July 6, 2008
Feith: Iraq Attack Was Preemptive
Pentagon Insider Douglas Feith Tells 60 Minutes Attack On Iraq Was Anticipatory Self-Defense; Not 9/11 Retaliation
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The Path To War
Considered one of the main architects of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, former top-ranking Pentagon official Douglas Feith speaks to Steve Kroft about the Bush administration's decision to invade.
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Douglas Feith, former undersecretary of defense for policy (CBS/60 Minutes)
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The name Douglas Feith may not mean much to most Americans, but to students of the Iraq war and historians already studying it, he is one of the main architects.
From 2001 to 2005, Feith was under secretary of defense for policy and the No. 3 man at the Pentagon, intimately involved both pre-war strategy and post-war planning. His boss, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, called Feith one of the most brilliant individuals in government but he has also been a lightning rod for criticism and a magnet for blame.
As correspondent Steve Kroft first reported in April, in his memoir, which has been called the first insider account of decision making in Iraq, Feith defends much and apologizes for very little. But he offers some unusual insights about the path to war.
Asked why the United States invaded Iraq, Feith tells Kroft "The President decided that the threats from the Saddam Hussein regime were so great that if we had left him in power, we would be fighting him down the road, at a time and place of his choosing."
If Feith doesn’t look or sound much like a warrior that’s because he isn’t; he's an intellectual, a hawkish, neo-conservative defense policy wonk, who occupied one of the top rungs on the Pentagon ladder, playing a key role in shaping the military's response to 9/11 and the decision to go to war with Saddam Hussein.
Asked why the decision was made to go after Saddam Hussein after 9/11, when even then, the United States government realized Saddam didn't have anything to do with the attacks, Feith answers, "What we did after 9/11 was look broadly at the international terrorist network from which the next attack on the United States might come. And we did not focus narrowly only on the people who were specifically responsible for 9/11. Our main goal was preventing the next attack."
Kroft follows up, asking, "So you're saying you didn't think it was that important to go after the people who were responsible for it -- more important to go after people who weren't responsible for it?"
"No,” Feith explains, “I think it was important to go after the people who were responsible for 9/11. But it was also important to disrupt the international terrorist networks and prevent whatever plans there were for follow-on attacks."
Kroft points out that using those standards, the U.S. could have invaded North Korea or Syria or Iran.
Feith concedes the point, but counters that Iraq was a special case, in large part, because of Saddam's record.
Feith says Saddam had already attacked Kuwait, Iran, Israel and Saudi Arabia; that he had defied the United Nations, evaded economic sanctions, used weapons of mass destruction on his own people and had the know-how, if not the wherewithal, to build a nuclear weapon. Feith believes the U.S. invasion was justifiable as an act of self-defense. In his book, he used the term "anticipatory self-defense."
"In an era where WMDs can put countries in a position to do an enormous amount of harm,” he tells Kroft, “the old of idea of having to wait until you actually see the country mobilizing for war doesn't make a lot of sense."
Produced by L. Franklin Devine and Michael Rosenbaum
© MMVIII, CBS Worldwide Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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See all 911 CommentsRiiiight. Good thing we didn''t try this madness during the cold war.
So, no matter what we''ve ''learned'' he believes the war he helped promote, organize and launch was still justified. What a effen'' surprise. These neocons are all alike: ''We are never wrong.''
This ****** belong in jail or a loony bin. He certainly is a long, long way from being the super-genius he believes himself to be.
Posted by notblue at 05:12 PM : Apr 03, 2008
What ''fact'' is that, slick? This is one of the architects of the war, moron. Like we''re going to get anything but lies and pointless neocon babble about ''possible future threats'' from him?
Go ahead and lick up this trash if you want. Don''t expect the rest of us to believe anything this man says or support any of the tortured logic or rationale he gives for his vanity war.
There were 39 combat related killings in Iraq in January.
In the fair city of Detroit there were 35 murders in the month of January.
That''s just one American city,
about as deadly as the entire war-torn country of Iraq.
When some claim that President Bush shouldn''t
have started this war, state the following:
a. FDR led us into World War II.
b. Germany never attacked us ; Japan did.
From 1941-1945, 450,000 lives were lost .
an average of 112,500 per year.
c. Truman finished that war and started one in Korea
North Korea never attacked us
From 1950-1953, 55,000 lives were lost .
an average of 18,334 per year.
d. John F. Kennedy started the Vietnam conflict in 1962.
