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Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Wednesday, March 01, 2006 10:20 AM 72% of U.S. Troops in Iraq Support Withdrawal: WASHINGTON - Nearly three out of four American troops serving in Iraq think U.S. forces should withdraw within a year, and more than one in four say the United States should leave immediately, according to a new poll published Tuesday. The poll, conducted by Zogby International and the Center for Peace and Global Studies at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y., was a rare effort to determine the views of American troops serving in a ground war. Twenty-nine percent of the troops surveyed said U.S. forces should leave Iraq immediately, another 22 percent said they should leave within the next six months and 21 percent said within six to 12 months. Twenty-three percent agreed with President Bush's call for troops to stay "as long as they are needed" and 5 percent were unsure. At Least 75 Iraqis Killed in Major Offensive by Insurgents: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Feb. 28 — At least 75 Iraqis were killed and scores injured Tuesday as insurgents carried out their deadliest offensive in weeks. Most of the victims died in five powerful bombings in Baghdad, which threatened to heighten tensions as Iraqis struggled to recover from the worst sectarian bloodletting of the war. Though politicians and clerics have been calling for calm, and a weekend curfew cooled off the fury in the streets, people across the capital remained anxious over the possibility of new sectarian violence. Militiamen and private guards stood watch at mosques, and the American ambassador declared that last week's killings had pushed Iraq "to the brink of civil 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: 1,621 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,035 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Marketing of a War Posted: Wednesday, March 01, 2006 10:23 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: Wednesday, March 01, 2006 10:25 AM The best way to deal with the deficit is keep taxes low.   —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., February 27, 2006 [Accurate only if expenditures are also low. Otherwise keeping taxes low is stealing from our children and grandchildren, as Bush has done throughout his presidency.]
Been There	The U.S. Secret Police Posted: Wednesday, March 01, 2006 2:12 PM Many of our nation's senators and representatives stand ready to take away the freedoms we and our forefathers fought for and died for: Secret Police Powers Slated for Renewal. "Civil liberties do not mean much when you are dead," Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., told the Senate. The Senate voted 69-30 Tuesday -- 60 votes were needed -- to limit debate and bring the legislation to a final vote. The Senate is expected to pass the measure as early as Wednesday, barring Democratic procedural maneuvers. The House then is expected to approve it and send the bill to Bush's desk next week. Despite the bill's progress, deep misgivings remain even among its chief supporters. One of them, Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., was in the odd position Tuesday of urging his colleagues to pass a bill so flawed that he planned new legislation and hearings to fix it. Jim Bunning's quote illustrates perfectly that those who pee their pants in fear of terrorism don't mind giving up their rights as citizens to assist the ever-expanding U.S. Secret Police. Been There
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Thursday, March 02, 2006 10:14 AM Iraqi Politicians Squabble as Violence Continues; U.S. Soldier Dies: BAGHDAD, Iraq, March 1 — In a move that could redraw Iraq's political map, leaders of Iraq's Kurdish, Sunni and secular parties are considering a plan to ask the country's largest Shiite bloc to withdraw Ibrahim Jaafari as its candidate for prime minister in the new government. ... The political developments came as more violence struck Iraq, killing 32 people and wounding 79. One American soldier was killed in an incident not related to combat. The most lethal attack took place just after noon in a crowded traffic intersection in eastern Baghdad, when a bomber jumped out of a moving car filled with explosives, said a traffic police officer at the scene. The blast killed 23 people and wounded 58, and left a scene of carnage in the crowded marketplace. Burned corpses sat upright in cars. Birds in cages were burned and featherless. The deaths on Wednesday, which included four police officers in the northern city of Kirkuk, three civilians in Baghdad and two Iraqi soldiers northwest of the capital, brought to 436 the toll since Wednesday, when a bombing of a sacred Shiite shrine in Samarra set off four days of sectarian gang attacks. Bush again vows justice for Bin Laden on Afghan visit: Bush showed himself the eternal optimist on another question. Bin Laden and Taleban leader Mullah Omar would face justice. “It’s not a matter of if they are brought to justice, but when,” he said. The US president’s words are unlikely to have impressed the Al- Qaeda leader. Directly after the 9/11 attacks Bush stated that bin Laden would not evade justice, but he has done just that for more than four years now. 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: 1,622 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,036 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: Thursday, March 02, 2006 10:15 AM I'll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about Osama bin Laden. —George W. Bush, White House, March 13, 2002
Been There	The Marketing of a War Posted: Thursday, March 02, 2006 10:17 AM Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa. —George W. Bush, State of the Union address, January 28, 2003 ["...and if you say I'm wrong, Ambassador Wilson, my thugs will threaten the life of your wife..."]
