 06, 2005 11:36 AM Sen. Levin helped forced the declassification of a document that exposes one of the lies repeated often by Bush and his underlings during the runup to their attack on Iraq: Intelligence Source Known To Be Liar. WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 — A top member of Al Qaeda in American custody was identified as a likely fabricator months before the Bush administration began to use his statements as the foundation for its claims that Iraq trained Al Qaeda members to use biological and chemical weapons, according to newly declassified portions of a Defense Intelligence Agency document. The document, an intelligence report from February 2002, said it was probable that the prisoner, Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi, "was intentionally misleading the debriefers" in making claims about Iraqi support for Al Qaeda's work with illicit weapons. President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Colin L. Powell, then secretary of state, and other administration officials repeatedly cited Mr. Libi's information as "credible" evidence that Iraq was training Al Qaeda members in the use of explosives and illicit weapons. Among the first and most prominent assertions was one by Mr. Bush, who said in a major speech in Cincinnati in October 2002 that "we’ve learned that Iraq has trained Al Qaeda members in bomb making and poisons and gases." The newly declassified portions of the document were made available by Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee. So eager was Bush to attack Iraq that he and his administration found it expedient to lie repeatedly to the public to make his case. The Bush administration counted on using fear and intimidation to suppress the truth, as they demonstrated by their actions toward Ambassador Wilson and his wife. Of course, none of their children are dying because of those lies. That is a burden for others to suffer. Been There
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Monday, November 07, 2005 8:42 AM Marine Killed in Ambush on Iraq-Syria Border: HUSAYBA, Iraq, Nov. 6 - A marine was killed in an insurgent ambush on Sunday when his patrol raided a house in this tense border town. He was the first American casualty in a Marine-led sweep through the area aimed at stopping foreign jihadists from infiltrating Iraq through the Syrian border. A group of marines began to search the house, which appeared to be empty, and were met with a hail of gunfire, which killed one marine and drove the others outside. The insurgent gunman was killed by other marines as he tried to flee from the roof. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,507 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 921 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Johnny, Get Your Gun Posted: Monday, November 07, 2005 8:43 AM There is no question but what they will welcome as liberators the United States when we come." —Dick Cheney, March 16, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Monday, November 07, 2005 8:44 AM Wow, Brazil is big! —George W. Bush, Brasilia, Brazil, November 6, 2005
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Tuesday, November 08, 2005 10:28 AM 5 More U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Nov. 7 - A suicide bomber plowed a car loaded with explosives into an American checkpoint here on Monday evening, killing four American soldiers in the single deadliest suicide bombing against an American target in more than four months. ... There were other attacks in Baghdad on Monday. A mortar crashed into the busy Mustanseriya Square in central Baghdad, killing five people and injuring a sixth, a Ministry of Interior official said. In southern Baghdad, a homemade bomb tore into an Iraqi police patrol, killing two officers, the official added. North of the city, an American soldier was killed when a homemade bomb hit his vehicle, according to a military statement. Near Kirkuk, a suicide car bomber attacked an Iraqi checkpoint, killing two soldiers. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,508 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 922 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Johnny, Get Your Gun Posted: Tuesday, November 08, 2005 10:29 AM The Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised. —George W. Bush, March 17, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Tuesday, November 08, 2005 10:30 AM Mr. Chairman -- you probably think I've come here to sign an important piece of legislation. Actually, I'm here for a different reason. The south lawn of the White House has a lot of grass -- I'm looking for somebody to mow it. And so Mr. Chairman, you shall now be known as 'Grass-mower.' —George W. Bush, Des Moines, Iowa, October 4, 2004