Vietnam never attacked us.
e. Johnson turned Vietnam into a quagmire.
From 1965-1975, 58,000 lives were lost ..
an average of 5,800 per year.
Bosnia never attacked us .
He was offered Osama bin Laden''s head on a platter three
times by Sudan and did nothing.
Osama has attacked us on multiple occasions.
g. In the years since terrorists attacked us ,
President Bush has liberated two countries,
crushed the Taliban, crippled al-Qaida,
put nuclear inspectors in Libya , Iran , and, North Korea
without firing a shot, and captured a terrorist who
slaughtered 300,000 of his own people.
The Democrats are complaining
about how long the war is taking.
It took less time to take Iraq than it took Janet Reno
to take the Branch Davidian compound.
That was a 51-day operation..
in Iraq for less time than it took Hillary Clinton to find
the Rose Law Firm billing records.
It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the
Marines to destroy the Medina Republican Guard
than it took Ted Kennedy to call the police after his
Oldsmobile sank at Chappaquiddick.
It took less time to take Iraq than it took
to count the votes in Florida!!!
Our Commander-In-Chief is doing a GREAT JOB !
The Military morale is high!
But wait!
There''s more!
(2 of 2)
#2 There is probably nobody on the entire planet that holds more responsibility for the fraud-based and criminal "war" against Iraq. This filthy, treasonous, craven, Zionist pile of excrement was a member of the Office of Special Plans.
The Office of Special Plans, who laughingly referred to themselves as the "cabal" (real *** funny, get it?) is the group that spear-headed the effort to FABRICATE BLATANT LIES and "stovepipe" them to the White House.
The "intelligence" that formed the fraudulent case against Iraq was NOT simply wrong. It was NOT a mere mistake. It was INTENTIONALLY FABRICATED AND COOKED by men like Douglas Feith and Paul Wolfowitz.
In conclusion, there is little doubt that the Bush regime and their accomplices MUST face a war crimes tribunal, gallows, firing squad, etc., if we ever hope to achieve any kind of justice here, and if we ever hope to regain any of our squandered dignity, and this Zionist ************* traitor Feith should be near or at the front of the line when that happens.
Some people still don''t understand why military personnel
do what they do for a living. This exchange between
Senators John Glenn and Senator Howard Metzenbaum
is worth reading. Not only is it a pretty impressive
impromptu speech, but it''s also a good example of one
man''s explanation of why men and women in the armed
services do what they do for a living.
This IS a typical, though sad, example of what
some who have never served think of the military.
Senator Metzenbaum (speaking to Senator Glenn):
''How can you run for Senate when you''ve never held a real job?''
Senator Gl enn (D-Ohio):
''I served 23 years in the United States Marine Corps.
I served through two wars. I flew 149 missions.
My plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire on 12 different
occasions. I was in the space program It wasn''t my
checkbook, Howard; it was my life on the line. It was
not a nine-to-five job, where I took time off to take the
daily cash receipts to the bank.''
''I ask you to go with me . . as I went the other day...
to a veteran''s hospital and look those men ..
with their mangled bodies in the eye, and tell THEM
they didn''t hold a job!
You go with me to the Space Program at NASA
and go, as I have gone, to the widows and Orphans
of Ed White, Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee...
and you look those kids in the eye and tell them
that their DADS didn''t hold a job.
(1 of 2)
Let''s clarify 2 things, if we may.
#1 The criminal war of aggression against Iraq was NOT, I repeat NOT a "preemptive" attack. A "preemptive" attack is an attack that is in response to a CLEAR AND PRESENT THREAT. Not only was Saddam''s Iraq not CLEAR AND PRESENT THREAT to the U.S., but it was not even a vague and distant one. Iraq was no threat at all, other than Saddam''s decision to trade oil in Euros, which is a valid choice on his part.
The criminal, lie-based invasion of Iraq was a PREVENTATIVE attack, not a PREEMPTIVE ONE.
What''s the difference? Plenty.
A PREEMPTIVE attack is allowed under international law, in the face of a CLEAR AND PRESENT THREAT, until such time as the U.N. Security council can pass an applicable resolution as to how to resolve the crisis.
A PREVENTATIVE attack, such as the illegal invasion of Iraq, is NEVER allowed and is ALWAYS a very serious crime. Many WWII era Nazis were sentenced and HANGED for this very thing.
Arlington National Cemetery, where I have more friends
buried than I''d like to remember, and you watch
those waving flags.
You stand there, and you think about this nation,
and you tell ME that those people didn''t have a job?
