Bush: Lies: War

Study: Falsehoods Preceded Iraq War

A study by two nonprofit journalism organizations found that President Bush and top Administration officials issued hundreds of false statements about the national security threat from Iraq in the two years following the 2001 terrorist attacks.

The study counted 935 false statements in the two-year period. It found that in speeches, briefings, interviews and other venues, Bush and Administration officials stated unequivocally on at least 532 occasions that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction or was trying to produce or obtain them or had links to al-Qaeda or both. "It is now beyond dispute that Iraq did not possess any weapons of mass destruction or have meaningful ties to al-Qaeda," according to Charles Lewis and Mark Reading-Smith of the Fund for Independence in Journalism staff members, writing an overview of the study. "In short, the Bush administration led the nation to war on the basis of erroneous information that it methodically propagated and that culminated in military action against Iraq on March 19, 2003."

The center said the study was based on a database created with public statements over the two years beginning on Sept. 11, 2001, and information from more than 25 government reports, books, articles, speeches and interviews. "The cumulative effect of these false statements — amplified by thousands of news stories and broadcasts — was massive, with the media coverage creating an almost impenetrable din for several critical months in the run-up to war," the study concluded.

Just to Prove How Bizarre I Can Be

I was on the subway the other day, and nosyparker that I am, I always look to see what other people are reading. A woman was reading a book titled "God's Footprints", and the image on the cover was sort of a more modern-looking version (though I can't tell you how) of an Irish trinity symbol, done in black and white.

Being a sick, sick creature, myself, MY first thought was that this image looked like the footprint of ED-209 from Robocop. See!? Look at ED's feet!

So, there you have it. Life's mysteries revealed: God is ED-209.

WWWomen Moves to New URL

The Web, by Women, for Women website is moving to http://wwwomen.3rdwwwave.com/. Please adjust your view of the universe accordingly.

While both the WWWomen and 3rd WWWave web projects are predominantly in maintenance mode, I remain stunned by and proud of what 6 pissed-off women can do with just words. We still get email today from

• emerging feminists, with a happy cry of recognition
• angry men or women trying to use the Bible to make us feel bad
• angry men or women trying to use the Koran to make us feel bad (quite a bit rarer)
• average Jills happy to see a group of women with a casual attitude toward discussing women's bodies out in front of everybody. We're not dirty, and we resent like hell anyone who tries to make us feel that way.
• scholars & editors wanting reprints of specific articles for books, magazines, or other projects

I'm damn proud. I was a pissed-off feminist in my 20s with an actual Real Woman's Body(tm), and I'm a pissed-off feminist in my 30s with an actual Real Woman's Body(tm) today.

Both projects I think of as a product of the 90s, though 3rd WWWave was more of a millennial work, and while each of us six contributors have moved on to various and sundry things (renewed study, both formal and informal, writing in other venues, life, etc.) none of us have lost our connection with or support of each other in our chosen endeavors.

Web, by Women, for Women, and The 3rd WWWave of Feminism, I salute you, and stand by my younger self's words. And I'll add some new ones, today:

Women are real people, with real body parts.
Women have sex, and sexual desire.
Sometimes women get pregnant.
Mystery about women's bodies isn't some spiffy "mystique". Ignorance kills.
Patriarchy sucks. Hard.