Failed Van Gogh, or was this post-pretzel-attack? 

So far we've listed 56 Bush administration lies in five days' time, though upon consideration I think I have to disqualify one statement presented as a lie yesterday: Bush's repeated claim during Campaign 2000, "I don't believe in nation-building." Well? He never said he didn't believe in tearing them down, just that he drew the line at rebuilding them. Looks true to me. So call it 55 through yesterday.

What follows are a last few unduplicated lies I've received in the past few days. I don't think any of them are repetitions, but I'll be double-checking that before I write my summary story on Bush lies. Once again, thanks to everyone who has contributed ideas and links. And don't stop mailing in fresh lies when you spot them just because the marathon is over.

[Meantime, if you're a latecomer to the lies marathon, you can go back to day one, day two, day three, day four, day five.]

1) No major figure in the Bush administration said that the Iraqi populace would turn out en masse to welcome the US military as liberators. (Ed Thornhill)

2) 9/11 did not represent an intelligence failure. (Robert David Steele)

3) American air defenses were activated, according to protocols, on 9/11. (Joseph Gathman)

4) The looting of archaelogical and historic sites in Baghdad was unanticipated. (Sally Ryan)

5) The mass looting was a reaction to Saddam's past oppression. (Ryan)

6) The CIA was primarily responsible for any pre-war intelligence errors or distortions regarding Iraq. (George Hunsinger)

7) The US invasion of Iraq constituted a legal war under international law. (Hunsinger)

So: 62 lies for purposes of this little survey, without anyone's thinking hard or breaking a sweat. Do you suppose we've exhausted the list?

(PS--thanks, too, to those who sent Bush lies regarding domestic affairs, but here it's strictly war and terrorism.)

Posted by Steve Perry at June 20, 2003 12:59 PM

« June 19, 2003 | Main | June 23, 2003 »