BeNice	Patriot Act Posted: Thursday, March 02, 2006 4:23 PM  Revised version of the Patriot Act is going to be Reathorized   Get the facts at www.senate.gov   Read the Bill for yourself, make your own opinion. see how your senators voted.   Our forefathers would be proud to know our elected officials have the good sense to put laws on the books that protect us from our enemies both foreign and domestic.   We, as a country, must do everything possible to stop our enemies from repeating the tragic events of the past. Law abiding citizens don't have to worry about thier civil liberties being trampled.   I read a good portion of the Act and it amazes me the words "Secret Police" are nowhere in there. The AP news release failed to use the words also.....   That's the problem with Liberal America....so emotional   Benice
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Friday, March 03, 2006 11:36 AM Another U.S. Soldier Killed in Action as Violence Engulfs Iraq: The wave of violence continued Thursday night, as gunmen killed 19 workers after storming two brick factories in Nahrawan, a poor, predominantly Shiite town south of Baghdad that has been the scene of repeated attacks, according to Interior Department officials.   ...   And six Iraqi police officers were killed today near Mosul, in northern Iraq, according to Brigadier Abdul Hamid Asfour, a police spokesman. He said that four officers were shot as the left a police academy, wearing civilian clothes, and two were killed by a roadside bomb while on patrol. The killings in Nahrawan came after a day in which gun battles and bombs left at least 25 other people dead across the country.   ... The American military announced that a soldier was killed during combat operations on Wednesday west of the capital in Anbar Province. 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: 1,623 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,037 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Marketing of a War Posted: Friday, March 03, 2006 11:37 AM 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: Friday, March 03, 2006 11:39 AM The leaders of Iraq rejected this notion that a suicider and a thug and a terrorist can create civil war.   —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., February 27, 2006
Been There	Secret Police Act Posted: Friday, March 03, 2006 12:17 PM Hi Benice, Nice to hear from you again. I agree with you that every citizen should read the actual text of the Secret Police Act whether or not he or she condones it. The link you gave does not take a reader directly to the text, but you can get to it easily from here: The Library of Congress. To locate the text of the bill passed by the Senate: Select Bill Number (instead of Word/Phrase) Type H.R.3199.EAS into the Search Bill Text  box Click Search It's heartening to see that 10 senators, including our own Carl Levin, stood up for the U.S. Constitution against the Big Brother gang this time around. Only one lonely patriot stood up the last time, Wisconsin's Russ Feingold. For backgound on the history of this legislation, along with its good points and bad points, plenty of information is available on the Web: The Secret Police Act Analysis of the Secret Police Act A Guide to the Secret Police Act Our founding fathers established the Bill of Rights specifically to limit the laws that could be passed by the federal government under the guise of ensuring "domestic tranquility." Like every government, our government always justifies its abuses as important for maintaining security. The big government types get away with expanding federal powers at the expense of individuals because the pee in their pants crowd always puts security ahead of liberty. Jim Bunning's quote appealed directly to those weaklings. I realize that the term "Secret Police" offends people taken in by the modern pleas for politically correct speech, but I'm more interested in calling a spade a spade. I couldn't care less about political correctness. Our congress is authorizing police activities that are secret. Those who perform those activities are properly termed "Secret Police," regardless of the politically correct euphemisms employed to paper over the truth. Do you condone Bush's fiscal irresponsibility? Been There
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Saturday, March 04, 2006 11:21 AM Deadly blasts in Iraq shatter curfew calm: BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A mortar round killed seven people and wounded 15 others at a busy market in a southeastern Baghdad suburb early Saturday, said an emergency police official, one day after a daytime curfew brought relative peace. The overnight curfew had ended at 6 a.m. local time. Three other people were killed in bombings outside Baghdad, among more than 500 lives lost in the wave of sectarian violence since the February 22 bombing of the Shiite Al-Askariya Mosque in Samarra. ... Talabani said he gained assurances that U.S. forces would remain in the country as long as needed "no matter what the time period." Oh yeah, he can take those assurances to the bank! Associated Press Lawsuit Forces Bush to Identify Concentration Camp Prisoners: GUANTÁNAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba, March 3 (AP) — After four years of secrecy, the Pentagon released documents on Friday that have the names of detainees at the American military prison at Guantánamo Bay. The Bush administration had hidden the identities, home countries and other information about the men, who were accused of having links to the Taliban or Al Qaeda. But a federal judge rejected administration arguments that releasing the names would violate the detainees' privacy and could endanger them and their families. The release resulted from a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by The Associated Press. 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: 1,624 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,038 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Marketing of a War Posted: Saturday, March 04, 2006 11:23 AM We know that Saddam Hussein is determined to keep his weapons of mass destruction, is determined to make more. —Colin Powell, Secretary of State, February 5, 2003 [Of all the Bush crew, only Colin Powell has been man enough to apologize for his part in marketing the Iraq war.]
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Saturday, March 04, 2006 11:25 AM I know our governors are worried about the troop levels in Iraq. Here's my response. I will determine the troop levels in Iraq, one, necessary to achieve victory based upon the recommendations of our commanders, not based upon politics in Washington, D.C.   —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., February 27, 2006
Black Ice	The Iraq War Posted: Saturday, March 04, 2006 12:30 PM So, what's your point?
