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Bush, George W.

Bush's Iraq Agenda Pre-Dated 9/11

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Paul H. O'Neill, former Treasury Secretary, reveals that President Bush aimed to oust Saddam Hussein from the start of his administration, well before the 9/11 attacks. O'Neill's statements, broadcast on CBS's '60 Minutes,' suggest that the White House had a clear conviction to remove Hussein, with no questioning of the necessity or timing. This pre-emptive approach, O'Neill emphasized, diverged significantly from the administration's publicly stated position on Iraq.

Key Takeaways:

  • President Bush aimed to remove Saddam Hussein from power at the start of his administration, more than seven months before the 9/11 attacks.
  • The first National Security Council meeting after Bush's inauguration focused on finding a way to oust Hussein, with no real questioning of the necessity or timing.
  • O'Neill expressed concerns over the administration's pre-emptive approach, emphasizing the importance of evidence in support of military action.
  • O'Neill's testimony raises questions about the administration's handling of intelligence and its decision-making process leading up to the Iraq War.
  • The administration's policy of "regime change" in Iraq, first articulated during the Clinton administration, remained in place, with bipartisan support in Congress.
  • Previously, documents from before September 11, 2001, reveal planning for the aftermath of a war with Iraq, including peacekeeping forces, war crimes tribunals, and Iraqi oil fields.
  • Bush administration officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney and Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, were close to O'Neill and had differing views on key policy debates.

Statistics:

  • 7 months: The time period before the 9/11 attacks when President Bush aimed to remove Saddam Hussein from power.
  • 19,000: The number of documents from O'Neill's tenure as Treasury Secretary that were shared with journalist Ron Suskind for his book, highlighting the scope of O'Neill's involvement in the Bush administration.
  • 23 months: The duration of O'Neill's tenure as Treasury Secretary, during which he expressed concerns over the administration's handling of intelligence and the evidence supporting military action against Iraq.

Sources:

  • Ron Suskind, author of "The Price of Loyalty," which features O'Neill's account of his service in the Bush administration.
  • Paul H. O'Neill, former Treasury Secretary, in his interview with CBS's "60 Minutes."
  • O'Neill's interview with Time magazine.

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