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Wednesday, November 09, 2005 11:37 AM 'Crowd of Pygmies' Supports Iraq War: LONDON, Nov. 8 - On Monday, the former British ambassador to the United States accused Prime Minister Tony Blair of squandering a golden opportunity to push the United States to delay the invasion of Iraq. On Tuesday, he characterized Mr. Blair's government as, mostly, "a crowd of pygmies." ... Sir Christopher is particularly damning about what he sees as the rush to war in Iraq, accusing the British government and the Bush administration of being ill-prepared to deal with the aftermath of the invasion. "History's verdict," he writes of the war, "looks likely to be that it was terminally flawed both in conception and execution."   In the book, he charges that Mr. Blair could have used his influence to delay the war by six months or so - buying crucial time to determine whether Saddam Hussein had unconventional weapons, to seek a second United Nations resolution authorizing the use of military intervention, and to formulate a coherent long-term plan for post-Saddam Iraq. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,509 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 923 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Johnny, Get Your Gun Posted: Wednesday, November 09, 2005 11:38 AM Well, there is no question that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, biological and chemical particularly. All this will be made clear in the course of the operation, for whatever duration it takes." —Ari Fleischer, March 21, 2003
Been There	Religious Zealots vs. Science Posted: Wednesday, November 09, 2005 11:42 AM Voters in Dover, Pennsylvania yesterday threw out the School Board that required their religious beliefs to be taught in Dover science classes: Evolution Slate Outpolls Rivals. All eight members up for re-election to the Pennsylvania school board that had been sued for introducing the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in biology class were swept out of office yesterday by a slate of challengers who campaigned against the intelligent design policy. Among the losing incumbents on the Dover, Pa., board were two members who testified in favor of the intelligent design policy at a recently concluded federal trial on the Dover policy: the chairwoman, Sheila Harkins, and Alan Bonsell. The election results were a repudiation of the first school district in the nation to order the introduction of intelligent design in a science class curriculum. People who have followed the court case know that the ousted board members--especially Alan Bonsell--were exposed as liars during the trial, much to the irritation of the judge. Funny how often zealots resort to bearing false witness to advance their religious agendas... Been There
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Wednesday, November 09, 2005 11:44 AM Look, I think that relations are better than some people want to say they are. As a matter of fact, I know relations between our governments is good. —George W. Bush, Interview with Korean Broadcasting System, White House, November 8, 2005
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Thursday, November 10, 2005 9:48 AM Convicted felon Ahmad Chalabi, much admired by the Bush neo-cons for his skill in avoiding prison after embezzling millions, is back in our country today: Chalabi, as Iraqi Deputy, Gets a Cautious Welcome in Washington. WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 - Ahmad Chalabi, the former Iraqi exile who went from being a Bush administration favorite to persona non grata, arrived in Washington on Tuesday to face uneasy talks with American officials and a new demand by Senate Democrats that he testify about the possible misuse of prewar intelligence on Iraq. Aides to Mr. Chalabi, who is a deputy prime minister of Iraq, have been hoping that his visits this week with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Treasury Secretary John W. Snow and Stephen J. Hadley, the national security adviser, will pave the way for a reconciliation with the Bush administration. He is also likely to meet with Vice President Dick Cheney, a senior administration official said Tuesday evening. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,510 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 924 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Johnny, Get Your Gun Posted: Thursday, November 10, 2005 9:50 AM There is no doubt that the regime of Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction. As this operation continues, those weapons will be identified, found, along with the people who have produced them and who guard them.   —Gen. Tommy Franks, March 22, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Thursday, November 10, 2005 9:51 AM This is a opportunity to positively affirm our belief in democracy, in human rights and human dignity. And so I want to thank you for being a good host. It's not easy to host all these countries, particularly not easy to host, uhh, perhaps, me.   —George W. Bush, Mar del Plata, Argentina, November 4, 2005
Norway	The Iraq War Posted: Friday, November 11, 2005 8:39 AM   United Methodist Church Calls For Withdrawal   It's one thing when former high-ranking members of your own Administration come out against your war. It's another thing when two-thirds of the country calls the invasion and occupation a mistake. It's really something when your own church issues a statement urging you to pull out the troops now. Last week, the United Methodist Church Board of Church and Society--the social action committee of the church that both President Bush and Vice President Cheney belong to--resoundingly passed a resolution calling for withdrawal with only two 'no' votes and one abstention. "As people of faith, we raise our voice in protest against the tragedy of the unjust war in Iraq," the statement read. "Thousands of lives have been lost and hundreds of billions of dollars wasted in a war the United States initiated and should never have fought.... We grieve for all those whose lives have been lost or destroyed in this needless and avoidable tragedy. Military families have