Lying About Iraq. Again.: "The boys get their lies all worked out in advance.

Anyway, things I would add to Dave’s [here] article:

1. The Bush administration line that ‘Iraq had no weapons, but they had programs’ implies that Saddam was on the verge of churning out weapons. Dan Bartlett told Wolf Blitzer that Saddam ‘had the capabilities to produce weapons of mass destruction on a moment’s notice.’
Bull. shit. Read Dave’s summary of Duelfer Report (or my modest contribution was in ACT a few months back ). Suffice to say, Iraq had no nuclear or biological weapons programs, either. No weapons, no programs.
2. Little has been written about the ongoing monitoring and verification mechanisms that would have been remained on Iraq even were sanctions lifted. The idea that lifting sanctions would force us to trust Saddam is another lie. (We asked super-dove David Kay about this in an interview.)
3. Bush et al do not get to change the justification for the war without also admitting that they lied to the public about the jutification for war. Why? Because the decision to go the UN meant that Saddam would stay in power if he complied with the resolution, tyranny and all. Therefore, regime change and disarmament through the UN were mutually exclusive."

(Via ArmsControlWonk.com.)