"Iraq remains the most significant near-term threat to U.S. interests in the Arabian Gulf region," Zinni told Congress on March 15, 2000.
"Despite claims that WMD efforts have ceased," the general-turned-war critic said, "Iraq probably is continuing clandestine nuclear research, retains stocks of chemical and biological munitions, and is concealing extended-range SCUD missiles, possibly equipped with CBW [chem-bio-weapons] payloads," Zinni said, in quotes unearthed Friday by the American Thinker blog.
Gen. Zinni is currently leading to charge to get Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to resign - a campaign he began two weeks ago on NBC's "Meet the Press."
During the same broadcast, Zinni addressed the issue of Saddam's WMD threat - sounding like someone who'd developed acute amnesia about his earlier testimony.
"What bothered me," Zinni told host Tim Russert, "[was that] I was hearing a depiction of the intelligence that didn�t fit what I knew. There was no solid proof, that I ever saw, that Saddam had WMD.
"Now, I�d be the first to say we had to assume he had WMD left over that wasn�t accounted for: artillery rounds, chemical rounds, a SCUD missile or two. But these things, over time, degrade. These things did not present operational or strategic level threats at best."
In fact, Zinni's flip-flop was so acute he should be suffering from a case of rhetorical whiplash. Here's more from the old Zinni - here telling Congress that Saddam would remain a threat even if he gave up his WMDs:
"Even if Baghdad reversed its course and surrendered all WMD capabilities, it retains the scientific, technical, and industrial infrastructure to replace agents and munitions within weeks or months."
The old Zinni even warned of a potential collaboration between Osama bin Laden and Iraq, telling Congress:
"Extremists like Osama bin Laden and his World Islamic Front network benefit from the global nature of communications that permits recruitment, fund raising, and direct connections to sub-elements worldwide . . .
"Terrorists are seeking more lethal weaponry to include: chemical, biological, radiological, and even nuclear components with which to perpetrate more sensational attacks . . . Three [Iraq, Iran and Sudan] of the seven recognized state-sponsors of terrorism are within this potentially volatile area, and the Taliban regime in Afghanistan has been sanctioned by the UN Security Council for its harboring of Osama bin Laden."
Now Zinni wants Bush to apologize and Rumsfeld to resign for taking his advice in the first place.
2 comments:
Absolutely amazing. With all do respect to retired General Zini, you can't have it both ways. I wonder who the real mouthpiece is that this General is speaking for, because it certainly doesn't look like he felt this way in 2000.
When Zinni was pushing "Battle Ready" the book he wrote with Tom Clancy in 2004 he said:
"In the lead-up to the Iraq War and its later conduct, I saw at a minimum, true dereliction, negligence, and irresponsibility, at worse, lying, incompetence and corruption."
He may very well have been talking about the Clinton Administration in which he served as Centcom Commander.
We knew his views before the 2004 presidential election and we re-elected President Bush with the largest number of votes EVER cast for President.
President Bush is our Commander in Chief, not these S I X retired generals demanding Rumsfeld resign.
When we voted to re-elect President Bush we gave a vote of confidence to one of the best national security teams ever established.
Oh, and while we are at it, every indicator (see Brookings Institute) says we are WINNING in Iraq.
Happy Easter to you and yours J.R.
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