suffered undue hardship from prolonged troop rotations in Iraq and loss of loved ones. It is time to bring them home." The board also issued a strong statement against torture, urging Congress to create an independent, bipartisan commission to investigate detention and interrogation practices at Guantanamo, Iraq and Afghanistan. "It is my hope and prayer that our statement against the war in Iraq will be heard loud and clear by our fellow United Methodists, President Bush and Vice President Cheney," said Jim Winkler, General Secretary of the UMC's Board of Church and Society. "Conservative and liberal board members worked together to craft a strong statement calling for the troops to come home and for those responsible for leading us into this disastrous war to be held accountable." With its bold stands against the Administration, the UMC is fulfilling the words of Martin Luther King Jr., who called for the church to be "not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion" but "a thermostat that transformed the mores of society." Bush has asserted that he entered Iraq on a direct order from God. Now, he has a direct order from his own church to leave. Is he listening? http://www.thenation.com/blogs/edcut?bid=7&pid=31572   http://www.umc-gbcs.org/site/pp.asp?c=fsJNK0PKJrH&b=849409
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Friday, November 11, 2005 10:20 AM Norway, Surely Bush belongs to the Methodist Church solely because he needs a church affiliation to get votes. The Methodists also oppose lying and stealing, and Bush pays no heed to those directives either. Suicide Bombings Wrack Middle East; 2 More U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Nov. 10 - A man wearing a belt of explosives walked into a restaurant bustling with breakfast customers here on Thursday and blew himself up, killing at least 29 people and wounding 30, many of them police officers, the authorities said. ... The group Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, led by the Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, posted an Internet message taking responsibility for the bombing in Baghdad, SITE Institute, a group that tracks postings by Islamic militants, reported. The death toll in the attack was the highest in the capital in two months. In a troubling sign that the insurgency may be extending its reach outside Iraq, Mr. Zarqawi's group also claimed responsibility for the coordinated suicide bombings of three hotels in Amman, Jordan, on Wednesday that left 59 people dead, including the 3 bombers. ... Also on Thursday, a car bomb exploded in Tikrit, north of Baghdad, killing four people outside an Iraqi Army recruitment center, an Interior Ministry official said. Three bombs exploded in two Baghdad neighborhoods, killing two American soldiers and wounding nine Iraqis, the official added. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,511 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 925 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Johnny, Get Your Gun Posted: Friday, November 11, 2005 10:21 AM We know where the weapons of mass destruction are. They are in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad. —Donald Rumsfeld, March 30, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Friday, November 11, 2005 10:22 AM I, frankly, felt like the reception we received on the way in from the airport was very warm and hospitable, and I want to thank the Canadian people who came out to wave -- with all five fingers -- for -- for their hospitality. —George W. Bush, Ottawa, Canada, November 30, 2004
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Saturday, November 12, 2005 9:25 AM 5 U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq: The American military said Friday that two soldiers had died from wounds sustained in a firefight around the town of Khaldiya on Thursday. Two soldiers were killed and two injured when they got into a vehicle accident during a patrol northwest of Kirkuk on Friday morning. A marine and an Iraqi soldier died when a homemade bomb exploded Thursday while they were taking part in an offensive sweep through the western part of Karabila, near the Syrian border. The Marine-led operation in the west began last Saturday, when 2,500 American troops and 1,000 Iraqi soldiers surrounded the town of Husayba and began clearing it house by house. The operation then moved east to Karabila. Residents had almost entirely vacated the area before the arrival of the Marines on Thursday, but progress through the town has been slowed by a maze of homemade bombs and mines, officials said. At least 24 civilians from four families died in American airstrikes in Husayba on Monday, CNN reported. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,512 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 926 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Johnny, Get Your Gun Posted: Saturday, November 12, 2005 9:26 AM I felt like we would find weapons of mass destruction. —George W. Bush, TV interview with Barbara Walters, January 14, 2005
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Saturday, November 12, 2005 9:27 AM Some Democrats and anti-war critics are now claiming we manipulated the intelligence and misled the American people about why we went to war. —George W. Bush,  Tobyhanna Army Depot, Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, November 11, 2005 [And those particular Democrats and anti-war critics are very slow on the uptake.]
