Bush In Silicon Valley

The following is a review by P.J. Crowley -- senior fellow and director of national defense and homeland security -- and Robert O. Boorstin -- senior vice president of national security -- at the Center for American Progress. More than anything, the administration's war in Iraq resembles a software program that, at first, works brilliantly, but then catches the user in a cycle of "fatal error" messages.

SADDAM HUSSEIN POSES AN 'IMMINENT THREAT' TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

**Version 1.0 - Saddam Hussein is an imminent threat
**Version 1.01 - Saddam Hussein is a gathering threat
**Version 1.02 - Saddam Hussein poses a real and dangerous threat
**Version 1.1 - The smoking gun will be a mushroom cloud
**Version 1.2 - We can't afford to wait
**Version 1.3 - We never said imminent
**Version 1.3.1 - OK, maybe we did say it once or twice
**Version 1.4 - We should have been more precise

SADDAM HUSSEIN IS READY TO USE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION.

**Version 2.1 - Saddam has weapons of mass destruction
**Version 2.2 - Saddam has nuclear weapons
**Version 2.3 - Saddam has biological agents he's never accounted for
**Version 2.3.1 - The trailers are mobile labs for producing chemical weapons
**Version 2.3.2 - Unmanned aircraft are ready to spread Saddam's biological weapons
**Version 2.4 - Saddam's going to make more of all these weapons
**Version 2.5 - We all know where the weapons are
**Version 2.5.1 - Well, Saddam has used weapons of mass destruction
**Version 2.5.2 - Iraq is a big country. We'll find the weapons eventually.
**Version 2.5.3 - Saddam had weapons of mass destruction programs
**Version 2.5.4 - Saddam had "weapons of mass destruction program-related activities"
**Version 2.5.5 - David Kay? Who's David Kay?
**Version 2.6 - It's not about misleading the American people. Saddam Hussein is gone and that's the most important thing

THE INTELLIGENCE IS CLEAR.

**Version 3.0 - We based our statements on our available intelligence
**Version 3.1 - Saddam tried to buy uranium ore in Niger
**Version 3.1.2 - Well, that was what the British told us
**Version 3.1.3 - Did we tell you about Joe Wilson's wife?
**Version 3.1.4 - Do you know a good lawyer?
**Version 3.2 - The intelligence is absolutely clear
**Version 3.2.1 - Intelligence is never 100 percent certain
**Version 3.2.2 - We didn't manipulate the intelligence
**Version 3.3 - There was no consensus within the intelligence community
**Version 3.3.1 - We saw the same intelligence the last administration did

SADDAM HUSSEIN HAS DEEP TIES TO AL QAEDA.

**Version 4.0 - Saddam has long-standing ties to Al Qaeda
**Version 4.0.1 - You can't distinguish between Saddam and Al Qaeda
**Version 4.0.2 - There is an Al Qaeda terrorist network in Iraq
**Version 4.0.3 - Saddam has provided Al Qaeda with chemical and biological weapons training.
**Version 4.0.4 - Saddam will give his weapons to Al Qaeda
**Version 4.0.5 - Colin Powell: I have not seen smoking-gun, concrete evidence about the connection [between Al Qaeda and Iraq]
**Version 4.0.6 - Vice President Cheney: I still believe there's a connection.
**Version 4.0.7 - CIA Director George Tenet: I told Dick not to say that.

THE UNITED NATIONS JUST CAN'T HANDLE THIS.

**Version 5.0 - The UN had 12 years to deal with this
**Version 5.1 - We don't trust the UN to handle this
**Version 5.1.1 - We don't need the UN's help
**Version 5.1.2 - The UN should play a vital, but not central role
**Version 5.1.3 - You there, UN, tell Ayatollah Sistani that elections aren't possible
**Version 5.1.4 - UN, please oversee the election process
**Version 5.1.5 - Pretty please? We'll pay our dues

THE WAR IN IRAQ WON'T HURT OUR EFFORTS IN AFGHANISTAN OR THE HUNT FOR BIN LADEN.

**Version 6.0 - Iraq won't affect our hunt for bin Laden
**Version 6.1 - Assets have been moved from Afghanistan to Iraq
**Version 6.1.1 - Assets are being returned to Afghanistan
**Version 6.2 - We're mounting a spring offensive against bin Laden
**Version 6.2.1 - We'll catch bin Laden this year
**Version 6.2.2 - We hope to catch bin Laden this year
**Version 6.3 - Even if we catch bin Laden, the threat will still exist.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

**Version 7.0 - We won't need hundreds of thousands of troops -- that's wildly off the mark
**Version 7.1 - Mission accomplished
**Version 7.1.1 - We'll stay as long as needed and not one day more
**Version 7.1.2 - The troops will be home in six months
**Version 7.1.3 - The Iraqi Army will provide security
**Version 7.1.4 - Where's the Iraqi Army?
**Version 7.1.5 - We've disbanded the Iraqi Army
**Version 7.1.3 - The troops will stay a year and be replaced
**Version 7.2 - We're training the Iraqi armyIraqification will work
**Version 7.2.1 - We don't need any more American troops
**Version 7.2.2 - Well, maybe we do
**Version 7.2.3 - We're keeping 30,000 more troops on active duty than were authorized
**Version 7.2.4 - We don't know if this increase in troops is a spike or a plateau
**Version 7.2.5 - We're establishing stop loss so troops can't leave
**Version 7.2.6 - The Army is planning multi-year rotations

THE COST TO THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER.

**Version 8.0 - Economic advisor Larry Lindsey: The war will cost $200 billion
**Version 8.0.1 - President Bush: You're fired!
**Version 8.1 - The war will pay for itself very quickly
**Version 8.1.1 - Iraqi oil revenue will pay for reconstruction
**Version 8.2 - Our allies will help us
**Version 8.3 - We'll pay for the war through supplementals
**Version 8.3.1 - Congress wouldn't let us put it in the budget
**Version 8.3.2 - Can we please have $87 billion?
**Version 8.3.3 - Well, we really can't calculate what it will cost...
**Version 8.3.4 - Well, maybe we can -- $50 billion may be on the low side
**Version 8.3.5 - Ask us after November 2...

DEMOCRACY COMES TO IRAQ.

**Version 9.0 - We will be greeted as liberators
**Version 9.0.1 - We'll establish democracy in Iraq
**Version 9.1 - We'll turn this back to the Iraqis quickly
**Version 9.1.1 - President Chalabi will be welcomed with open arms
**Version 9.1.2 - Well, not so fast -- we're prohibiting political parties
**Version 9.2 - We have the November 15 agreement -- it's unchangeable
**Version 9.2.1 - We will appoint a small governing council
**Version 9.2.2 - Well, maybe a larger one
**Version 9.3 - We don't favor elections
**Version 9.3.1 - Caucuses work in Iowa, why not Iraq?
**Version 9.3.2 - OK fine, we'll have elections
**Version 9.4 - We can't return sovereignty until there is a constitution
**Version 9.4.1 - Never mind, we'll turn over sovereignty first
**Version 9.4.2 - We need to return this to the Iraqis -- How about June 30?
**Version 9.4.3 - We're still focused on elections -- the ones on November 2

THE BOTTOM LINE.

**Version 10.0 - Trust us. We know what we're doing

Note: This piece originally appeared on the Center For American Progress website on March 19, 2004.