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The plan: Release all relevant information. Try to shift attention back to Bush's leadership in the war on terrorism. Diminish the significance of that single piece of iffy intelligence by making the case that Saddam was a threat for many other reasons. Put
Republican lawmakers and other Bush allies
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September 6, 2002: In an interview with the New York Times, White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card did not mention the WHIG specifically but hinted at its mission: "From a marketing point of view, you don't introduce new products in August." On
September 17, 2002, commentator Matt Miller stated on
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On CBS, President Bush said U.N. weapons inspectors, before they were denied access to Iraq in 1998, concluded that Saddam was "six months away from developing a weapon." He also cited satellite photos released by a U.N. agency Friday that show unexplained construction at Iraq sites that weapons
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was written, in which
British intelligence said "C reported on his recent talks in Washington. There was a perceptible shift in attitude. Military action was now seen as inevitable. Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the
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of The New York Times reports Bush administration officials said "In the last 14 months, Iraq has sought to buy thousands of specially designed aluminum tubes, which
American officials believe were intended as components of centrifuges to enrich uranium." In fact, many government officials had
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b. The
British Government had intelligence from several different sources indicating that this visit was for the purpose of acquiring uranium. Since uranium constitutes almost three-quarters of Niger's exports, the intelligence was credible.
141:. However, it is widely speculated that the intention of the task force was "escalation of rhetoric about the danger that Iraq posed to the U.S., including the introduction of the term 'mushroom cloud'" .
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January 21, 2003: Bush says of Saddam "He has weapons of mass destruction -- the world's deadliest weapons -- which pose a direct threat to the United States, our citizens and our friends and allies."
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October 14, 2002: President Bush says of Saddam "This is a man that we know has had connections with al Qaeda. This is a man who, in my judgment, would like to use al Qaeda as a forward army."
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acknowledged that "there will always be some uncertainty" in determining how close Iraq may be to obtaining a nuclear weapon but said, "We don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud."
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cited the New York Times article, and accused Saddam of moving aggressively to develop nuclear weapons over the past fourteen months to add to his stockpile of chemical and biological arms.
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NPR that the Card's statement was in response to the question: "... why the administration waited until after Labor Day to try to sell the
American people on military action against Iraq"
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reporters contacted the White House to talk about their upcoming piece , one of them leaked Gerson's phrase — and the administration would soon make maximum use of it." (
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d. The forged documents were not available to the
British Government at the time its assessment was made, and so the fact of the forgery does not undermine it.
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proposes the use of a "smoking gun/mushroom cloud" metaphor to sell the
American public on the supposed nuclear dangers posed by Saddam Hussein. According to
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addresses the United
Nations, asserting that there was "no doubt in my mind" that Saddam was working to obtain key components to produce nuclear weapons.
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c. The evidence was not conclusive that Iraq actually purchased, as opposed to having sought, uranium and the
British Government did not claim this.
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inspectors once visited to search for evidence Saddam was trying to develop nuclear arms. "I don't know what more evidence we need," Bush said.
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September 7–8, 2002: President Bush and a plurality of top advisers blanketed the airwaves, talking about the dangers posed by Iraq.
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From our examination of the intelligence and other material on Iraqi attempts to buy uranium from Africa, we have concluded that:
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Most important: Question the motives of Democrats who supported the war but now are criticizing the president."
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set up in August 2002 and tasked with disseminating information supporting the positions of the
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Hoodwinked: The Documents That Reveal How Bush Sold Us a War, Prados, John (Ed.), (2004),
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Records and notes of White House Iraq Group activities were subpoenaed by Special Counsel
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Bush White House task force formed in Aug. 2002 preceding March 2003 Iraq invasion
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Soon after WHIG was formed, the Bush administration's claims about the danger
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a. It is accepted by all parties that Iraqi officials visited Niger in 1999.
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Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War
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issue, the White House Iraq Group devised a strategy to combat critics:
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Remarks by the President at Thaddeus McCotter for Congress Dinner
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September 5, 2002: In a WHIG meeting, chief Bush speechwriter
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concluded the tubes were unsuitable for uranium refinement.
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intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy."
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Bush Expresses Regret For 'Rhetoric' Leading to Iraq War
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119:, which would subsequently take place in March 2003.
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U.S. Says Hussein Intensifies Quest for A-Bomb Parts
252:The members of the White House Iraq Group include:
566:Armitage Said Joe Wilson Told Everyone About Plame
556:Air Force One records subpoenaed in CIA leak probe
612:United States government propaganda organizations
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416:Depiction of Threat Outgrew Supporting Evidence
379:as part of the investigation into the leak of
165:August, 2002: White House Iraq Group formed.
455:President Bush Meets with Leading Economists
617:George W. Bush administration controversies
403:Top Bush officials push case against Saddam
19:"WHIG" redirects here. For other uses, see
206:On NBC's "Meet the Press," Vice President
55:. Please do not remove this message until
75:Learn how and when to remove this message
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51:Relevant discussion may be found on the
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487:(published September 8, 2006).
429:Questions dog White House days
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452:White House Archives (2003).
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122:The task force was set up by
113:George W. Bush administration
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57:conditions to do so are met
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602:Propaganda in the Iraq War
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239:March 19, 2003: The U.S.
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133:to coordinate all of the
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115:relating to a possible
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345:on TV to defend him.
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21:Whig (disambiguation)
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157:July 23, 2002: The
322:In response to the
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65:January 2015
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272:Andrew Card
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109:White House
596:Categories
391:References
383:operative
176:columnist
42:neutrality
522:Daily Kos
257:Karl Rove
131:Karl Rove
53:talk page
586:VOA News
213:On CNN,
174:Newsweek
145:Timeline
46:disputed
478:Hubris
248:Members
241:invades
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186:Hubris
99:(aka,
243:Iraq.
182:Times
577:9/11
535:ISBN
151:Iraq
139:Iraq
105:WHIG
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