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Sunday, November 13, 2005 10:13 AM Three U.S. Troops Reported Dead in Iraq: BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Two U.S. Marines were killed in combat and an American soldier died in a vehicle accident in Iraq, the military said in a statement Sunday. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,513 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 927 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Let's Go to War! Posted: Sunday, November 13, 2005 10:14 AM I believe demolishing Hussein's military power and liberating Iraq would be a cakewalk. —Ken Adelman, February 13, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Sunday, November 13, 2005 10:16 AM Evil men, obsessed with ambition and unburdened by conscience, must be taken very seriously -- and we must stop them before their crimes can multiply. —George W. Bush,  Tobyhanna Army Depot, Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, November 11, 2005
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Monday, November 14, 2005 8:36 AM Another U.S. Marine Killed in Iraq: CAMP AL QAIM, Iraq, Nov. 14 -- An American Marine was killed today and at least seven were wounded as about 2,000 American and Iraqi troops stormed Ubaydi, a small town on the Euphrates River in western Iraq, and encountered stiff armed resistance and a labyrinth of mines and booby-trap bombs, Marine commanders here said. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,514 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 928 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Let's Go to War! Posted: Monday, November 14, 2005 8:38 AM Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt that he is amassing them to use against our friends, our allies and against us. —Dick Cheney, August 26, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Monday, November 14, 2005 8:39 AM There's what they call actionable intelligence, to which our military has responded on a quick basis is improving. —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., December 15, 2003
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Tuesday, November 15, 2005 9:23 AM 3 More U.S. Marines Die in Combat in Iraq: The U.S. command said Tuesday that three U.S. Marines have died in combat as part of Operation Steel Curtain along the Syrian border. One Marine from assigned to Regimental Combat Team 2, 2nd Marine Division, died Tuesday from wounds incurred from a bomb that exploded Monday. Another Marine from the same unit died Monday from a roadside bomb in Obeidi, the same border town, a statement said. The third Marine died from small arms fire on Monday, another statement said. He was assigned to the same unit. As of Tuesday, at least 2,071 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,515 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 929 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Let's Go to War! Posted: Tuesday, November 15, 2005 9:24 AM From a marketing point of view, you don't introduce new products [the attack on Iraq] in August. —Andrew Card, September 7, 2002
Been There	The March of Oppression Posted: Tuesday, November 15, 2005 9:27 AM Ohio's corrupt government received a big boost again this month when the unauditable "results" from referenda designed to curb government abuses went down to defeat, at least according to the "official counts": Has American Democracy died an electronic death in Ohio 2005's referenda defeats? The November 6 Dispatch poll showed Issue Two passing by a vote of 59% to 33%, with about 8% undecided, an even broader margin than that predicted for Issue One. But on November 8, the official vote count showed Issue Two going down to defeat by the astonishing margin of 63.5% against, with just 36.5% in favor. To say the outcome is a virtual statistical impossibility is to understate the case. For the official vote count to square with the pre-vote Dispatch poll, support for the Issue had to drop more than 22 points, with virtually all the undecideds apparently going into the "no" column. The numbers on Issue Three are even less likely. Issue Three involved campaign finance reform. In a lame duck session at the end of 2004, Ohio's Republican legislature raised the limits for individual donations to $10,000 per candidate per person for anyone over the age of six. Thus a family of four could donate $40,000 to a single candidate. The law also opened the door for direct campaign donations from corporations, something banned by federal law since the administration of Theodore Roosevelt. The GOP measure sparked howls of public outrage. Though again opposed by the Christian Right, Issue Three drew an extremely broad range of support from moderate bi-partisan citizen groups and newspapers throughout the state. The Sunday Dispatch poll showed it winning in a landslide, with 61% in favor and just 25% opposed. Tuesday's official results showed Issue Three going down to defeat in perhaps the most astonishing reversal in Ohio history, claiming just 33% of the vote, with 67% opposed. Of course the unauditable voting machines come from Diebold, run by a man who promised to deliver the state of Ohio to Bush in 2004 -- and delivered. Been There
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Tuesday, November 15, 2005 9:29 AM Free societies are hopeful societies. And free societies will be allies against these hateful few who have no conscience, who kill at the whim of a hat. —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Sepember 17, 2004
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 7:57 PM 5 Marines Killed as U.S. Pushes Sweep in Western Iraq: UBAYDI, Iraq, Nov 16 - Five marines were killed and 11 were wounded in an ambush at a farmhouse on the outskirts of this rural town while they were hunting for insurgents, Marine officials said. It was the deadliest day for the Marines since beginning an aggressive sweep on Nov. 5 for guerrillas near the Syrian border. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,516 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 930 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Let's Go to War! Posted: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 7:58 PM Right now, Iraq is expanding and improving facilities used for the production of biological weapons. —George W. Bush, September 12, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 7:59 PM We are working with our friends to keep the pressure on the moolahs to -- to listen to the demands of the free world. —George W. Bush, White House, August 2, 2004
