Bush-Cheney continue lies, deceptions

To the editor:

Despite the right-wing commentators promoted by this journal, it is evident to most Americans that Bush and Cheney mounted a campaign of lies and deceptions to get voters to endorse their invasion and occupation of Iraq.

The prime architects of this invasion, neo-cons who avoided Vietnam-era service themselves because they "had better things to do," wanted to depose Saddam Hussein in 1998 -- long before 9-11 became their public justification.

To elicit support from Congress and the public, despite frequent objections from our own intelligence and military experts, they publicized dubious and now discredited claims from Iraqi ex-patriots and defectors that Iraq harbored al-Qaida terrorists, was involved in 9-11, was seeking nuclear weapons and possessed biological and chemical WMDs that threatened U.S. national security.

Though United Nations inspectors with experience in Iraq publicly doubted these claims, they sent Colin Powell (in a confessed blot on his record as secretary of state) to the United Nations to lie to the world.

So committed were they to their lies that they even vilified the U.N. inspectors.

Ignoring the evidence, they continue the deception. Despite repeated rosy commentaries, Iraq has descended into civil war and is now a haven for terrorists. Far from waging a war on terror, they have promoted global terrorism and continue to do it. The costs include thousands of American and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives.

Even as Bush and Cheney accuse opponents of treason, Iraqi leaders demand an end to U.S. occupation.

Enough is enough.

ALAN JOURNET, Cape Girardeau