Monday, August 25, 2003
"The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa."
Both Rice and Rumsfeld argued that the president was technically correct in what he said. The British had publicly said that “There is intelligence that Iraq has sought the supply of significant quantities of uranium from Africa" and in uttering those 16 words the president was just echoed what they had said.
Why so few challenged Rumsfeld and Rice on this point is beyond me. The technical defense simply does not work and was in reality a ploy by the Whitehouse to obscure the fact that technically contained in Bush’s statement was the following truth claim: Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.
Granted, although most people do not attribute something to an author by saying so and so learned that x, it happens from time to time. In discussing the results of a scientific study, for example, people have attributed something to the author by saying they learned that x. It certainly appears that this is just such a case. However, that it is neither here nor there. After all, minus any quotation or specific citation "technically" what Bush's statement amounts to is this: Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa and the British have come to know this.
Both Rice and Rumsfeld argued that the president was technically correct in what he said. The British had publicly said that “There is intelligence that Iraq has sought the supply of significant quantities of uranium from Africa" and in uttering those 16 words the president was just echoed what they had said.
Why so few challenged Rumsfeld and Rice on this point is beyond me. The technical defense simply does not work and was in reality a ploy by the Whitehouse to obscure the fact that technically contained in Bush’s statement was the following truth claim: Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.
Granted, although most people do not attribute something to an author by saying so and so learned that x, it happens from time to time. In discussing the results of a scientific study, for example, people have attributed something to the author by saying they learned that x. It certainly appears that this is just such a case. However, that it is neither here nor there. After all, minus any quotation or specific citation "technically" what Bush's statement amounts to is this: Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa and the British have come to know this.
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