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Thursday, November 17, 2005 10:44 AM Realists knew from the beginning that the Bush administration pipedream of creating a model government in Iraq could not be achieved with the forces available. The Bush blunders in Iraq have not only cost many lives; they have also transfered the responsibility for the mess there from the Iraqis themselves to their American occupiers. The Bush reflex to conceal reality by suppressing the truth there does not work, because Arabs in Qatar and some other places have a free press also. Here are the U.S. versions of news stories being reported all over the Arab world--and the world at large: Americans in the Occupation Government Received Huge Kickbacks: In what is expected to be the first of a series of criminal charges against officials and contractors overseeing the rebuilding of Iraq, an American has been charged with paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and kickbacks to American occupation authorities and their spouses to obtain construction contracts, according to a complaint unsealed late yesterday. Iraqi Rift Grows as Secret Prison Enrages Sunnis: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Nov. 17 - As Iraqi investigators began searching through a secret underground prison run by the police in the capital, Sunni Arab leaders furiously denounced the Shiite-led government on Wednesday, saying it supported the torture of Sunni detainees there and calling for an international inquiry. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,517 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 931 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Let's Go to War! Posted: Thursday, November 17, 2005 10:45 AM The entire world knows beyond dispute that Saddam Hussein holds weapons of mass destruction in large quantities. —Dick Cheney, September 23, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Thursday, November 17, 2005 10:47 AM A submarine could take this place out. —George W. Bush, Clinton Presidential Center, Little Rock, Arkansas, November 18, 2004
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Friday, November 18, 2005 9:22 AM Congressman Jack Murtha, Retired Marine Corps Colonel, Tells It Like It Is: [T]he talk of Washington was Jack Murtha, 73, a blunt former Marine drill instructor who served a combat tour in Vietnam and retired as a colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve after 37 years of service. The ranking Democrat on the Defense Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, Mr. Murtha has earned bipartisan respect for his work on military issues over three decades in Congress. "When he talks, I listen," said Representative John M. McHugh, a New York Republican on the House Armed Services Committee. In recent months, though, Mr. Murtha has voiced concerns raised by constituents and from his own conversations with troops and commanders about problems like shortages of body armor and other equipment. His district in southwestern Pennsylvania has lost 13 service members in Iraq. Aides said Mr. Murtha had mulled over his proposal for weeks and decided to announce it before lawmakers left this weekend for the Thanksgiving Day recess. He presented his proposal to a closed meeting of House Democrats, who gave him a standing ovation. Mr. Murtha then held a news conference, where, fighting back tears, he said it was Congress's moral duty to intervene on behalf of the troops. "Our troops have become the primary target of the insurgency," said Mr. Murtha, who visited Iraq in late August. "We have become a catalyst for the violence."   If approved by the House and Senate, Mr. Murtha's resolution would force the president to withdraw United States troops "at the earliest practicable date," which he said could be six months. Under his plan, the Pentagon would retain a quick-reaction force in the region, as well as marines within a few sailing days. When asked about Mr. Cheney's remarks on Wednesday, Mr. Murtha replied sarcastically: "I like guys who've never been there that criticize us who've been there. I like that. I like guys who got five deferments and never been there and send people to war and then don't like to hear suggestions about what needs to be done." In the Vietnam era, Mr. Cheney had five deferments and did not serve in the military. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,518 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 932 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Let's Go to War! Posted: Friday, November 18, 2005 9:23 AM Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof, the smoking gun that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud. —George W. Bush, October 7, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Friday, November 18, 2005 9:24 AM Today when I landed, I met a fellow named Irving Hall. Where are you, Irving? Right there -- stand up. Now you can sit down. Irving Hall works for our government at the laboratories, the high tech -- Sandia -- I think you worked there, didn't you, Irving? Yes. He worked there, and came time to retire and his boss said, what are you going to do, Irving? He said, why don't you make a difference -- I believe that's what your boss told me -- what you told me your boss said. See, he met me at the airplane. I'd never met Irving before. —George W. Bush, Albuquerque, New Mexico, March 26, 2004
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Saturday, November 19, 2005 11:00 AM Dozens Die in Iraq Bombings; Another U.S. Soldier Killed: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Nov. 18 - As worshipers gathered for Friday Prayer, a pair of suicide bombers wearing explosive belts demolished two Shiite mosques in the northern Kurdish town of Khanaqin, killing at least 70 people and wounding more than 100. Hours earlier, two suicide truck bombs struck a hotel in downtown Baghdad that houses many foreign journalists, killing at least 6 Iraqis and wounding more than 40. A neighboring apartment building crumbled to the ground in a plume of dust. ... The American military said a soldier was killed and two were wounded on Thursday near the northern town of Tal Afar. In a remarkable demonstration of how out of touch with reality the current House of Representatives leaders are these days, the Iraq war resolution sponsored by the Republicans yesterday lost by a vote of 403-3! We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,519 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 933 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Let's Go to War! Posted: Saturday, November 19, 2005 11:01 AM I can't tell you if the use of force in Iraq will last five days, five weeks or five months, but it won't last any longer than that. —Donald Rumsfeld, November 14, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Saturday, November 19, 2005 11:02 AM I told the President during our discussions that I felt like the ties between our two countries has never been better. —George W. Bush, Gyeongju, South Korea, November 17, 2005
