[kj] interview

[Mark Kolmar]

> I took it from what Jaz was saying was that he thought that Bush et al
> had a hand in the actual planning and execution of the attack so that
> they could create a scenario whereby they could legitamise the war with
> Iraq.
>
> Madness. Bush is an areshole but that???? No way.

It would have been possible to make a case to lower the boom on Iraq
regardless of 9/11.  But it would have been more difficult.  There had
been low-level military force used against Iraq since Gulf I, including
the 1998 attacks.  I do not really have a problem with that.  The problem
I had was with the Bush administration's brute force "diplomacy",
alienation and dismissal of long-term allies, and overall impatience.  It
does not appear at this time that the threat from Iraq was imminent.  (If
new, credible information comes through, I would be willing to entertain
it.)  So it seems likely that Bush and Blair would have been able to
generate broader, deeper support in due course.

Wall St. Journal types would chime in here to say:  So, Mr. Kolmar, you
were in favor of keeping a murderous dictator in power.  And I would say,
no, I was in favor of removing a thorn from the world's collective ass,
but in such a way that it would not disturb international alliances or
create rifts in the way that it did.

--Mark