By Bruce Kennedy, Jihad Unspun
http://www.jihadunspun.net/

In a prime-time news conference Thursday, it is clear that this was not America's "finest hour". In a pre-scripted, monotone address full of rhetoric and repetition,George W. Bush made one thing is clear: America is going to war come hell or high water.

In his prime time pitch and reading from notes, Bush fielded journalist’s questions that were obviously prescreened and every answer was a non-answer. Where were the hard hitters and the hard questions – let alone the straight answers? And in an address that was billed to deter the growing discontent of the American people for what is obviously a unjust war agenda, it was simply and absolutely a failure.

Bush led with the capture of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, one that is highly suspect considering previous reports say that Kahlid was killed over a year ago. Let’s clear this matter up. Khalid is not the operations chief of Al-Qaida - in fact his relationship with the group is at best self-proclaimed. If he is a member of bin Laden’s close team, he will die before he gives up information. Every person close to him would be eliminated if he were to talk. These guys play for keeps.

Now we also hear that Osama bin Laden is in our sights. Now? It is essential to link any action against Saddam with the events of 911 and the biggest critics in Washington are concerned that the war on terror will be compromised with military action in Iraq. And like magic, we get a US-made "big fish" and we are close to capturing Bin Laden. Come on. Phone intercepts? Notes, address books? If Al-Qaida pulled off 911 which is till in doubt, these guys aren’t camel-riders.

Sadly, Afghanistan was not even mentioned. Do the American people understand that the war in Afghanistan has escalated and that resistance forces have grouped together to carry our daily attacks against US and coalition forces that are killing civilians and troops? What do we expect? We have killed thousands of Afghans and won’t get the hell out of their country.

We also heard from Bush that doing nothing is more costly than this "preemptive strike" but no answers were giving over what the cost will be – in American lives, Iraqi lives, in dollars and cents. In fact the key words were cost (in reference to the impact of 911) and the wealth of Iraq. We we’re told in typical corporate style only "we’ll let you know pretty soon." And "the cost of doing nothing is greater". Level with us – what’s the deal? The American people are going to pay for this. Are you telling me the Bush administration has no estimates as to what this war will cost? If that’s the case – we should be scared.

The facts are that the American economy is in a shambles. The effects of that resonate through the financial markets of the entire world. American can not afford this war – that’s obvious – the debt is growing, consumer confidence is at a nine year low and the Bush administration is talking about another tax cut – throw the sheep another bone. Is anyone looking at what that will do to an already out of control economic policy?

From where I sit, this has been obvious from the beginning - it’s the oldest corporate game in the book. We are going to pay for our probems with Iraqi oil. That’s why we have to go. If we stop now, we are in further debt. We intend to "buy" the war and possibly the country, with its own assets, an entrepreneurial game that became popular in the mergers and acquisition 80"s and one Bush and his gang are very familiar with. This is evidenced clearly when we refuse to look at any other options. If we are smart, we will cut off his funding now and get out - fast. One thing Al-Qaida has shown is that a blow to the American economy is the way to bring us to our knees. We are now very overextended – we are more vulnerable not less at this very moment.

Maybe even more concerning is this. "I believe (Iraqi President) Saddam Hussein is a threat to the American people. I believe he's a threat to the neighborhood in which he lives," Bush said Thursday night, listing how Iraq has invaded neighboring countries and poisoned his own people. Reality check please. Are we going to use weapons of mass destruction on Iraq? Of course we are. J-dams, e-bombs, daisy cutters, cluster bombs - the list is on and on. How many American land mines continue to kill people every day? Have we hurt our own people – of course we have- illegal arrests, detainees without access to lawyers or voice. And don’t forget the infamous Patriot Act 2 escalates this even more. What is it that makes Saddam Hussein such a threat that we are going to cause the death of our own soldiers, innocent Iraqi’s, landmines that will kill for decades to come and further erodes the rights of our own citizens?

The big question is this. Is this administration that bad at diplomacy, given the resources they have available and the support of many throughout the world for diplomatic effort that we can not contain Saddam without the use of force? Of course we can. For less money, we could put an inspector on every corner of Iraq. This war has absolutely nothing to do with disarmament and everything to do with money.

In typical "for us or against us’ style, when asked about giving Saddam an ultimatum -- a two or three day deadline to disarm, Bush said "The world needs him to answer a single question: Has the Iraqi regime fully and unconditionally disarmed as required by resolution 14-41? Or has it not?"

In the face of clear signals from veto-wielding France, China, and Russia that they would oppose it, British and U.S. officials said Thursday they would be willing to amend the resolution in the hopes of overcoming opposition. Unfortunately that is not what we heard from Bush. "When it comes to the protection of the American people, we don’t need anyone’s approval" he reiterated.

An invasion of Iraq at very least is throwing a huge brick into a hornets nest of anti-American sentiment, not just in the Middle East but a growing movement around the world. Bush "going it alone" will single out America as the number one biggest threat. When are we going to get this? Bush had an unprecedented opportunity after 911 for America to assume the role of real leadership. Instead, he has pulled us down the dregs of common street thugs. Is this what America has become?

The one point that Bush hammered home in his address was that Iraq has money. He referred repeatedly to the fact that Iraq has wealth. What a tip off. What do we need in a rapidly declining economy? Money. North Korea has little in assets and no oil. So are we really prepared to risk lives, livelihoods and ultimately our security, in invading Iraq for an administration that can’t balance the books?

Bush speak deciphered – we are going to plunder, an act of common theft at its lowest level, Iraq and we are going to do it regardless of the human cost - theirs or ours.

What a sad day for the "free" world.

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