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Saturday, March 04, 2006 2:01 PM Hi Black Ice, The point is that Bush dropped the ball on bringing Osama bin Laden to justice, diverting our military into a foolish and unnecessary war on Iraq instead. If our government had responded to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 by declaring war on Spain, it would have acted as Bush has done after al-Qaeda attacked us in 2001. By reacting so ineptly, Bush told our enemies that they could escape punishment simply by holding out until our government got distracted by something else. Sending such a weak-kneed message to our enemies has damaged our nation's security beyond measure. The news each day records the slowly-unfolding nightmare of Bush's Iraq foolishness -- while our real attacker, Osama bin Laden, remains at large to inspire our enemies and to remind them of the impotence of our so-called leaders. Everyone with an ounce of sense saw this nightmare coming as soon as Bush lost interest in going after Osama bin Laden and decided to go after Saddam Hussein instead. Sooner or later (probably sooner) our government will declare "victory in Iraq" or "peace with honor" or some such face-saving term for retreat, but no one will be fooled -- least of all the terrorists. Bush will have handed our enemies a resounding propaganda victory. Across the Muslim world, TV cameras will record jubilant throngs celebrating the U.S. retreat. After that, the Iraqis themselves will overthrow whatever puppet government the U.S. left behind, and the regime that takes power will not be our allies. Any responsible president would have foreseen that disaster and would have protected our nation from experiencing it. But not George W. Bush. Been There
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Sunday, March 05, 2006 9:43 AM Violence Hinders Formation of Iraqi Government: BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Pressure mounted Sunday on Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari to give up his bid for a new term amid anger over a recent surge of sectarian killings that has complicated already snarled negotiations on a new Iraqi government. The delay in forming a government has prevented parliament from meeting since it was elected Dec. 15. But Kurdish and some Shiite officials said Sunday it should be ready to convene within 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: 1,625 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,039 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Marketing of a War Posted: Sunday, March 05, 2006 9:47 AM Saddam Hussein recently authorized Iraqi field commanders to use chemical weapons. —George W. Bush, President of the United States, February 8, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Sunday, March 05, 2006 9:49 AM Believe this or not, fortunately, she was getting toxic and the doc induced labor before he quit his practice. —George W. Bush, Madison Central High School, Madison, Mississippi, August 7, 2002
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Monday, March 06, 2006 10:33 AM Iraq Violence Continues; Another U.S. Soldier Killed: A string of explosions in Baghdad and north of the capital, meanwhile, killed at least 14 Iraqis and wounded 52. A U.S. soldier was reported killed in insurgency-plagued western Anbar province, pushing the American military death toll to 2,300 since the beginning of the war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. U.S. General Says Iraq Civil War Has Started: "We're in a civil war now; it's just that not everybody's joined in," said retired Army Maj. Gen. William L. Nash, a former military commander in Bosnia-Herzegovina. "The failure to understand that the civil war is already taking place, just not necessarily at the maximum level, means that our counter measures are inadequate and therefore dangerous to our long-term interest. 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: 1,626 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,040 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Marketing of a War Posted: Monday, March 06, 2006 10:34 AM Iraq has also provided Al Qaeda with chemical and biological weapons training. —George W. Bush President of the United States, February 8, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Monday, March 06, 2006 10:36 AM For every fatal shooting, there are roughly three nonfatal shootings. Folks, this is unacceptable in America, We're going to do something about it. —George W. Bush, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 14, 2001 [Evidently Vice President Cheney was not listening.]
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Tuesday, March 07, 2006 10:52 AM Iraqi General Killed as Chaos Continues: Gunmen shot and killed a Baghdad International Airport employee as he drove through the city, and police found four more bullet-ridden bodies -- two of them with their eyes gouged out. On Monday, snipers assassinated Maj. Gen. Mibder Hatim al-Dulaimi, the Sunni Arab in charge of Iraqi forces protecting the capital. A torrent of bombings and other shootings killed 25 other Iraqis. 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: 1,627 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,041 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Marketing of a War Posted: Tuesday, March 07, 2006 10:53 AM There is no question but what they will welcome as liberators the United States when we come. —Dick Cheney, Vice President of the United States, March 16, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Tuesday, March 07, 2006 10:54 AM To put it in Midland, Texas terms, any time we get a hint, we're following up on it.   —George W. Bush, Albuquerque, New Mexico, April 29, 2002
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Wednesday, March 08, 2006 9:04 AM At Least 23 Bodies Found Dumped in Baghdad: BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- At least 23 bodies -- many of them hanged -- were found dumped in parts of Baghdad, while a string of explosions killed at least four people in the Iraqi capital, police said Wednesday. An American military patrol investigating a report of a suspicious vehicle found 18 bodies late Tuesday in an abandoned minibus in west Baghdad, Iraqi police and U.S. forces said. The victims -- all men -- had been handcuffed, blindfolded and either hanged or shot to death, police Lt. Maitham Abdul-Razzaq 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: 1,628 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,042 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Marketing of a War Posted: Wednesday, March 08, 2006 9:06 AM The Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised. —George W. Bush, President of the United States, March 17, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Wednesday, March 08, 2006 9:08 AM My administration has been calling upon all the leaders in the - in the Middle East to do everything they can to stop the violence, to tell the different parties involved that peace will never happen. —George W. Bush, Crawford, Texas, August 13, 2001
White	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Wednesday, March 08, 2006 7:10 PM Been There, Do you EVER find anything positive to use as a quote from our president?
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Thursday, March 09, 2006 9:11 AM Hi White,   Yes.   Been There
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Thursday, March 09, 2006 9:19 AM 2 More U.S. Soldiers Die for Bush's Blunder: Meanwhile, insurgents continued to press American and Iraqi security forces. An American soldier from the First Brigade Combat Team of the First Armored Division was killed and four others were wounded when a concealed bomb exploded while they patrolled near the northern city of Tal Afar on Tuesday, according to a statement issued Wednesday by the American military. According to a separate military statement, an American marine was killed by insurgents in Anbar Province on Tuesday. The military released no further information about either incident. 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: 1,629 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,043 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Marketing of a War Posted: Thursday, March 09, 2006 9:21 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: Thursday, March 09, 2006 9:23 AM Juneau's okay if you like mildew growing between your toes. —George W. Bush, New York, October 21, 2001 [Context: Bush's assessment of Juneau, Alaska, when asked by journalist Betsy Brenneman.]