What about you?''
For those who don''t remember
During W.W.II, Howard Metzenbaum was an attorney
representing the Communist Party in theUSA
Now he''s a Senator!
If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you are reading it in English thank a Veteran.
Kiss my petunias you lilly livered turdballs.
The good part about that exposee is that they are all Democrats. LOL. Ciao and ta-ta!
And we haven''t forgotten about you either, Richard "Price of Darkness" Perle....
Start running, you disgusting, subhuman fecal monument!
Posted by mudrose at 05:20 PM : Apr 03, 2008
Finally...what? We''re supposed to believe this neo-con nut job? We''re supposed to take the word of one of the premiere architects of the war that the only reason was this nonsense about ''possible future threats''?
In his upcoming book it appears he talks about ''ruining the reputation of America overseas.'' Well, at least he''s writing about something he knows.
Posted by notblue
What FACT? That in 10 or 20 years Saddam could have been a threat? Get a grip. We had the north and south of Iraq under our control, he wasn''t going anywhere. This was a willful invasion of sovereign country already on its knees from 10 years of international sanctions that posed no credible threat to us at all. That is a war crime... you just don''t get it. Bush and Cheney are hanging the nazi mantle around our necks like a shiny medal and you got a s**t eating grin on your face! What a bunch of morons.
Posted by WogerWabbit at 05:36 PM : Apr 03, 2008
I have a question.
How long were you prepared to contain him, and what do you think he or his sons would be doing if we stopped their containment?
Posted by notblue at 05:36 PM : Apr 03, 2008
The truth? What in the hell does the Bush administration know about the truth? They''re incapable of anything but lies to cover their collective as*ses. they''re scum. They''re a lower life form. They belong in prison.
Should read that he decided the risks of war were over-weighed but the chance for profit and to hell with how many innocent people or troops have to die.
Supoosedly TOP SECRET memos are being leaked to the press, Pentagon former employees are blabbing government secrets, and the military is allowing former inmates at Gitmo to describe their encounters with TORTURE, firsthand! All of this is happening while the Great Emperor was on a state "holiday" in the Balkans, where the climate both weather-wise and politically were more to his liking.
Now deeply concerned about what else might "hit the fan", the Great Emperor is hurrying back to the USSA so that his heavy boot and iron fist will bring peace and order to the rising chaos here and stop the dangerous flood of incriminating information from reaching the citizens of the USSA!
SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!!
sig heil, (more of the same) McCain!!!
The damage they are capable of, is too horrific.
The damage they are capable of, is too horrific.
Posted by kesac4650 at 05:52 PM : Apr 03, 2008
That does not justify the invasion of another country that was no threat to us at all. If we were to invade every other nation that had a leader that didn''t like us and "might" become a threat to us "someday" then we we need an army of 10''s of millions of troops. besides this war had nothing to do with a threat to us and it never did. It''s about money and money alone. War is terribly expensive to the people of the invading and occupying nation, but very very profitable to the people that manufacture weapons, supplies and support. The only real reason for this war was to make the already rich even reacher. That''s all. That''s it. Nothing much else to see. That''s why we''re fighting in Iraq. To make the rich richer.
Posted by badaxmofo at 05:44 PM : Apr 03, 2008
...your warped and twisted desire to rationalize a pointless, counterproductive war that has wasterd countless billions of US taxpayer dollars, ruined our credibility and reputation, destroyed the US dollar as a viable currency, sickened and allienated our allies and emboldened our enemies?
Nah, I''ll just watch the Feith piece on Sunday instead.
Re: "The days are gone, when the US can blithely sit back, and let the bad guys take the first shot at us.
The damage they are capable of, is too horrific."
Posted by kesac4650
Your comment is reminiscent of those of an infant, trapped in a cartoon land.
Is there anything that you guys are NOT scared of?
Anything at all?
Posted by notblue at 05:57 PM : Apr 03, 2008
I know you''re blinded to the truth, but I am infinitely more American then Bush, Cheney, Fieth or any of the supporters of this insanity. they wave the flag in one hand and the bible in the other, while their supporters pick our pockets and send our brave troops off to die in their war for money. That''s not American, that''s fascist.
WOW!!! Talk about propaganda! ROFLMAO!
Re: "Look. He was willing to tell us he is a liar and a killer because he thinks he is justified. So now we have his own confession."
Posted by CBS_Oliver
Another excellent point and brilliant conclusion from our friend "CBS_Oliver"!
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