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Sunday, November 20, 2005 10:26 AM 7 More U.S. Soldiers Dead; 1 More British Soldier Dead: BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- An ambush on a joint U.S.-Iraqi patrol northwest of Baghdad left 15 civilians, eight insurgents and a U.S. Marine dead from a roadside bomb and the firefight that followed, a U.S. military statement said Sunday. ... At least 2,091 members of the U.S. military have died since the war began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The toll includes five soldiers who died Saturday in a pair of roadside bombings near Beiji, 155 miles north of Baghdad, and a soldier who died in a U.S. hospital in Germany from injuries suffered Thursday when his vehicle was rammed by an Iraqi car near Beiji. Britain's Defense Ministry also said Sunday that a British soldier was killed and four were wounded in a roadside bombing near Basra in southern Iraq. Basra is the main base for British forces in the region. The death brings the number of British troops killed in Iraq to 98, the ministry said. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,520 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 934 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Let's Go to War! Posted: Sunday, November 20, 2005 10:27 AM If he declares he has none, then we will know that Saddam Hussein is once again misleading the world. —Ari Fleischer, December 2, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Sunday, November 20, 2005 10:29 AM I also want to thank you very much for your help for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. That meant a lot to our people. It was very generous of you, Mr. President, to do just that. —George W. Bush, Gyeongju, South Korea, November 17, 2005
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Monday, November 21, 2005 9:42 AM Bomb Kills 15 Civilians and a Marine in Restive Iraqi Province; 3 Other Soldiers Killed: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Nov. 20 - The Marine Corps said Sunday that 15 Iraqi civilians and a marine were killed Saturday when a roadside bomb exploded in Haditha, 140 miles northwest of Baghdad. At least 11 other Iraqis were killed or discovered dead on Sunday in various incidents, and military officials reported the deaths of two more Americans and a British soldier. The deaths capped one of the deadliest three-day periods since the American invasion. In all, at least 155 Iraqis and 8 American and British troops have been killed in a spate of bombings and assaults that began Friday morning, when jihadists tried using two trucks packed with explosives to demolish a Baghdad hotel full of Western journalists. That attack was followed by a pair of suicide bombings in two mosques in the northern Kurdish town of Khanaqin that left at least 80 dead and more than 100 wounded. ... The American military said that a soldier was killed Sunday by small-arms fire while on patrol north of Baghdad and that a marine died of wounds received during a firefight on Saturday in the western town of Karma. In the previous three days, at least seven soldiers with the 101st Airborne Division died in attacks in and around Baiji, a predominantly Sunni Arab town in northern Iraq. A British official said Sunday that a British soldier had been killed in a roadside bomb explosion near the southern city of Basra. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,521 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 935 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Let's Go to War! Posted: Monday, November 21, 2005 9:43 AM We know for a fact that there are weapons of mass destruction there. —Ari Fleischer, White House Press Secretary, January 9, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Monday, November 21, 2005 9:44 AM You're serving the cause of liberty on distant frontiers, and I bring a message from home. Your Commander-in-Chief is proud of you, and so is the American people. —George W. Bush, Osan Air Base, Osan, South Korea, November 19, 2005
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Tuesday, November 22, 2005 7:37 AM Iraq War 'A Learning Experience': To a great extent, the American story in Iraq has been one of a profound clash of cultures - of invaders who came with a belief that they could transplant the virtues of democratic bargaining and a civil society that secures the vital interests of all, only to be confounded by what Iraqis themselves often describe as the culture of Ali Baba, the mythical villain of Baghdad. In that culture, maneuver and guile, secrets and untruths, terror and treachery are, too often, the coin of the realm for deciding who gets wealth and power. ... Until very recently, American commanders insisted that the suicide bombings here were the work, almost exclusively, of Islamic militants from abroad. But last week an Iraqi woman confessed to being part of an Iraqi suicide-bombing squad that attacked three hotels in the Jordanian capital, Amman. The American command then acknowledged, in the words of one high-ranking officer, that the earlier assessments were based on little more than prideful assertions by Iraqis that their fellow citizens could never do anything so crazy as to blow themselves up, and on "people who came to us after a bombing and said, 'That's not an Iraqi foot,' or 'That's a Syrian hand.' " We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,522 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 936 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Let's Go to War! Posted: Tuesday, November 22, 2005 7:38 AM Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa. —George W. Bush, State of the Union address, January 28, 2003 ["And if anyone dares call me on this, I'll threaten his family."]
