Obama's UN Envoy Got Iraq War Wrong

The Nation reports that President-elect Obama's UN ambassador is another staffer who got the Iraq war wrong:

On the outside chance that anyone thought that Dr. Susan Rice might be the exception to the rule of wrong-thinking that characterizes Barack Obama's foreign-policy team, well, think again.

Obama's nominee to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, had this to say February, 2002, after then-Secretary of State Colin Powell made a wholly absurd presentation a plenary session of the United Nations Security Council regarding the supposed threat posed by those Iraqi imaginary weapons of mass destruction.

"I think he [Powell] has proved that Iraq has these weapons and is hiding them," said Rice, a former Clinton administration State Department aide, "and I don't think many informed people doubted that."

So said Rice in an interview with National Public Radio on February 6, 2003.

Read more about UN Ambassador Susan Rice.

Comments

[munki]

Well...
Anyone can give a test first?

[ATS2008]

John Nichols clearly did not listen to the whole February 6th NPR interview(http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=980412) . Susan Rice did say that she was convinced that Colin Powell made the case that Iraq was hiding weapons of mass destruction. However, just after this statement she very clearly says that he did not make the case for war.

Rice says, "The problem is that many American people are not convinced that going to war against Iraq will actually make us in the United States safer. I think they fear reprisals and attacks and they think that our homeland is not yet secure and that with developments in the Middle East and al-Qaeda still very much on the loose there are many I think may fear that going to war against Iraq may in fact in the short term make us less secure, rather than more secure"

And later in the same interview, Rice was asked about Bush"s assertion linking al-Qaeda to Iraq. She responded that his argument was "tenuous" and that "I don"t think he proved that piece conclusively."

In fact Rice was one of the few policy elites who openly and consistently opposed the Iraq War from the beginning. Susan Rice, contrary to what John Nichols wrote above, is the right-on Iraq nominee and is willing to put clear-eyed analysis above muddied politics.

[welshTerrier2]

I'm looking for a much clearer statement than this. You stated (i.e. not Rice): "However, just after this statement she very clearly says that he did not make the case for war."

Rice stated that many Americans questioned whether the war would make the US safer. She didn't say that she agreed with them. She further argued that there was no link between Al-Qaeda and Iraq. While I agree, that was only one of many justifications Bush provided. In fact, the primary justification was WMD. Rice clearly agreed Saddam had WMD.

Did she ever say "While it's clear Saddam has WMD, I think invading Iraq would be a mistake"? Did she????? Because if she didn't, the evidence seems to suggest she supported the invasion because she supported it's most prominent justification.

Neither of the quotes you provided gives a clear statement of Rice's objection to the invasion of Iraq. I'm looking for something at least reasonably close to "I think it would be a mistake to invade Iraq and I think the Congress should vote against the Iraq War Resolution." If you've got the goods, let's see 'em!! I'll be glad to alter my views on Rice if you do. If not, it looks like she's guilty as charged.

If you read Nichol's article (see my post on 12/3/08 at 10:53 am for a link), you'll see there are very real concerns about Rice's views on Iran as well.

[welshTerrier2]

From an article entitled "Are Key Obama Advisors in Tune with Neocon Hawks Who Want to Attack Iran?":

"Organizations like WINEP, AIPAC, AEI, BPC, and UANI see it as their mission to push the United States toward a showdown with Iran. Don't sell them short. Those who believe that such a confrontation would be inconceivable under President Obama ought to ask Tony Lake, Susan Rice, Dennis Ross, Tom Daschle, and Richard Holbrooke whether they agree -- and, if so, why they're still palling around with neoconservative hardliners."

Read the full article here => http://www.alternet.org/audits/109572/are_key_obama_advisors_in_tune_with_neocon_hawks_who_want_to_attack_iran/

[SEQUOIABISON]

Despite Dr Rice's early praise of Secretary of State Colin Powell's address to the UN regarding WMD, she never supported the invasion of Iraq, in fact she was an adviser to Howard Dean during his presidential run in 2004 and we all remember that Dean opposed the war.

