Wirt,

Where do you get your quotes?  They have out-of-context, spin doctoring writen all over them.

You quote Richard Perle:

> Support for Saddam, including within his military organization, will collapse at the 
>first whiff of gunpowder. ” 

Yet the very next line in that interview is: 

> Now, it isn't going to be over in 24 hours, but it isn't going to be months either.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/shows/saddam/transcript2.html 

Same for the Cheney quote as others have pointed out:

>Vice President Dick Cheney, on “Meet the Press” March 16, said: 
>
> My guess is even significant elements of the Republican Guard are
> likely as well to want to avoid 
> conflict with the U.S. forces and are likely to step aside.” 

A more complete context of the VP's statement tells a much different story:

<quote>Now, if we get into a significant battle in Baghdad, I think it would be under circumstances in which the security forces around Saddam Hussein, the special Republican Guard, and the special security organization, several thousand strong, that in effect are the close-in defenders of the regime, they might, in fact, try to put up such a struggle. I think the regular army will not. My guess is even significant elements of the Republican Guard are likely as well to want to avoid conflict with the U.S. forces, and are likely to step aside.
       Now, I can’t say with certainty that there will be no battle for Baghdad. We have to be prepared for that possibility. But, again, I don’t want to convey to the American people the idea that this is a cost-free operation. Nobody can say that.  <unquote>
http://www.msnbc.com/news/886068.asp

With quotes like the ones you cited I could "prove" creationism.

Cortlandt Wilson
(650) 966-8555 

>-----Original Message-----
>From: HP-3000 Systems Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
>Behalf Of Wirt Atmar
>Sent: Monday, March 31, 2003 10:21 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: [HP3000-L] OT: Quotes of the Day
>
>
>Richard Perle, recently resigned chairman of the Defense Policy 
>Board, said 
>in a PBS interview July 11, 2002:
>
>“Saddam is much weaker than we think he is. He’s weaker 
>militarily. We know 
>he’s got about a third of what he had in 1991. But it’s a house of 
>cards. He 
>rules by fear because he knows there is no underlying support. Support for 
>Saddam, including within his military organization, will collapse at the 
>first whiff of gunpowder. ” 
>       
>======================================
>
>Ken Adelman, former U.N. ambassador, wrote in an Op-Ed for the Washington 
>Post, Feb. 13, 2002: 
>
>“I believe demolishing Hussein’s military power and liberating 
>Iraq would be 
>a cakewalk. Let me give simple, responsible reasons: (1) It was a cakewalk 
>last time; (2) they’ve become much weaker; (3) we’ve become much stronger; 
>and (4) now we’re playing for keeps. 
>       
>=======================================
>
>Vice President Dick Cheney, on “Meet the Press” March 16, said: 
>
>“The read we get on the people of Iraq is there is no question but 
>that they 
>want to get rid of Saddam Hussein and they will welcome as liberators the 
>United States when we come to do that. My guess is even 
>significant elements 
>of the Republican Guard are likely as well to want to avoid 
>conflict with the 
>U.S. forces and are likely to step aside.” 
>
>======================================
>
>General Richard B. Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said 
>yesterday (March 30, 2003) on "Meet the Press", that criticism of the war 
>plan was not fair:
>
>"Nobody ever promised a short war. This is going to be a tough 
>war, a tough 
>slog yet, and no responsible official I know has ever said anything 
>different." 
>
>=======================================
>
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