Zinni condemns "cherrypicking facts" and Calls For Rumsfeld's Dismissal.

I've spoken so often over the past three years about the lies wielded by this administration to precipitate the Iraq war, that I sometimes fear if I mention it again magnetic tape might start to come out of my mouth.

I also feel that the post war reality differs to such an extent from the pre-war rhetoric that, the fact we were lied to, can now be accepted as a given.

Nor do I accept Blair's assurances that these lies were told in "good faith". They were not, they were told with the specific purpose of drumming up enough fear to allow Bush and Blair to embark on a project they had planned long in advance. The greatest lie of all, for me, is Blair's claim that he looked at all the evidence and then made "a difficult decision". This is errant nonsense. It is quite clear to all but the most fervent that Blair made a decision and then went searching for evidence that backed up his predisposed conclusion.

Now, Tim Russert has interviewed General Zinni, who was quite forthright about what he saw as the administrations mendacity.

"In the lead up to the Iraq war and it's later conduct, I saw, at a minimum, true dereliction, negligence and irresponsibility; at worse: lying, incompetence and corruption."

He speaks of, "Spin - cherrypicking facts" and in a clear reference to Bush's "Mushroom clouds" proclamation, "using metaphors to evoke certain emotional responses."

He also condemns, "A belief in exiles that anyone in the region would have told you were not credible".

He dismisses Rumsfeld's claim that everyone should "wait twenty years and history will judge" the outcome in Iraq as "a ridiculous statement"; and then calls for Rumsfeld's resignation, throwing the gauntlet down to President Bush by reminding him, "Every President in history has held people accountable. Lincoln went through every general before he found Grant. You have to make tough choices. Integrity and getting on with the mission is more important than loyalty".

Now we all know that Bush prides himself, more than anything else, on his sense of loyalty. And loyalty is a noble and admirable quality. However, so is leadership.

And leadership and loyalty are not necessarily synonymous.

Watch the video at Crooks and Liars by clicking here.

Tags: Zinni, Rumsfeld, Cherrypicking, Calls for Resignation,