(PV) Huckabee and Those WMD in Jordan

[AZXD]

A typical politician.
I realized as he said this, that he had the wrong country. But I did not realize he would try to cover up something so simple.

He gained a lot of trust with me over this
Especially when one realizes that the Ghouliani comment shows the whole show might just be A SHOW.

MR. GIULIANI: Before, I told you I wasn't going to answer your question. (Laughter.) But I will. We were kidding around about the questions before, who was going to ask whom.

Huckabee and Those WMD in Jordan

Saturday, January 26th, 2008 in News by Eric Garris| Comment |

Following the GOP debate on Thursday night, Huckabee showed both his ignorance and his willingness to believe fairy tales, regardless of whether he heard them or made them up himself.

During the debate, the Huckster said that Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction (a meaningless term covering everything from WWI-era mustard gas to nukes) were like Easter eggs that we never found, “it doesn’t mean they’re not there.”

Questioned by Chris Matthews following the debate, Huckabee suggested that the WMD were moved to Jordan. When Matthews pointed out that Jordan is a close ally of the US, Huckabee started spinning his fairy tale. Instead of realizing his mistake (he probably meant Syria, not Jordan), he explained that these elusive little WMD could have ended up anywhere, and without the knowledge of the King of Jordan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNWuBeQm_nk

The idea that Saddam moved his weapons out of the country before his regime fell never made sense to me, unless you believe that he was so moral as to refuse to use the weapons to save himself and defend his rule.

[jdavionic]

Originally Posted by quote

The idea that Saddam moved his weapons out of the country before his regime fell never made sense to me, unless you believe that he was so moral as to refuse to use the weapons to save himself and defend his rule.

First, I agree with your initial comment. He flounders over an obvious mistake, rather just admit he made a mistake. Not a good sign.

With that said, the writer behaves like the idiots that he attacks. He creates positions in order to make an argument against fictitious, popular position. I've read several theories on the WMDs including...

• they never existed in the mass quantities that were cited in front of the UN
• they didn't exist but Saddam was using the threat of them to keep Iran from attacking
• they did exist but they were buried in a area as large as California
• they did exist but rogue military individuals sold them to Syria and/or Iran

Those are the most popular arguments that I've seen. For this moron to claim that a popular opinion is that Saddam moved these weapons out of the country, it just seems like some loser trying to give himself credibility by prevailing in an argument that doesn't exist (or at least to the level he has implied).

[AZXD]

JD,
I agree with your assessment of the writer. But I had nothing more to do with this than following a Google News link to antiwar.com

The writer is obviously biased, but Huckabee as you said "floundered". He should have just manned-up and said he mis-spoke as he corrected himself.

I agree, it is not a good sign.

[Hooz]

After watching the entire debate and the hours of banter that followed... What I came away with was the fact that Huckabee was trying to say that the weapons could've been there, and could've been moved to _______ (fill in the blank) before the UN inspectors got there.

The point wasn't where they were moved (if they existed), it was just that they could have been moved.

The MSNBC (The pillar of conservative journalism ) people latched onto the word "Jordan" and missed the whole point of what he said. He even said that he didn't belive that's where they went, he was just saying that they could've gone somewhere.

You really can't trust anyone else's perspective on something like a debate. You need to see it for yourself in the original context and then formulate your own opinion. I've watched every single debate (on both sides of the aisle) myself. Sometimes I agree with the commentary, sometimes I don't.

To throw in my $.02, I thought Huckabee and Romney had the "best" showing in the last debate. Romney was composed and well spoken (He's still weak in the 2A department). Huckabee took on some of the tough issues (Fair Tax, 2A, etc) and articulated himself well. McCain did nothing really but name drop and talk about the Reagan Revolution. Ron Paul, as usual, got shafted on airtime. Mayor 9/11 was, well, Mayor 9/11.

I still haven't decided who is going to get my vote, but I know a few who WON'T be getting it.

