No more to say for now on WMD
I have spent a lot of time pondering the implications of the failure to find weapons of mass destruction or clear evidence of significant WMD programs in Iraq. I know what I think about it at this point. It is time to move on and think about other issues. This post offers some final comments, for a while at least.
It seems clear at this point that the Bush administration deluded the American public regarding the scale and imminence of the threats posed by Iraq. Was this a by-product of self delusion arising from ideological convictions? Or, more ominously, did the administration deliberately manipulate and exaggerate the evidence in order to gain public support for an attack?
Nicholas Kristof, a New York Times reporter who made multiple trips to Iraq, interviewed many members of the US intelligence community. He provided his insight during an interview that aired yesterday on NPR. Go here to listen.
The most alarming thing is that, by and large, the American public doesn't seem to care if they were misled, whether deliberately or as the result of excess zeal. Many thoughtful people though are giving voice to their misgivings. Ellen Goodman, columnist for the Boston Globe, provides a succinct summary of the state of affairs and I will close out this discussion with her column from June 25. As further developments emerge, I will comment from time to time.
10:37:35 AM 
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