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Friday, March 10, 2006 11:38 AM New Iraq Violence Leaves at Least 17 Dead: BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Bombings and shootings Friday killed at least 17 people around Iraq on Friday. A suicide truck bomb ripped through a line of vehicles waiting at a checkpoint Friday in Fallujah, killing at least seven civilians. Authorities in the capital discovered the bodies of six men who were blindfolded, handcuffed and shot in the back of the head, police 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: 1,630 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,044 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Marketing of a War Posted: Friday, March 10, 2006 11:39 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. —General Tommy Franks, March 22, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Friday, March 10, 2006 11:41 AM I believe that a prosperous, democratic Pakistan will be a steadfast partner for America, a peaceful neighbor for India, and a force for freedom and moderation in the Arab world. —George W. Bush, New Delhi, India, March 3, 2006 [Note: As most people know, Pakistan is not part of the Arab world. Its elected government was overthrown by a military coup led by Bush's ally, the current dictator of Pakistan.]
BeNice	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Friday, March 10, 2006 12:50 PM The "Islamic Republic of Pakistan" sure sounds Arabic to me. Like it or not they are a big player in the Arab world. They held open elections in Oct. of 2002.   Get the facts at least a little correct during your hate filled blathering.
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Friday, March 10, 2006 3:53 PM Hi Benice, Nice to hear from you again. If you check into it in a less emotional way, you'll find that Muslims share a religious identity and Arabs share an ethnic identity, but the two are totally distinct. Although most Arabs are Muslim, many are not. And many, many non-Arabs are Muslim. The Pakistanis are not Arab, and play no role in the Arab world. They do, of course, play a significant role in the Muslim world. After otherthrowing the democratically elected government in 1999, General Musharraf did indeed arrange to be "elected" on April 30, 2002 on a ballot (unconstitutional) that contained only his name (in the manner of dictators everywhere). Pakistani voters were presented this single question: "For the survival of the local government system, establishment of democracy, continuity of reforms, end to sectarianism and extremism, and to fulfill the vision of Quaid-i-Azam, would you like to elect President General Pervez Musharraf as President of Pakistan for five years?" Musharraf's government estimated that 70% of the voters went to the polls. Independent observers estimated 5%. Do you condone George W. Bush's fiscal irresponsibility? Been There
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Saturday, March 11, 2006 9:50 AM Another U.S. Marine Dies for Bush's Iraq Blunder: In the deadliest act of violence on Friday, a suicide car bomb exploded at a joint American-Iraqi military checkpoint on the outskirts of Falluja, west of Baghdad, ripping through a line of idling vehicles and killing at least five people, including an American marine, an Iraqi soldier and three members of a family, the American military command said. Slain American Hostage Was Bound, Shot: BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- The body of American Tom Fox, who was among four Christian peace activists kidnapped last year, was found near a west Baghdad railway line with gunshot wounds to his head and chest, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said Saturday.  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: 1,631 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,045 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Marketing of a War Posted: Saturday, March 11, 2006 9:52 AM We know where the weapons of mass destruction are. They are in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad.   —Donald Rumsfeld, United States Secretary of Defense, March 30, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Saturday, March 11, 2006 9:53 AM Thanks to the bravery of our military, and to friends and allies, the regime of Saddam Hussein is no more. The world is peaceful and free. —George W. Bush,  Chicago, Illinois, June 11, 2003
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Sunday, March 12, 2006 11:03 AM Violence Continues in Baghdad, Killing at Least 10: BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Bomb blasts, rocket and gunfire killed at least 10 people and injured 23 in the Iraqi capital Sunday, police said. The low thud of mortar fire could also be heard, but it was not immediately clear where the shells were landing. Captors Tortured American, Then Killed Him, Iraq Says: BAGHDAD, Iraq, March 11 — Tom Fox, the kidnapped American peace worker whose body was found this week, had apparently been tortured by his captors before being shot multiple times in the head and dumped on a trash heap next to a railway line in western Baghdad, an official at the Iraqi Interior Ministry said Saturday.  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: 1,632 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,046 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	The Marketing of a War Posted: Sunday, March 12, 2006 11:07 AM I felt like we would find weapons of mass destruction. —George W. Bush, January 14, 2005 TV interview   [Changing his tune.]
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Sunday, March 12, 2006 11:08 AM I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep on the soil of a friend. —George W. Bush,  White House, June 29, 2005 [Context: Bush discussing his upcoming trip to Denmark.]
look2it	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Sunday, March 12, 2006 9:37 PM LOL!    Hope he took a shower when he woke up!
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Monday, March 13, 2006 9:40 AM Baghdad Market Bombings Kill 46 and Wound 200: BAGHDAD, Iraq, March 12 — Six car bombs exploded at dusk on Sunday in four crowded markets in a Shiite area of eastern Baghdad, and an Interior Ministry official and witnesses said the bombs killed at least 46 people, wounded more than 200 others and spurred Shiite militiamen to take to the streets. The explosions, the deadliest assault in Baghdad in weeks, threatened to unleash a wave of sectarian violence similar to the one that followed the bombing of a revered Shiite shrine last month. 4 American Soldiers Killed in Afghan Blast: KABUL, Afghanistan, March 12 — Four American soldiers were killed in a roadside-bomb explosion in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, and two suicide bombers in a car blew themselves up next to the vehicle of the chairman of Afghanistan's upper house of Parliament here in the capital, killing at least two people and wounding at least seven others, officials said. The Afghan official, Sebaghatullah Mojadeddi, escaped serious injury. He said he believed that the suicide attack was the work of Pakistan's intelligence service. 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: 1,633 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,047 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Bearing False Witness Posted: Monday, March 13, 2006 9:43 AM Demolishing Hussein's military power and liberating Iraq would be a cakewalk. —Ken Adelman, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense, February 13, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Monday, March 13, 2006 9:48 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., September 17, 2004 [Texans keep their guard up around hats.]
look2it	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Tuesday, March 14, 2006 1:35 AM Them Texans in the White House shore like to talk thru thar hats too, I reckon.
