It is by now drearily predictable: whenever indisputable facts run counter to the blind ideology at the White House, the facts are covered up and hidden away from the American people. It happened with prescription drugs, climate change, the cost of the Iraq War and key economic data. And now it's happening with one of the main selling points used to deceive the public into supporting the Iraq War: the canard that the secular dictator Saddam Hussein was bosom buddies with the theocratic terrorist Osama bin Laden.
Even years after the invasion, a considerable percentage of Americans still believe Saddam was behind 9/11. The true believers continue to rally the faithful with the promise that the truth will come out and that the secret will be revealed. Everyone who points out that Saddam and bin Laden hated each other with a passion and would never have collaborated on anything will finally be unmasked for the America-hating traitors they clearly are.
Well, the long-awaited report is finally ready. Monday afternoon, reports hit the media that the Pentagon's in-depth analysis of more than half a million captured Iraqi documents revealed that - drum roll, please - Iraq and al Qaeda never worked together, on 9/11 or anything else.
Oops.
Well, that's inconvenient. The White House and the right wing have years invested in this disinformation campaign. Why, if people are allowed to know that it was all a phony, they might be willing to question the whole war. (It's a little late for that...) They might even get mad at the pundits and media stenographers who helped the sales effort.
So the White House is burying the report.
That's right. The Pentagon canceled plans to send out a press release announcing the study results and won't put it online for reporters or anyone else. Instead, they'll make it available only by snail mail, and only to people who ask for it. What do you want to bet that actually getting it won't be as easy as it sounds?
This is typical Bush Administration behavior. Cover up, deny, hide away. Declare everything secret for as long as possible. Make people fight tooth and nail for what by all rights should be public information.
After all, there are actually poor deluded souls out there who are dumb enough to think the president represents everyone and not just his ideological soulmates.
Even years after the invasion, a considerable percentage of Americans still believe Saddam was behind 9/11. The true believers continue to rally the faithful with the promise that the truth will come out and that the secret will be revealed. Everyone who points out that Saddam and bin Laden hated each other with a passion and would never have collaborated on anything will finally be unmasked for the America-hating traitors they clearly are.
Well, the long-awaited report is finally ready. Monday afternoon, reports hit the media that the Pentagon's in-depth analysis of more than half a million captured Iraqi documents revealed that - drum roll, please - Iraq and al Qaeda never worked together, on 9/11 or anything else.
Oops.
Well, that's inconvenient. The White House and the right wing have years invested in this disinformation campaign. Why, if people are allowed to know that it was all a phony, they might be willing to question the whole war. (It's a little late for that...) They might even get mad at the pundits and media stenographers who helped the sales effort.
So the White House is burying the report.
That's right. The Pentagon canceled plans to send out a press release announcing the study results and won't put it online for reporters or anyone else. Instead, they'll make it available only by snail mail, and only to people who ask for it. What do you want to bet that actually getting it won't be as easy as it sounds?
This is typical Bush Administration behavior. Cover up, deny, hide away. Declare everything secret for as long as possible. Make people fight tooth and nail for what by all rights should be public information.
After all, there are actually poor deluded souls out there who are dumb enough to think the president represents everyone and not just his ideological soulmates.
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