Bush's 'Compassionate Conservatism' Now Sounds A Lot Like The Ritual Sacrifice Of American Troops

Crooks & Liars has an impressive round-up of links and facts from the Bush 'Iraq War No Matter What'' scandal, which we wrote about here, still spreading across the world's media :

How much money does Bush think a US soldier’s life is worth? How much money does Bush think the lives of our allies’ soldiers or innocent Iraqis are worth?

As we’re finding out, not very much.

On March 17, 2003 President Bush issued the warning: “Saddam Hussein and his sons must leave Iraq within 48 hours. Their refusal to do so will result in military conflict commenced at a time of our choosing ,” yet now thanks to a transcript leaked to the Spanish newspaper El Pais, we learn that more than three weeks prior to that Bush had told former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar that “The Egyptians are speaking to Saddam Hussein. It seems he’s indicated he would be prepared to go into exile if he’s allowed to take $1 billion …” When confronted about the leaked transcript yesterday, Whitehouse spokeswoman Dana Perino did not dispute its accuracy.

Just last week we learned from former Fed Chair Alan Greenspan that the real reason behind the war in Iraq was oil , and now we are finding out that the entire war could have been averted for letting him get away with $1 billion.

That’s just than one tenth of 1% of what this insane invasion and occupation of Iraq, that continues claim the lives of our country’s bravest men and women, has now been forcast to cost.

Think about that just for a second. Every single death, Iraqi and American coalition alike, could have been saved and Bush could have had Saddam’s oil, but apparently he didn’t even seriously consider it. Topping that, he then lied in public to the entire world about it just so he could have his war regardless. How’s that for compassionate conservatism?

Go To Crooks & Liars For Video On All This

Bush's Pre-Iraq War Threats To Dissident Nations

$1 Billion 'Exile Payment' Versus $1 Trillion War

Bush's Pre-Iraq War Threats To Dissident Nations Hits The Headlines

President Bush's now controversial meeting with Spanish prime minister, Jose Maria Aznar, back on February 22, 2003, continues to generate damaging headlines around the world.

The White House has now unofficially confirmed the accuracy of tape transcripts from the meeting by declaring "No Comment" when asked about whether or not Bush really uttered the words now claimed to have fallen from his lips.

Even more damaging than the revelation that President Bush refused to allow Saddam Hussein to go into exile, thereby all but removing the 'case' for war on Iraq, and the clear evidence that he was going to go to war regardless of UN resolutions or evidence of WMDs, is certainly the news that Bush threatened nations with retaliation for not backing his illegal and unprovoked war.

From AFP :

In the transcript of a meeting on February 22, 2003 -- a month before the US-led invasion of Iraq -- published in El Pais newspaper, Bush tells Aznar that nations such as Mexico, Angola, Chile and Cameroon must know that the security of the United States is at stake.

He says during the meeting on his ranch in Texas that Angola stood to lose financial aid while Chile could see a free trade agreement held up in the US Senate if they did not back the resolution, the left-wing paper said.

The confidential transcript was prepared by Spain's ambassador to the United States at the time, Javier Ruperez, the paper said.

The White House did not challenge the accuracy of the transcript, with national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe declining to comment.

Prior to the US-led invasion of Iraq on March 20, 2003, Washington unsuccessfully lobbied the 15 members of the UN Security Council for a second resolution paving the way for military action against Iraq if Saddam Hussein failed to comply with demands to disarm.

But during the meeting with Aznar, Bush made it clear the US would invade Iraq by the end of March 2003 whether or not there was a UN resolution to authorize it, El Pais reported.

"We have to get rid of Saddam. There are two weeks left. In two weeks we will be ready militarily. We will be in Baghdad at the end of March," Bush said in the transcript which was translated into Spanish by the newspaper.

"We can win without destruction. We are already planning a post-Saddam Iraq and I think there is a good basis for a better future. Iraq has a good bureaucracy and a relatively robust civil society," he added.

During the meeting Aznar tells Bush that he is worried by the US president's optimism.

"I am optimistic because I believe I am right. I am at peace with myself," Bush responded according to the transcript.

Bush Refused Saddam Offer Of Exile

$1 Billion 'Exit Payment' Versus $1 Trillion War

For the more open-eyed, and open-minded, watchers of the Iraq War, this story is hardly breaking news. Arch NeoCon, and key Iraq War cheerleader Richard Perle acknowledged before the war began that he was involved in negotiations regarding Saddam Hussein's offer to go into exile. It may be hard to believe, but Saddam Hussein was reported to have said he would leave Iraq if his exit meant that America would not bomb "my people".

But BushCo. wanted the Iraq War, and they were going to go to war regardless of what Saddam Hussein did or did not do.

However, the claims now pumped by Iraq War apologists that one of the benefits of the invasion and occupation was some badly needed regime change is rendered obsolete by these new revelations.

And they further show the true tragedy of the Iraq War. For the Iraqis, and the Americans. The United States has spent more than half a billion on the Iraq War, and the final costs are widely estimated to eventually top $1.2 trillion. They've lost 3800 soldiers, with more than 60,000 more physically and mentally injured. Iraq has lost thousands of police and army members, and hundreds of thousands of civilians.

But the war industries that back Bush, and control all sides of Congress, have never seen such profits.

This story, from the UK Daily Mail, claims Saddam Hussein wanted $1 billion to go into exile. $1 billion is a lot, but it's nothing compared to the $1.2 trillion cost of going to War On Iraq. And it seems an almost pitiful amount considering the US has 'lost' more than $8 billion cash in Iraq, literally tons of money unloaded from planes with forklifts, due to a total lack of oversight in the months after the Iraq War began.

Saddam Hussein offered to step down and go into exile one month before the invasion of Iraq...

Fearing defeat, Saddam was prepared to go peacefully in return for £500million ($1billion).

The extraordinary offer was revealed yesterday in a transcript of talks in February 2003 between George Bush and the then Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar at the President's Texas ranch.

The White House refused to comment on the report last night.

But, if verified, it is certain to raise questions in Washington and London over whether the costly four-year war could have been averted.

...according to the tapes, one month before he launched the invasion Mr Bush appeared convinced that Saddam was serious about going into exile.

"The Eqyptians are speaking to Saddam Hussein," said Mr Bush.

"It seems he's indicated he would be prepared to go into exile if he's allowed to take $1billion and all the information he wants about weapons of mass destruction."

Asked by the Spanish premier whether Saddam - who was executed in December last year - could really leave, the President replied: "Yes, that possibility exists. Or he might even be assassinated."

But he added that whatever happened: "We'll be in Baghdad by the end of March."

Mr Bush went on to refer optimistically to the rebuilding or Iraq.

The transcript - which was published yesterday in the Spanish newspaper El Pais - was said to have been recorded by a diplomat at the meeting in Crawford, Texas, on February 22, 2003.

Mr Bush was dismissive of the then French President Jacques Chirac, saying he "thinks he's Mr Arab".

Referring to his relationship with Downing Street, he said: "I don't mind being the bad cop if Blair is the good cop."

The President added: "Saddam won't change and he'll keep on playing games.

"The time has come to get rid of him. That's the way it is."

War is first, and above all, a business. And business has never been so good for the American, Australian, British and Israeli war industries in Iraq.

Saddam going into exile would have made justifying the 'War On Iraq' all but impossible for President Bush, especially considering he failed to get a second resolution from the United Nations.

And the new revelations render President Bush's demands that Saddam leave Iraq, only two days before the war began, to be nothing more than an utterly cynical, disgusting last ditch attempt to try and claim the moral high ground, for an unprovoked war on an all but defenceless people.