U.S. Advisor Says Iraq Peace Offer Was a Trap (Perle's Sunday Comments)

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

http://wireservice.wired.com/wired/story.asp?section=Breaking&storyId=797668&tw=wn_wire_story

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A last minute peace deal offered by a top Iraqi official in the run up to the war that toppled Saddam Hussein was a trap designed to discredit U.S. policy, an advisor to the Pentagon said on Sunday.

Richard Perle, former chairman of the Defense Policy Advisory Board who had met with a Lebanese businessman who conveyed the Iraqi offer meant to prevent an invasion, said the offer had not been credible.

Perle told ABC television's "This Week With George Stephanopoulos" that the offer by former chief of intelligence, Gen. Tahir Habbush made through Imad Hage, a prominent Lebanese-American businessman, was one of many approaches for a last-minute peace deal.

"There were a number of governments that were trying to broker something with the Iraqis," Perle said. "So this was not credible, this offline approach, indirect as it was."

The Bush administration has been accused by Democrats of being overeager to go to war with Iraq, ignoring possible diplomatic avenues to peace including that conveyed through Perle and exaggerating the threat from Iraq.
<snip>

Gee, how can someone doubt such words from such a credible and unbiased source. This man's attitude is that if it furthers the PNAC agenda, lies are virtuous things.

[Barrett808]

1. I'm surprised he didn't use the phrase "cruel hoax" n/t

n/t

[patdem]

2. Peace Offer was a Trap...gee I thought Sadaam 'pretending' to have WMD

was a TRAP...can't they make up their minds???

[loudnclear]

3. Perle was made to look like the liar that he is.

Even George Will was shaking his head over the administrations poor handling of the Iraq situation. Perle and the other Bush minions will never admit that they were wrong...about anything. They have a dittohead following that is just like them in that respect.

"Keeping your eyes shut is worse than being blind."

Some Duer posted this quote sometime ago. It is most appropriate where the average American is concerned.

[LittleApple81]

4. But they don't mention tat Hollbrooke had Perle cornered like a

rat and George Stephanopolous saved his ass by changing the subject.
Hollbrooke asked him point blank why PERLE HAD NOT TRANSMITTED THE OFFER TO THE HIGHER US AUTHORITY....

[legin]

5. what is interesting

is that any major foreign policy statements of the bush* misadministration are issued by Perle and not Powell. Perle did one a few days ago when he suggested that Russia should be kicked out of the G8 for the Yukos affair.

Makes you wonder in fact if it is really Perle who is actually President of the u.s.

[peterh]

6. Saddam didn’t need to set a trap…

To discredit US policy…..these twits has been doing a fine job of that on their own…

[warrior1]

7. Like

would could ever believe anything from him and the corrupted admin.

[Malva Zebrina]

8. A trap? LOL

to do what? Invade the US with that little paper airplane they found, that was the sum total of Iraq's air force? Invade the US with a flotilla of their secret nuclear subs, dozens of battle ships and destroyers, as well as carriers? So they were going to "trick us" into giving up the attack, so they could invade us? This administration has proven themselves to be so inept, so pathetically inept and in over their heads, beyond their capacities that if they had taken the offer, we would today have had those hundreds of our children who died and the thousands who were wounded, alive and whole. Was it worth it? No Saddam to be seen--more of our kids being blasted and killed, more legs and arms littering the streets waiting for someone to sew them back on our children's bodies.

I don't know what is wrong with the people of America. There has been some kind of a shift in mentality and attitude that is truly barbaric, and becoming more so. I failed to recognize it was happening, except for the escalating road rage--I live too much in the rural area. If Bush gets elected to continue his rape of the world according to Bush, I will have to believe that this country, is a people who have turned , in their lack of ability to think, meditate, contemplate--in their obssessions with possessions-in their shallowness and adoration of riches that they think, sadly, determines their intrinsic worth as a human being-turned into some Jekyl and Hyde, barbaric, club wielding Neanderthal--and that might be an insult to those noble Neanderthals even.

[Old and In the Way]

9. What uteer nonsense.

Perle ought to remember only 50% of the US population is braindead...the other 50% really do pay attention.

Please explain how "trapping us" in peace is a bad thing.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

10. So, what would Perle call what we're in now?...

Gee, if we'd actually taken the offer seriously we would have to treat Iraq in a respectful, honest manner. Can't have that, can we?

[johnfunk]

11. Pundit Pap got it right about Dicky-Doo's "trap" spin

... in today’s edition:

"(Okay, let's stop for a minute. Yes, an inspection of Iraq would prove that all those claims Junior and Dicky and Colin and Condi made about Saddam allegedly having hundreds of tons of weapons of mass destruction and a nuclear program were 100% wrong -- and yes, it would have demolished the Administration's credibility. But a "trap"? You have to laugh. The top decision-makers in this country were completely mistaken about Iraq -- it is they, not that wily, evil evildoer of evil Saddam Hussein, who trapped themselves. Why didn't Steph jump all over Dicky the P about that?)"