[VaGunNut]

Originally Posted by AZXD

A typical politician.
I realized as he said this, that he had the wrong country. But I did not realize he would try to cover up something so simple.

He gained a lot of trust with me over this
Especially when one realizes that the Ghouliani comment shows the whole show might just be A SHOW.

Well didn't Saddam send his jets to his arch enemy Iran to avoid their destruction by the US during GW1? Weird things do happen over in the sand box.

Not trying to defend Huck in anyway just an observation of the sometimes strange things that go on in that area.

[AZXD]

I think a few people are missing the point. It is not where he said WMD might have went. It is the fact that when confronted, he didn't just say that he misspoke and meant another country. He started down the road of excuses.

[jdavionic]

Originally Posted by VaGunNut

Well didn't Saddam send his jets to his arch enemy Iran to avoid their destruction by the US during GW1?

I believe the answer is "no." Yes, Iraqi pilots took their aircraft & fled to Iran. But they were not sent to Iran by Saddam. I believe they fled because they were scared that they would be killed by our forces. Their decision to run versus fight was not made by Saddam. My guess is that he would have liked to had those pilots back for a "special" homecoming. But I don't believe he ever got the pilots or their planes back.

[BuccaneersFan]

I know a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army and he told me the US had intelligence showing a convoy of tractor trailer trucks leaving Iraq shortly before the the US invasion. If I remember correctly, the trucks were heading into Syria.

And doesn't anybody remember that we did find some WMDs in Iraq, granted they were very old and rusted, but if those were there than how come there couldn't have been more that were never found or that were removed?

[VaGunNut]

Originally Posted by jdavionic

I believe the answer is "no." Yes, Iraqi pilots took their aircraft & fled to Iran. But they were not sent to Iran by Saddam. I believe they fled because they were scared that they would be killed by our forces. Their decision to run versus fight was not made by Saddam. My guess is that he would have liked to had those pilots back for a "special" homecoming. But I don't believe he ever got the pilots or their planes back.

I guess it depends on who you read and believe.

Washington Post Article
"U.S. government and allied analysts continued to puzzle over the exodus of Iraqi warplanes into Iran, among the most surprising developments in two weeks of war. Most of those interviewed saw Baghdad's motive as desperation in the face of systematic bombing of a largely grounded air force. Tehran's offer of sanctuary to a once-bitter enemy was generally viewed as a bid for power and influence in shaping Persian Gulf security arrangements after the war.
The escape of Iraq's aircraft began last week with the flight of a small group that included the only surviving Iraqi radar early warning plane, known as the Adnan 2, U.S. and Arab sources said. Even before the war began, Saddam had flushed some of his commercial airliners to Libya, Mauritania and, eventually, Iran, the sources added.
Military transport planes, escorted to the border by Iraqi fighters, subsequently fled to Iran. At first, the fighter escorts turned back before entering Iranian airspace and returned to their bases, the sources said. But beginning late last week, the fighters began fleeing themselves. Iranian interceptors, apparently confused about the intruders' intent, scrambled and chased away the first Iraqi fighters crossing the border. But subsequent fighters, now numbering about 65, were permitted to land unimpeded.
U.S. officials are uncertain whether Saddam is controlling the exodus, although he is believed to concur in the strategy, particularly after the allies found that it was easier than expected to destroy hardened Iraqi aircraft shelters with 2,000-pound bombs."

[Moose13]

I dont think he was trying to lie/cover up anything. I think he was sticking with his initial comment of how absurd it is to say Sadaam never had WMD because we didnt find them. Even from this one sided Chris "Slimeball" Matthews bit, one can take that he is being sarcastic not factual. I think it is his way of saying, I dont know where they went and neither do you, but it doesnt mean they werent there to begin with.

Watch the video, his body language doesnt go to show that he is flustered after the Slimeball question. Meaning, he is still making his point about, no one knows where they are. Body language during these debates and questions often times mean a lot more than the actual words coming out of their mouth.