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Tuesday, November 22, 2005 7:39 AM I really want to thank the folks here at Maple Grove for letting us come by. It's not easy to host the President. It turns out his entourage is quite big these days. —George W. Bush, Maple Grove, Minnesota, June 17, 2005
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Wednesday, November 23, 2005 9:01 AM Senior Sunni Leader Killed in Iraq: BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms broke into the home of a senior Sunni leader on Wednesday and killed him, his three sons and his son-in-law on the outskirts of Baghdad, his brother and an interior ministry official said. Khadim Sarhid al-Hemaiyem was the leader of the Sunni Batta tribe and the brother of a parliamentary candidate in the Dec. 15 election, the official, Maj. Falah al-Mohammedawi said. Another of the slain man's brothers said the family has been attacked before. "A group of gunmen with Iraqi army uniforms and vehicles broke into my brother's house in the Hurriyah area and sprayed them with machine gun fire, killing him along with three sons and his son-in law," said his brother, Nima Sarhid Al-Hemaiyem. "His eldest son was assassinated one month ago in the Taji area, northern Baghdad, when unidentified men shot and killed him." We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,523 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 937 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Let's Go to War! Posted: Wednesday, November 23, 2005 9:02 AM We know that Saddam Hussein is determined to keep his weapons of mass destruction, is determined to make more.   —Colin Powell, February 5, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Wednesday, November 23, 2005 9:03 AM Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the president to explain to us what the exit strategy is.   —George W. Bush, Houston Texas, April 9, 1999
Been There	The War On Truth Posted: Wednesday, November 23, 2005 9:07 AM British newspapers are in trouble for exposing government documents that reveal Tony Blair needed to talk George W. Bush out of bombing an American ally, Qatar, to stop freedom of the press in that country: Legal gag on Bush-Blair war row. The attorney general, Lord Goldsmith, last night referred editors to newspaper reports yesterday that described the contents of a memo purporting to be at the centre of charges against two men under the secrets act. Under the front-page headline "Bush plot to bomb his ally", the Daily Mirror reported that the US president last year planned to attack the Arabic television station al-Jazeera, which has its headquarters in Doha, the capital of Qatar, where US and British bombers were based. Of course Aljazeera.com is at least as "fair and balanced" as Roger Ailes' Fox News, but reports from the Middle-Eastern perspective: Bush was informed of lack of Iraq-Qaeda ties. The U.S. President George W. Bush was informed ten days after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks that there was no proof of ties between Iraq and al-Qaeda network, The National Journal reported. The magazine cited government papers as well as former and present Bush administration officials as saying that the president was briefed on Sept. 21, 2001 that the U.S. intelligence community had no evidence linking the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein to the Sept. 11 attacks or al-Qaeda network. Bush was also informed that the few credible reports of contacts between Iraq and al-Qaeda involved attempts by Saddam Hussein to establish surveillance over the group, according to The Journal. Saddam believed that al-Qaeda posed a threat to his regime. At one point, analysts say, the toppled Iraqi leader considered infiltrating the ranks of al-Qaeda with Iraqi citizens or even Iraqi intelligence agents to learn more about its inner workings. Occupants of the Bush White House believe any information that does not advance their political agendas must be suppressed, no matter what the cost. Their British counterparts are clearly of like mind. Been There
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Friday, November 25, 2005 12:47 PM Carnage in Iraq Includes 5 More U.S. Soldiers: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Nov. 24 - A suicide car bomb exploded Thursday near an American convoy at the entrance to the main hospital in the volatile town of Mahmudiya, killing at least 30 Iraqis and wounding dozens of others in a burst of fire and shrapnel. At least 15 other Iraqis died Thursday, including the police commander of Mahmudiya, while 5 American soldiers were reported killed in three separate incidents over the last two days. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,525 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 939 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Let's Go to War! Posted: Friday, November 25, 2005 12:48 PM Saddam Hussein recently authorized Iraqi field commanders to use chemical weapons.   —George W. Bush, February 8, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Friday, November 25, 2005 12:49 PM I think it's also important for the president to lay out a timetable as to how long U.S. troops will be involved and when they will be withdrawn. —George W. Bush, Seattle, Washington, June 5, 1999
