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June 17 Speech by Kevin Zeese at Lafayette Park Downing Street Rally
Who thinks that President Bush misled us - lied to us - bamboozled us into invading and occupying Iraq?
He told Americans there were unmanned Iraqi aircraft that could drop bombs over our cities. His own intelligence agencies told him this was inaccurate. He tied Saddam to Al Qaeda and Bin Laden - there was no evidence of that. He talked about Saddam being able to launch a strike on the United States in 45 minutes - there was no evidence for this. He talked about the potential of a mushroom cloud over the United States - a nuclear attack by Saddam - there was no evidence for this. He used fear mongering tactics to scare people into supporting an unnecessary war. President Bush did not lie to us once, he did not lie to us twice - he lied, and lied, and lied and lied - for month after month. Because he and his minions repeated the lies so often many in the Congress and the media were fooled by their drumbeat of war lies and as a result the American people were fooled - thousands of Americans were led to death or serious injury and more than 100,000 Iraqis were killed.
The Downing Street Memos talk about the Administration "fixing the intelligence." In fact, not only were they fixing the intelligence - they were manipulating it, misusing it, making statements that contradicted it. Lying about it.
The truth was that as bad a dictator as Saddam was - and he was bad - he was no threat to anyone in the United States or any of the countries that surround Iraq. We had daily aircraft surveillance over most of Iraq. We were able to bomb at will. Iraq was weakened by economic sanctions. UN inspectors were searching the country even presidential palaces. Iraq had a dilapidated army. Saddam was an unpopular leader who controlled by fear - his country would not fight for him.
All this was obvious and true before we invaded Iraq. But Bush's lies hid the truth - clouded U.S. thinking - and led us into an illegal, unjustified war that has turned into a worsening quagmire that makes the United States less safe, less secure and less respected around the world.
What are we going to do about it?
We are going to hold the president accountable. We are going to get the truth out. He cannot be allowed to lie repeatedly to the American people and send more than 1,700 soldiers to death, 20,000 with life changing serious injuries, kill more than 100,000 Iraqis and destroy many cities and towns in Iraq leaving hundreds of thousands homeless.
The president is not above the law. He is subject to the law like any other American. His manipulation of intelligence and lies to go to war are obvious impeachable offenses. We need Congress to take action. We need the opposition party to truly oppose the President and introduce a Resolution of Inquiry - demand that the first step toward impeachment be taken.
The truth cannot speak for itself. It needs a spokesperson - a messenger. You, all here today, the bloggers and webmasters who write about this and the hundreds of thousands who signed Congressman Conyers petition are the messengers of truth. If we all speak the truth it will be heard. It is being heard despite a corporate news blackout. If we demand that our elected officials speak the truth - is that too much to ask - if we demand they speak the truth, the truth will be heard. That is our task - it sounds simple enough - make sure the truth is heard so the big ball of lies can be untangled.
The truth will come out. And as it does the president's credibility will diminish. The anchor of his lies to go to war will pull him down. It will pull down support for this war. When he speaks people will wonder - is he lying to us again? He will be diminished and the war - already unpopular with nearly 60% of Americans saying it is time for US troops to come home - will become less popular. And, the war will end - our troops will come home.
Already - not just a majority but a landslide majority is opposing this war. It cuts across political party lines - Greens have been advocating against the war and for impeachment, as have Libertarians, Democrats and now some Republicans. This is an unpopular war and this will become an unpopular president.
Already Republicans are calling for an end to the war and realize they were misled - Rep. Walter Jones - known for renaming the Congresses French Fries "Freedom Fries" - has called for withdrawal and acknowledged he was misled on the House Floor. More and more Republicans will face the truth as more information comes out. Then they will have to make a choice - do they cover-up for a lame duck president who deceived them and the American people on the most important issue faced by a president - sending troops to war - or do they side with the truth and join us as messengers for truth.
And the evidence will compound. What will intelligence officials, Colin Powell and others in the administration or formerly in the administration say under oath? What kind of email, memorandums and other documents will come out when they are subpoenaed? The truth is there - it just needs to be set free.
