We want the truth, period! Thats nice headline fodder, but does little more than pick at the crust of the wound, raising lots of questions, answerable and unanswerable, yet still leads many of us to ponder, the truth according to whom?
Al Gore's truth where as vice president he staunchly defended his boss's decision to play on the fears of the American public and led our troops to bomb Iraq in 1998 when we were told that Saddam was a threat because he had WMDs. Gore also wrote in his book that the greatest threat to humanity this country faced was the SUVnot terrorists, but thats another story.
Most Congressional democrats for the last decade, including John Kerry, also defended the accusations made by president Clinton that Saddam did in fact have WMDs and was working diligently on programs to manufacture the delivery systems for mass produced WMDs and wanted desperately to obtain nuclear capability. Thankfully Saddam didnt get the assistance from the Clinton administration that North Korea and China received on the nuclear front!
Bill Clinton's truth where he told America without question from the elite media or most democrats that Iraq could, "rebuild its arsenal of weapons and delivery systems in months -- I say again, in months -- not years. A failure to respond could embolden Saddam to act recklessly, signaling to him that he can with impunity develop these weapons of mass destruction or threaten his neighbors, and this is very important in an age when we look forward to weapons of mass destruction being a significant threat to civilized people everywhere. And it would permanently damage the credibility of the United Nations Security Council to act as a force for promoting international peace and security. We continue to hope, indeed pray, that Saddam will comply, but we must be prepared to act if he does not." Was he talking about the WMDs many democrats today say were non-existent?
John Kerry's truth where his blatant self-aggrandizement of his tour of duty in Vietnam in the faces of so many truly heroic unknown Vietnam veterans to gain political advantage is even more loathing than the fact that he casually forgets to mention his ties to a communist organization also supported by Hanoi Jane Fonda that spat on our troops, called them baby killers, and accused them of a litany of vulgar atrocities with Kerry actually testifying about them in a Congressional hearing.
Some newspaper publishers want to ask the question, "what part of that [the atrocities] dont you believe?" It's not about believing or not believing, its about self-righteous, pseudo-intellectuals pointing sanctimonious fingers at our Vietnam veterans as if they should hang their heads in shame for serving this country in a hellhole for no glory or respect and just admit to their debauchery.
Vietnam left those veterans with psychological and physical scars that'll burden the rest of their lives and they should be allowed to live with dignity and honor for their sacrifice and dedication and not be used once again in a twisted Machiavellian political power play by a Benedict Arnold who turned against his own brethren, threw his medals at the White House, and once in Congress continued the same actions by consistently voting against the military and now somehow thinks he deserves to be their Commander-In-Chief. What part of that don't you believe?
The main stream media's truth where the only thing they gleaned from an extensive speech given by CIA director George Tenet about the intelligence communitys information on Saddams weapons programs, and answered most of the questions about Saddams WMDs whether you want to accept it or not, was that he wasnt an imminent threat. President Bush said Saddam should be stopped before he became an imminent threat and after much international debate gathered the Coalition of the Willing, committed to UN Resolution 1441s unanimous vote, and brought about the demise of Saddams despotic regime. Never mind the fact that Saddam was a terrorist, paid terrorists families for homicide bombings, and defiled his own people, even killing thousands with his 'non-existent' WMD's! Saddam ain't no Milosevic, now there's a madman who needed capturing!
Or finally how many media pundits continue an incessant specious clamoring that the deaths of our valiant military men and women in Iraq are happening because of WMDs or the lack thereof. When the truth is the WMD issue as it pertained to our troops ended with the cessation of major combat operations, because Saddam's regime had been defeated.
Our military personnel are now striving for the penultimate goal of achieving democracy for a country that has never known freedom. In a region that breeds hatred for America and our way of life and would rather die while trying to kill our troops than see that freedom flourish outside Israel and Turkey, who have suffered their own deaths of loved ones inside their borders because of their adherence to the American belief that peace exists as freedom for everyone. That's the truth, what part of that don't you believe?
Lee P Butler