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Tuesday, March 14, 2006 6:22 PM Vigilantes Control Portions of Iraq; Another U.S. Soldier Dies for Bush's Blunders: In Sadr City, the Shiite section in Baghdad where the terrorist suspects were executed, government forces have vanished. The streets are ruled by aggressive teenagers with shiny soccer jerseys and machine guns. They set up roadblocks and poke their heads into cars and detain whomever they want. Mosques blare warnings on loudspeakers for American troops to stay out. Increasingly, the Americans have been doing just that. ... The usual brand of violence showed no sign of letting up, especially in Baghdad, where a bomb killed an American soldier, a stray mortar round slammed into a house and killed a young girl, and 19 more bodies were found on the streets. Baghdad Police Find 65 Bodies in 24 Hours: BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Police found at least 65 bodies in Baghdad in the past 24 hours, including 15 men bound and shot in an abandoned minibus, in a gruesome wave of apparent sectarian reprisal attacks, officials said Tuesday. The timing of the killings appeared related to the car bomb and mortar attacks in the Shiite slum of Sadr City in east Baghdad on Sunday in which 58 people died and more than 200 were wounded. The sectarian violence marked the second wave of mass killings in Iraq since Feb. 22, when bombers destroyed an important Shiite Muslim shrine in Samarra, north of the capital.  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: 1,634 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,048 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Bearing False Witness Posted: Tuesday, March 14, 2006 6:24 PM 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, Vice President of the United States, August 26, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Tuesday, March 14, 2006 6:25 PM Look2it, Good to hear from you again. Thought you might have moved to Canada! Been There
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Tuesday, March 14, 2006 6:27 PM After the bombing, most Iraqis saw what the -- perpetuators of the, of this attack were trying to do.   —George W. Bush, George Washington University, Washington, D.C., March 13, 2006 [Context: Bush giving  his analysis of the motivation of the "perpetuators" behind the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra, Iraq.]
look2it	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 1:12 AM Thanks, my old computer went on the blink so I was offline. I love my new computer, didn't know how much better they'd gotten. Keep up with the Dubya quotes, they make my day! Hard to believe that dope is the president.
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 9:49 AM 11 Killed in U.S. Raid North of Baghdad: ISAHAQI, Iraq (AP) -- Eleven people -- most women and children -- were killed when a house was bombed during a U.S. raid north of Baghdad early Wednesday, police and relatives said. The U.S. military acknowledged four deaths -- a man, two women and a child -- in the raid that they said netted an insurgent suspect in the rural Isahaqi area, about 50 miles north of the capital. The victims, some wrapped in blankets, were driven in the back of three pickup trucks to the Tikrit General Hospital, about 45 miles to the north, relatives said. Associated Press photographs showed the bodies of two men, five children and four other covered figures arriving at the hospital accompanied by grief-stricken relatives. 85 Bodies Found in Baghdad in Sectarian Strife: BAGHDAD, Iraq, March 14 — The bodies of more than 85 executed men have surfaced across Baghdad in the past two days, in Sunni and Shiite neighborhoods, providing graphic proof, yet again, of sectarian mayhem. Many bodies bore marks of torture — badly beaten faces, gagged mouths and rope burns around the neck — though it remains unclear who is responsible. The wave of unchecked killings comes at a time when the American government is insisting that Iraqi security forces can reverse the slide toward chaos. But less than a month after an assault on a Shiite shrine nearly plunged Iraq into all-out civil war, the blood continues to flow, just as freely. 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: 1,635 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,049 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Bearing False Witness Posted: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 9:52 AM Right now, Iraq is expanding and improving facilities used for the production of biological weapons. —George W. Bush, President of the United States, September 12, 2002
Been There	Stealing from Our Children and Grandchildren Posted: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 9:59 AM Bush's massive stealing from our children and grandchildren means the federal government will run out of money this week unless the national debt limit is increased again. To curb our government's fiscal irresponsibility, every U.S. Senator who cares about the future of our nation tried to reestablish discipline in the federal budgetary process yesterday, but they failed to gain the majority: Senate G.O.P. Blocks Tight Budget Rule. Five Republicans joined 44 Democrats and one independent in supporting the restoration of the budget rules. Lawmakers on both sides said they thought there was an opportunity to impose the rules, given increasing Republican alarm about the level of spending and the need to get serious about reining it in. "If everyone is concerned about deficits, then they should obviously embrace fiscal budgetary tools of enforcement like pay-go, which has traditionally been a Republican initiative," said Senator Olympia J. Snowe of Maine, one of the five Republicans. Unfortunately, we needed 51 senators, not just 50, to vote to restore fiscal integrity. Exactly half of our senators voted to continue the stealing. That was enough to block the efforts of the patriots. Been There
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 10:01 AM You can be equally concerned about our troops in Iraq and those who suffered at the tsunamis with celebrating democracy. —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., January 17, 2005