Just as lies led us into this war - the uncovering of lies and speaking the truth will get us out of this war.
He told Americans there were unmanned Iraqi aircraft that could drop bombs over our cities. His own intelligence agencies told him this was inaccurate. He tied Saddam to Al Qaeda and Bin Laden - there was no evidence of that. He talked about Saddam being able to launch a strike on the United States in 45 minutes - there was no evidence for this. He talked about the potential of a mushroom cloud over the United States - a nuclear attack by Saddam - there was no evidence for this. He used fear mongering tactics to scare people into supporting an unnecessary war. President Bush did not lie to us once, he did not lie to us twice - he lied, and lied, and lied and lied - for month after month. Because he and his minions repeated the lies so often many in the Congress and the media were fooled by their drumbeat of war lies and as a result the American people were fooled - thousands of Americans were led to death or serious injury and more than 100,000 Iraqis were killed.
The Downing Street Memos talk about the Administration "fixing the intelligence." In fact, not only were they fixing the intelligence - they were manipulating it, misusing it, making statements that contradicted it. Lying about it.
The truth was that as bad a dictator as Saddam was - and he was bad - he was no threat to anyone in the United States or any of the countries that surround Iraq. We had daily aircraft surveillance over most of Iraq. We were able to bomb at will. Iraq was weakened by economic sanctions. UN inspectors were searching the country even presidential palaces. Iraq had a dilapidated army. Saddam was an unpopular leader who controlled by fear - his country would not fight for him.
All this was obvious and true before we invaded Iraq. But Bush's lies hid the truth - clouded U.S. thinking - and led us into an illegal, unjustified war that has turned into a worsening quagmire that makes the United States less safe, less secure and less respected around the world.
What are we going to do about it?
We are going to hold the president accountable. We are going to get the truth out. He cannot be allowed to lie repeatedly to the American people and send more than 1,700 soldiers to death, 20,000 with life changing serious injuries, kill more than 100,000 Iraqis and destroy many cities and towns in Iraq leaving hundreds of thousands homeless.
The president is not above the law. He is subject to the law like any other American. His manipulation of intelligence and lies to go to war are obvious impeachable offenses. We need Congress to take action. We need the opposition party to truly oppose the President and introduce a Resolution of Inquiry - demand that the first step toward impeachment be taken.
The truth cannot speak for itself. It needs a spokesperson - a messenger. You, all here today, the bloggers and webmasters who write about this and the hundreds of thousands who signed Congressman Conyers petition are the messengers of truth. If we all speak the truth it will be heard. It is being heard despite a corporate news blackout. If we demand that our elected officials speak the truth - is that too much to ask - if we demand they speak the truth, the truth will be heard. That is our task - it sounds simple enough - make sure the truth is heard so the big ball of lies can be untangled.
The truth will come out. And as it does the president's credibility will diminish. The anchor of his lies to go to war will pull him down. It will pull down support for this war. When he speaks people will wonder - is he lying to us again? He will be diminished and the war - already unpopular with nearly 60% of Americans saying it is time for US troops to come home - will become less popular. And, the war will end - our troops will come home.
Already - not just a majority but a landslide majority is opposing this war. It cuts across political party lines - Greens have been advocating against the war and for impeachment, as have Libertarians, Democrats and now some Republicans. This is an unpopular war and this will become an unpopular president.
Already Republicans are calling for an end to the war and realize they were misled - Rep. Walter Jones - known for renaming the Congresses French Fries "Freedom Fries" - has called for withdrawal and acknowledged he was misled on the House Floor. More and more Republicans will face the truth as more information comes out. Then they will have to make a choice - do they cover-up for a lame duck president who deceived them and the American people on the most important issue faced by a president - sending troops to war - or do they side with the truth and join us as messengers for truth.
And the evidence will compound. What will intelligence officials, Colin Powell and others in the administration or formerly in the administration say under oath? What kind of email, memorandums and other documents will come out when they are subpoenaed? The truth is there - it just needs to be set free.
Just as lies led us into this war - the uncovering of lies and speaking the truth will get us out of this war.