Susan Rice gravitated to Obama because of his sensible opposition to the war in Iraq and was quoted in a NY newspaper The Sun;

"I was attracted to him in the very beginning as someone who was extraordinarily intelligent, thoughtful, and had a remarkably broad and deep grasp of the key foreign policy challenges of the day," she said. Ms. Rice said she was drawn to him in part because of his early and vocal opposition to the Iraq war. She had also spoken out on the war before the American invasion, and she said she respected Mr. Obama for making "the same unpopular choice I had made," despite what she described as a "huge amount of pressure in Washington to go along with or support the war."

Good luck at the UN Ms Rice, I know you will be a million times better than the disgraceful John Bolton.

[Whinger]

Dooh! Sadam was crafty, he hid them beneath the grassy knoll.

[Seven7s]

Even I knew Bush was lying about WMDs and I am no where near as smart as these people.

The shocker to me is that such intelligent peopel were actually duped when I (as well as manyother bloggers and average Joe's) knew that Bush was lying through his teeth.

It scared me that at one point I had better national Security judgement than the leaders of our country.

[Daniel74]

They weren't duped. They made a consience descision to go along with the lie to further their political careers. It is that simple.

[blueberryhill]

Very true, just like Hillary and many senators did so they wouldn't look weak on defense. A lot of Dems enable the Bush administration instead looking out for the country, they were looking out for themselves and corp. interest.

[cbates]

The American public deserves better than you authors or reporters are offering us as reporting and or points to discuss. You are asking us to believe there is a fight and truthfully there is no fight. Barack is engaging all as he prepares for his job as POTUS. The Congress will operate independent of the White House and the Supreme Court. Mr. President will have to convince all of his policy proposals not just the Rupblicans.
Please raise the level of discussion in your writings. I am tired of the confrontational end of the world style that is depicted in many of the articles. This is not a Black and White world. It is really a continuum of colors as colors relate to ideas.

Dr. Rice said that Colin Powell had proved the existence of the WMD in his presentation which implies that she was also fooled by those who had perpetrated the lie.

[Frenbar]

Anyone who was 'fooled' by the asinine statements of Bush and cohorts leading up to the invasion of Iraq shouldn't be able to drive a car, let alone run the country.

[cheforacle]

Whether you believed he had WMDs is a separate issue from whether she supported the war. This article doesn't say that. Concluding that Hussein had WMDs is not problematic. What is problematic is concluding that this means we must invade them.

[Daniboy]

Leave her alone! Remember,we are Bush Bashers.

[anachoret]

"I think he [Powell] has proved that Iraq has these weapons and is hiding them," said Rice...

"Proved?"

[wingman1]

Indeed. The correct English is "proven".

[anachoret]

Regardless, I don't think there was proof.
A convincing argument to some, but not proof. Many had, by this time, put serious doubt to this testimony by the day after.

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

Dear Katrina, "¦whereas the reader can easily discount the bias of the time serving historian, detraction and spite find a ready audience. Adulation bears the ugly taint of subservience¦malice gives false impressions of being independent." Tacitus, "The Histories"

[lagumbo]

Dr. Susan Rice is an excellent pick for PRESIDENT OBAMA'S cabinet. She is brilliant, also.

[Liberoservative]

HIndsight is always 20/20

It is amusing to see all these people condemn those who actually believed, at that time, that the POTUS was telling us the truth........ I am sure that they were all amongst the believers, as well...

Stop analyzing the past and move on to the future.... just don't forget that this POTUS is not going to lie to us in order to enrich himself and his personal friends.....

[Frenbar]

The lack of accountability that the ruling class depends on to continue their control of our society hinges on simple people accepting two things after the mishandling of a situation:

1. Declare that now is not the time for recriminations, that their will be plenty of time for that later.

2. Later, declare that any misdeeds are now old news and its time to move on.

[yngskywlkr]

C'mon, do we have to be so knit picky

[Bigbard]

Her intelligence is a huge turn on for me!

[SammyD]

gross