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Thursday, March 16, 2006 10:28 AM American Raid on Insurgents Kills Civilians in Sunni Town; Another U.S. Soldier Killed in Iraq: BAGHDAD, Iraq, March 15 — American soldiers demolished a farmhouse near the Sunni Arab town of Balad on Wednesday after encountering unexpectedly heated resistance from insurgents, killing a number of civilians in the process. ... Also on Wednesday, military officials said an American soldier had been killed south of Baghdad in a mortar attack. Hussein Urges Iraqis to Unify in War on U.S.: BAGHDAD, Iraq, March 15 — Saddam Hussein took the witness stand on Wednesday for his first formal testimony in his trial and delivered an incendiary political diatribe that urged Iraqis to stop sectarian bloodshed and to carry on the war against the Americans. The presiding judge halted the session after Mr. Hussein, brandishing thick reading glasses, repeatedly lambasted the court. Iraq's New Parliament Sworn In: BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Three months after elections, Iraq's new parliament was sworn in Thursday, with parties still deadlocked over the next government, vehicles banned from Baghdad's streets to prevent car bombings and the country under the shadow of a feared civil war. But the long-awaited first session was indefinitely adjourned after just over 30 minutes because the parliament still has no speaker -- just one result of the political impasse. Adnan Pachachi, the senior politician who administered the oath in the absence of a speaker, spoke of a country in crisis. 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: 1,636 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,050 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Bearing False Witness Posted: Thursday, March 16, 2006 10:46 AM The entire world knows beyond dispute that Saddam Hussein holds weapons of mass destruction in large quantities. —Dick Cheney, Vice President of the United States, September 23, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Thursday, March 16, 2006 10:47 AM It's amazing with the software that has been developed these days that enable a camera to distinguish the difference between a squirrel and a bomb. —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., June 24, 2004
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Friday, March 17, 2006 10:08 AM U.S. Forces in Big Assault Near Samarra: BAGHDAD, Iraq, March 16 — The United States military announced Thursday that it had begun a large-scale assault on insurgent bases outside Samarra, a city north of Baghdad where the bombing of a revered Shiite shrine last month sent sectarian violence soaring in Iraq. In Baghdad, Iraqi legislators convened the long-awaited first session of the new Parliament. The body's 275 members, all elected in December, were sworn in, and leaders delivered speeches calling for unity before adjourning the session and rushing to continue negotiations to form a full government. The assault outside Samarra, which was led by the 101st Airborne Division but also included other American and Iraqi ground units, involved more than 50 aircraft for transport and air cover, hundreds of armored vehicles, and about 1,500 American and Iraqi troops, military spokesmen said. The Sunni Arab-dominated area has long been troubling for the American military, which has repeatedly raided it with little lasting effect on the insurgency. 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: 1,637 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,051 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Bearing False Witness Posted: Friday, March 17, 2006 10:10 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, President of the United States, October 7, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Friday, March 17, 2006 10:11 AM There's a bureaucracy involved and I readily concede we've got one. I don't know if you've got bureaucracy here in Canada or not, but we've got one in America. —George W. Bush, Ottawa, Canada, November 30, 2004
Been There	Stealing from Our Children and Grandchildren Posted: Friday, March 17, 2006 10:40 AM U.S. Senate Approves Stealing $9 Trillion: WASHINGTON, March 16 — The Senate narrowly approved a $2.8 trillion election-year budget Thursday that broke spending limits only hours after it increased federal borrowing power to avert a government default. The budget decision at the end of a marathon day of voting followed a separate 52-to-48 Senate vote to increase the federal debt limit by $781 billion, bringing the debt ceiling to nearly $9 trillion. ... The successful push for additional spending alarmed and frustrated conservative Republicans who have been trying to steer the party back to a course of more fiscal restraint. "It is very disturbing, and it gives me a whole lot of heartburn," said Senator Jim DeMint, Republican of South Carolina, who attributed the additional spending to political anxiety. "They want to go and say they are helping people, but we are not helping people when we are selling out their future." Amen. Been There
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Saturday, March 18, 2006 9:53 AM 3 More U.S. Soldiers Killed for Bush's Iraq Blunder: The U.S. military, in a delayed report, said two 101st Airborne Division soldiers were killed by indirect fire -- usually meaning mortars -- still farther north, at the sprawling Speicher U.S. base. The command previously reported a third 101st Airborne soldier was shot and killed, also on Thursday, at Samarra, a focus of the U.S.-Iraqi sweeps that began that day. .. Loomis said the three Americans' deaths were not directly related to Operation Swarmer. The soldier killed in Samarra was shot while manning an observation post in the riverside town, the command said. None of the dead was identified, pending notification of next-of-kin. At least 2,314 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003. 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: 1,638 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,052 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Bearing False Witness Posted: Saturday, March 18, 2006 9:55 AM I can't tell you today 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, U.S. Secretary of Defense, November 14, 2002
Been There	Stealing from Our Children and Grandchildren Posted: Saturday, March 18, 2006 10:01 AM Politics Drives a Senate Spending Spree: WASHINGTON, March 17 — The largess demonstrated by the Senate in padding its budget with billions of dollars in additional spending this week showed that lawmakers are no different from many of their constituents: they don't mind pulling out the charge card when money is tight. Just hours after opening a new line of credit through an increase in the federal debt limit, the Senate splurged on a bevy of popular programs before approving a spending plan that was as much a political document as an economic one, its fine print geared to the coming elections. ... "I think the critical flaw is the failure to adjust fiscal policy in the face of new circumstances," said Robert L. Bixby, executive director of the Concord Coalition, a bipartisan group that advocates reducing the deficit through spending cuts and tax increases. Mr. Bixby and others say the Republican-controlled Congress and the Bush administration have shown a near total disregard for fiscal discipline, running up new debt. "The problem we have had on the budget all along is a lack of adult supervision on the part of the White House," said Bruce Bartlett, an economist and author of a new book critical of Mr. Bush's economic record. "You can't blame members of Congress for looking out for their parochial interests. It is the president's responsibility to look out for the national interest." Doing so takes a president with a sense of responsibility. Our nation does not have one now. From the beginning, Bush happily advanced his political goals by stealing from our children and grandchildren. Been There
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Saturday, March 18, 2006 10:04 AM A couple of days ago in New York I was having a Diet Coke with my friend, Prime Minister Koizumi. He's the Prime Minister of Japan. —George W. Bush, Bangor, Maine, September 23, 2004 [How much does it cost to get the president to endorse a soft drink?]
