Guardian get it wrong again...

Mr. Rusbridger,

In todays "Leader" you contend that the reason for the invasion of Iraq was for the purpose of deposing of a cruel dictator and giving the people of Iraq a better life.

"invaded in order to depose a cruel dictator and give its people a better life."

I was wondering whether you think that this is rather misleading or is it that you are in the process of implementing Orwell's Newspeak? I have yet to hear of this reason being either the primary, secondary or tertiary aim of the invasion according to government sources. Infact I have highlighted the quote "Our mission -- besides removing the regime that threatened us, besides ending a place where the terrorists could find a friend, besides getting rid of weapons of mass destruction -- our mission has been to bring a humanitarian aid and restore basic services, and put this country, Iraq, on the road to self- government. And we'll stay as long as it takes to complete our mission. And then all our forces are going to leave Iraq and come home" made by Bush in Ohio as one thats identifies your reason as the forth aim. It is also quite obvious this aim exists only on the condition that all other aims before it are extant.

The following quotes may be useful in any future articles or a possible correction.


"(The U.K., U.S. and Spain) reserve their right to take their own steps to secure the disarmament of Iraq."— British ambassador to the UN, Jeremy Greenstock; Mar. 17, 2003

"The primary goal is to make it clear to Saddam that we expect him to be a peaceful neighbour in the region and we expect him not to develop weapons of mass destruction. And if we find him doing so, there will be a consequence."
—U.S. President George W. Bushat his first White House news conference; Feb. 22, 2001
http://www.cbc.ca/news/iraq/issues_analysis/quotes.html
"Our cause is just, the security of the nations we serve and the peace of the world. And our mission is clear, to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein's support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people." --George W. Bush March 22, 2003 Radio Address

"The danger to our country is grave. The danger to our country is growing. The Iraqi regime possesses biological and chemical weapons.... The regime is seeking a nuclear bomb, and with fissile material, could build one within a year....The dangers we face will only worsen from month to month and from year to year. To ignore these threats is to encourage them. And when they have fully materialized it may be too late to protect ourselves and our friends and our allies. By then the Iraqi dictator would have the means to terrorize and dominate the region. Each passing day could be the one on which the Iraqi regime gives anthrax or VX - nerve gas - or some day a nuclear weapon to a terrorist ally." -- George W. Bush Rose Garden remarks, September 26, 2002

We can't allow the world's worst leaders to blackmail, threaten, hold freedom-loving nations hostage with the world's worst weapons. --George W. Bush

One of our top objectives is to find and destroy the WMD. There are a number of sites. --Pentagon Spokeswoman Victoria Clark Press Briefing March 22, 2003

Free nations will not sit and wait, leaving enemies free to plot another September the 11th -- this time, perhaps, with chemical, biological, or nuclear terror. We'll remove weapons of mass destruction from the hands of mass murderers. And by defending our own security, we are ridding the people of Iraq from one of the cruelest regimes on earth. The United States and our allies pledged to act if the dictator did not disarm. The regime in Iraq is now learning that we keep our word. --George W. Bush April 5 2003 Radio Address

Our mission -- besides removing the regime that threatened us, besides ending a place where the terrorists could find a friend, besides getting rid of weapons of mass destruction -- our mission has been to bring a humanitarian aid and restore basic services, and put this country, Iraq, on the road to self- government. And we'll stay as long as it takes to complete our mission. And then all our forces are going to leave Iraq and come home.
--George W. Bush April 24, 2003 Remarks at Lima Army Tank Plant - Lima, Ohio

http://www.epinions.com/content_4056391812

"On Monday, Vice President Dick Cheney said in a speech that the Iraqi dictator "had long established ties with al-Qaida."
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0616-01.htm
"The battle of Iraq is one victory in a war on terror that began on September the 11th, 2001." He added: "With those attacks, the terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States. And war is what they got."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A25571-2003Sep17?language=printer


Also, as US officials have made it clear that they intend to keep a military presence in Iraq for the foreseeable future it may be in the interest of "fair" reporting to refer to their "exit stategy" as something more accurate, perhaps "military diminution."

"The result is to cast grave doubt over whether the Iraqi security forces will be capable of managing without the Americans"

"exit strategy"




Yours sincerely,

Dav


http://www.guardian.co.uk/leaders/story/0,,1367116,00.html