Robert McNamara was a patriot and dedicated public servant who took on grave duties during a period of great consequence. Having also held this post in a time of war, I have a special appreciation of the burdens and responsibilities he faced. As America’s longest-serving secretary of defense, he implemented visionary reforms that fundamentally changed the way this department does business — reforms that long outlasted his tenure at the Pentagon. With his keen analytical mind, Secretary McNamara never shied away from the most pressing national and international issues of his time — above all, matters of war and peace including his own decisive role in shaping that history. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

July 6th, 2009
1:01 pm

Kayaker 71

July 6th, 2009
9:35 am

See my posting below under The Republican Myth at 8:28pm. It was the last entry.

(Small business myth exposed? 69% of “businesses” accounted for only 3.5% of receipts.)

AmVet wants me to get permission from HIM to write my opinion. That’ll be the day! Sorry, Bub, but you better accept “compliments” wherever you can get them. Doesn’t happen often here.

By the way, I give you permision to say that I vote for Republicans. I usually do. Depends on who is running for office!
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No joseph Nix,

It is not semantics that trap us. It is the killers of people.. Giving war another name doesn’t change the circumstances. If you want to stand on the RR track when the train is coming, OK. But I prefer to take a little action on my own and move to protect myself.

February, 1982. Despite objections from congress, President Reagan removes Iraq from its list of known terrorist countries.

December, 1982. Hughes Aircraft ships 60 Defender helicopters to Iraq.

October, 1983. The Reagan Administration begins secretly allowing Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Egypt to transfer United States weapons, including Howitzers, Huey helicopters, and bombs to Iraq. These shipments violated the Arms Export Control Act.

November, 1983. Banca Nazionale del Lavoro of Italy and its Branch in Atlanta begin to funnel $5 billion in unreported loans to Iraq. Iraq, with the blessing and official approval of the US government, purchased computer controlled machine tools, computers, scientific instruments, special alloy steel and aluminum, chemicals, and other industrial goods for Iraq’s missile, chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs.

December 20, 1983. Donald Rumsfeld , then a civilian and now Defense Secretary, meets with Saddam Hussein to assure him of US friendship and materials support.

January 14, 1984. State Department memo acknowledges United States shipment of ”dual-use” export hardware and technology. Dual use items are civilian items such as heavy trucks, armored ambulances and communications gear as well as industrial technology that can have a military application.

March, 1986. The United States with Great Britain block all Security Council resolutions condemning Iraq’s use of chemical weapons, and on March 21 the US becomes the only country refusing to sign a Security Council statement condemning Iraq’s use of these weapons.

May, 1986. The US Department of Commerce licenses 70 biological exports to Iraq between May of 1985 and 1989, including at least 21 batches of lethal strains of anthrax.

May, 1986. US Department of Commerce approves shipment of weapons grade botulin poison to Iraq.

March, 1987. President Reagan bows to the findings of the Tower Commission admitting the sale of arms to Iran in exchange for hostages. Oliver North uses the profits from the sale to fund an illegal war in Nicaragua.

April, 1988. US Department of Commerce approves shipment of chemicals used in manufacture of mustard gas.

September, 1988. US Department of Commerce approves shipment of weapons grade anthrax and botulinum to Iraq.

September, 1988. Richard Murphy, Assistant Secretary of State: “The US-Iraqi relationship is… important to our long-term political and economic objectives.”

December, 1988. Dow chemical sells $1.5 million in pesticides to Iraq despite knowledge that these would be used in chemical weapons.

July, 1991 The Financial Times of London reveals that a Florida chemical company had produced and shipped cyanide to Iraq during the 8o’s using a special CIA courier. Cyanide was used extensively against the Iranians.

DoggoneGA, and Eagle scout,

I think you need to goggle and read an “Overview of IAEA Nuclear Inspections in Iraq”, a report from the Nuclear Control Institute of Washington, DC. Might give you a little more information on the subject although I can see you have closed minds on it..
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As to war as a concept….semantics! Pearl Harbor was not a concept. 9/11 was not a concept. War is a concept until you are struck dead with thousands.of others. Then it should become real.

The holocaust, the Killing fields! To let the killing of thousands of innocents go without action is an unacceptable concept. Right now we are faced with such do or die decisions. Darfur for one. Which is worse? War or the continued killing of thousands of undefended people? I cannot say that war is ALWAYS the worst decision.

You only take offense because you’re one of those over-educated!

You give yourself away with all those big words and hoity toity ideas…