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Sunday, March 19, 2006 12:02 PM Marking 3 Years of War in Iraq: Tens of thousands of people marched in Rome, while officials in London reported a crowd of 15,000. Other demonstrations occurred in Greece, Turkey, Spain, Brazil, Australia and Canada. One of the biggest protests in the United States was held in San Francisco, for decades a hub of antiwar sentiment. The police there estimated the crowd gathered outside City Hall at 6,000. Results of the Iraq War After 3 Years: The generals on the ground understood what a disaster they were creating in the pell-mell race to Baghdad, which left in its wake an entire country full of places where Saddam Hussein's loyalists could regroup and prepare to carry on a permanent war against the Americans and their fellow Iraqis. As the new book "Cobra II" by Michael Gordon of The Times and Bernard Trainor underscores, the generals in the field were overruled by directives from Washington, where military decisions were being made by men who were guided not by reality, but by their own beloved myths about what Iraq was like and how the war was going to be won. Chances are that at the time George W. Bush did not have an inkling of how badly he was being served by the decision makers at the Pentagon. But the fact that Mr. Rumsfeld continues to hold his job tells us that Mr. Bush doesn't care, that he prefers living in the same dream world that his secretary of defense inhabits. In their wishful thinking, Mr. Bush and Mr. Rumsfeld undoubtedly tell themselves what they tell us: that the Iraqi people are better off than they were under the brutal dictator, that the Iraqi security forces are gradually learning how to take over defense of their own country and that a unified government is still a good possibility. It's true that many Iraqis are better off. Others are in far worse straits — their homes have been ruined, their relatives killed, their jobs evaporated and their ability to walk the streets in safety obliterated. Women's rights are being threatened in the south, and sectarian warfare has put families with mixed Shiite-Sunni ancestry at risk in their own neighborhoods. It is hard to quantify relative degrees of misery and pain in these circumstances. But unlike the horrors of Saddam Hussein, the horrors of the present can be laid at America's doorstep. If the mission in Iraq was to create a stable democracy in the heart of the Middle East and inspire neighboring countries to follow the same path, the results have been crushingly bad — unless Mr. Bush regards the election of Palestinian terrorists as the leaders in Gaza and the West Bank as a step forward. Iran is extending its sway by the hour. In Afghanistan, American forces are too thin to do much more than protect the central government in downtown Kabul. The idea that Iraqi security forces are poised to take over the job of protecting the people in a unified country is almost ludicrous. Many of those forces are actually sectarian militias that have been armed by the coalition forces, but not changed by them. So far, attempts at creating a government that could bring the country some modicum of stability have fallen apart. There are no leaders with the strength or credibility or even desire to rally anyone but their own co-religionists or ethnic group. Civil War in Iraq After 3 Years of U.S. Occupation: Former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said civil war was already a reality and that Iraq was nearing the "point of no return" on a path toward all-out military conflict. Allawi, a secular Shi'ite appointed under U.S. supervision in 2004 and whose major offensives against both Shi'ite and Sunni guerrillas failed to halt insurgencies, warned that Iraq had already plunged into sectarian civil war. "It is unfortunate that we are in civil war. We are losing each day as an average 50 to 60 people throughout the country, if not more. If this is not civil war, then God knows what civil war is," he told BBC television on 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: 1,639 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,053 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Bearing False Witness Posted: Sunday, March 19, 2006 12:05 PM I can't tell you today 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, U.S. Secretary of Defense, November 14, 2002
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Sunday, March 19, 2006 12:07 PM I'll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about Osama bin Laden. —George W. Bush, White House, March 13, 2002
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Monday, March 20, 2006 2:16 PM Iraq War Enters 4th Year With More Deaths: BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Suspected insurgents marked the third anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq Monday with roadside bombings that killed at least seven policemen, and authorities reported finding 10 more bullet-riddled bodies dumped in the capital, one of them a 13-year-old girl. The violence took up where it left off Sunday when at least 35 people died. ... The 133,000 American troops on the ground inside Iraq was nearly a third more than took part in the campaign to oust Saddam Hussein that began in the early hours of March 20, 2003. At least 2,314 U.S. military personnel have died in the war, which is estimated to have cost $200 billion to $250 billion so far. Bush says about 30,000 Iraqis have been killed, while others put the toll far higher. 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: 1,640 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,054 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: Monday, March 20, 2006 2:18 PM One of my hardest parts of my job is to console the family members who have lost their life. —George W. Bush, Prime Time Press Conference #3, White House, April 13, 2004
Been There	Bearing False Witness Posted: Monday, March 20, 2006 2:20 PM If he declares he has no weapons of mass destruction, then we will know that Saddam Hussein is once again misleading the world. —Ari Fleischer, White House Press Secretary, December 2, 2002