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Saturday, November 26, 2005 9:58 AM Car Bombings Kill 16 People in Baghdad: BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- A suicide bomber drove his pickup truck into a crowded gas station north of Baghdad on Saturday and killed 12 people while a second car bomb targeting a convoy of foreigners killed four others in the capital, police said. Twelve people were injured and nine cars were destroyed in the gas station bombing in Samarra, 60 miles north of Baghdad, police Lt. Col. Mahmoud Mohammed said. In central Baghdad, a parked car bomb detonated when two armored cars carrying foreigners drove by, killing four Iraqi civilians, Lt. Thaer Mahmoud said. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,526 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 940 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Let's Go to War! Posted: Saturday, November 26, 2005 10:00 AM Iraq has also provided Al Qaeda with chemical and biological weapons training.   —George W. Bush, February 8, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Saturday, November 26, 2005 10:01 AM We ought to be using nuclear power. It's a renewable source of energy.   —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., June 8, 2005
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Sunday, November 27, 2005 9:11 AM Another U.S. Marine Blown Up in Iraq: The American military said a marine died from a roadside bomb explosion on Friday in the western town of Hit. At least 2,107 American troops have died in the war. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,527 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 941 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Let's Go to War! Posted: Sunday, November 27, 2005 9:13 AM There is no question but what they will welcome as liberators the United States when we come. —Dick Cheney, March 16, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Sunday, November 27, 2005 9:13 AM And we'll prevail, because we're a fabulous nation, and we're a fabulous nation because we're a nation full of fabulous people. —George W. Bush, Atlanta, Georgia, January 31, 2002
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Monday, November 28, 2005 9:15 AM 4 Humanitarian Workers, Including 1 American, Kidnapped in Iraq; Another U.S. Marine Killed: BAGHDAD, Iraq - An American citizen has been reported missing in Iraq, the U.S. Embassy said Monday, a day after a Canadian Parliament official said that four humanitarian workers had been kidnapped. ... The U.S. military reported that a Marine assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing was killed Saturday when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb near Camp Taqaddum, 45 miles west of Baghdad. ... In an interview published Sunday, Ayad Allawi, a secular Shiite Muslim, told the London newspaper The Observer that fellow Shiites are responsible for death squads and secret torture centers and said brutality by elements of Iraqi security forces rivals that of Saddam’s secret police. “People are remembering the days of Saddam. These were the precise reasons that we fought Saddam and now we are seeing the same thing,” the newspaper quoted Allawi as saying. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,528 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 942 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Let's Go to War! Posted: Monday, November 28, 2005 9:16 AM The Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised.   —George W. Bush, March 17, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Monday, November 28, 2005 9:23 AM You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test. —George W. Bush, Townsend, Tennessee, February 21, 2001
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Wednesday, November 30, 2005 8:15 AM Continuing Violence in Iraq Kills 2 U.S. Soldiers: In other violence on Tuesday, gunmen killed the senior Sunni cleric in Falluja, one of the few powerful figures in Anbar Province who had urged Sunnis to participate in the political process. The cleric, Shiek Hamza Abbas al-Esawwi, who had begun to receive death threats last summer, was killed as he left the mosque where he had led evening prayers. In a neighborhood just north of Baghdad, two American soldiers were killed when their patrol struck a concealed bomb, the American military reported. An Iraqi police officer was also killed and another was wounded by gunmen in a drive-by shooting in the Hay Al Jamea district, according to an Interior Ministry official. The kidnapping of Ms. Osthoff, whom Reuters reported to be 43, has riveted a German public that has long been skeptical about the Iraq war, which Germany has opposed from the beginning. We all evaluate facts in the light of their context and the principles we deem important. From my perspective, the following facts underscore some important truths: 1,530 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 944 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Let's Go to War! Posted: Wednesday, November 30, 2005 8:16 AM Well, there is no question that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, biological and chemical particularly. All this will be made clear in the course of the operation, for whatever duration it takes. —Ari Fleischer, White House Press Secretary, March 21, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Wednesday, November 30, 2005 8:18 AM A tax cut is really one of the anecdotes to coming out of an economic illness. —George W. Bush, CBS interview with Paula Zahn, September 18, 2000
Wutzup	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Wednesday, November 30, 2005 9:38 AM Does it seem ironic that the message we will hear from Der Leader today in Annapolis will be that US troops will leave Iraq just as soon as the Iraqi army stands in, or stands up, or however they phrase it? Their army does not even include the trained Iraqi soldiers which the Collusion Forces overran in 4 days on their way to Bagdad a couple of years ago. There is a Catch 22 at work here which suggests the troops will be there forever and a day.