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Tuesday, March 21, 2006 9:55 AM Civilian Massacre Creates Thousands of New Terrorists: BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Residents gave new details Monday about the shootings of civilians in a western Iraqi town, where the U.S. military is investigating allegations of potential misconduct by American troops last November. The residents said troops entered homes and shot and killed 15 members of two families, including a 3-year-old girl, after a roadside bomb killed a U.S. Marine. The military, which announced Friday that a dozen Marines are under investigation for possible war crimes in the Nov. 19 incident, said in a statement Monday that a videotape of the aftermath of the shootings in Haditha, 140 miles northwest of Baghdad, was presented in support of the allegations. Insurgents Storm Iraqi Jail, 28 Killed: BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Insurgents stormed a jail about dawn Tuesday in the Sunni Muslim heartland north of Baghdad, killing at least 17 policemen and a courthouse guard. Authorities said all 33 prisoners in the lockup were freed and 10 attackers were killed in the battle. As many as 100 insurgent fighters -- armed with automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades -- stormed the judicial compound in Muqdadiyah, about 60 miles northeast of the capital. The assault began after the attackers fired a mortar round into the police and court complex, said police Brig. Ali al-Jabouri. After torching the police station, the insurgents detonated a string of roadside bombs as they fled, taking the bodies of many of their dead comrades with them, police said. At least 13 policemen and civilians and 15 gunmen were wounded in the attack. Five other police were wounded in two separate roadside bomb attacks targeting patrols in northern and southern Baghdad early Tuesday, police said. Tuesday's assaults came a day after 39 people were reported killed by insurgents and shadowy sectarian gangs in Iraq, continuing the wave of violence that has left more than 1,000 Iraqis dead since the bombing last month of a Shiite Muslim shrine. 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: 1,641 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,055 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Bearing False Witness Posted: Tuesday, March 21, 2006 9:57 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: Tuesday, March 21, 2006 10:00 AM We're still being challenged in Iraq and the reason why is a free Iraq will be a major defeat in the cause of freedom. —George W. Bush, Charlotte, North Carolina, April 5, 2004
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Wednesday, March 22, 2006 9:56 AM Another U.S. Soldier Dies for Bush's Iraq Blunders: In other violence Tuesday, a U.S. soldier with the 4th Infantry Division was killed by small-arms fire while patrolling the streets of western Baghdad, the military reported. At least 2,315 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: 1,642 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,056 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Bearing False Witness Posted: Wednesday, March 22, 2006 9:58 AM Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa. —George W. Bush, State of the Union address, January 28, 2003 [The White House was specifically informed this statement was false before the speech, but Bush said it anyway.]
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Wednesday, March 22, 2006 10:00 AM The people of the city still have many challenges to overcome, including old-age resentments that still create suspicion —George W. Bush, Cleveland, Ohio, March 20, 2006
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Thursday, March 23, 2006 10:28 AM British and Canadian Hostages Rescued in Iraq: BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- A coalition force on Thursday freed three Christian peace activists taken hostage in Iraq, ending a four-month hostage drama in which an American among the group was shot to death and dumped on a Baghdad street. The Iraqi Interior Ministry said the captives were rescued in a joint U.S.-British operation in rural area northwest of Baghdad, between the towns of Mishahda, 20 miles north of Baghdad, and the western suburb of Abu Ghraib, 12 miles from downtown. U.S. Propaganda Campaign Under Review: ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- The top U.S. military commander called Thursday for a formal Pentagon review of the policies that led to defense officials paying the Iraqi media to place favorable stories in their newspapers. Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called for more transparency in the system and said people need to know whether they are reading an article by an independent reporter or one written by someone who was paid by the government. "They need to know that, so they can make their own judgment about what they believe and don't believe in the article," said Pace in an interview on board a military aircraft heading for Turkey. "The worst thing you can have is people feeling like somehow they've been snookered." 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: 1,643 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,057 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Bearing False Witness Posted: Thursday, March 23, 2006 10:30 AM 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: Thursday, March 23, 2006 10:32 AM Listen, every war plan looks good on paper until you meet the enemy, not just the war plan we executed in Iraq, but the war plans that we have been executed throughout the history of warfare. —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., March 21, 2006
Been There	The Iraq War Posted: Friday, March 24, 2006 10:49 AM Iraqi Police Abuse Prisoners: Detainees can still languish for months without any hope of a legal appeal because of a shortage of judges or, in the case of Mr. Ali, an unwillingness by the Iraqi police to allow detainees to see a judge. Overcrowding is chronic, because the Justice Ministry has been slow in building new prisons. "The tradition in this country of a law enforcement agency that had absolute power over people, we've got to break them of that," said Maj. Andrew Creel, the departing joint operations officer here. "I think it'll take years. You can't change a cultural mind-set overnight." Control of the Interior Ministry, which oversees the police, has become one of the stumbling blocks in forming the new national government, with Sunni Arab politicians accusing Shiite leaders of running militias and death squads from the ministry. Last fall the American military raided at least two police prisons where it said detainees had been abused. This year's State Department human rights report noted that the police, especially the paramilitary forces, had been accused of torture and killings. 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: 1,644 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,058 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Bearing False Witness Posted: Friday, March 24, 2006 10:53 AM We know that Saddam Hussein is determined to keep his weapons of mass destruction, is determined to make more.   —Colin Powell, Secretary of State, February 5, 2003
Been There	Presidential Thought for the Day Posted: Friday, March 24, 2006 10:55 AM One of the interesting things about Katrina, as you well know, is many of the people displaced did not own their own homes, that they were renters.   —George W. Bush, Cleveland, Ohio, March 20, 2006