Scott Ritter: Hero or Traitor

[Problem Child]

What do you think?

He fought in Desert Storm as a Marine Officer, then served as an UNSCOM weapons inspector for seven years, until Iraq kicked them all out.

He claimed in 1998 that Saddam was still trying to obtain WMD, and that the U.N. had to press to get inspectors back into Iraq.

Now he says that the Bush administration is using the threat of WMD as an excuse to go to war, when their primary aim is regime change, and the threat of WMD cannot be proven to be any greater than it was in 1998. He says that the U.S. has a tradition of not attacking other sovereign nations. His main emphasis has always been to get inspectors back into Iraq, but that if Iraq becomes hostile, or it can be proven that Saddam actually has WMD then force should be used.

A week ago he gave an address to the Iraqi national assembly, urging them to let inspectors back in, in order to prevent an attack and further loss of life.

He claims to understand Saddam Hussein better than anyone else outside Iraq...

Now Iraq has said it will allow unconditional inspections. I wonder how much effect Ritter's speech had on Saddam...

 

[sunstruck]

I'm not familiar with his work in the middle east, but I love what he did in Three's Company.

 

[takingchances42]

Likely zero. Ritter is a highly useful propaganda tool for Saddam. Hussein is responding to the imminent threat of invasion, not to one reasoning person who supposedly somehow understands him.

Saddam is a genocidal mass murderer who uses poison gas on his own people, but he is not stupid. He has to be aware of all the naive people in the West who think that if we could somehow just sit down and talk like reasonable people then everything will be hunky dory. The more people who believe that, the longer that Hussein can continue to slaughter his own people. I have no idea what Ritter's motivation or character is, but he is allowing himself to be used against his own country by a brutal tyrant.

 

[Problem Child]

Shut up, Crissy.

 

[Ferrophiliac]

Ref: Scott Ritter

One word "neither"

 

[sunstruck]

Shut up, Crissy.

Hey, could have been worse, I could have had something constructive and intelligent to say. Wouldn't that have blown your mind.

 

[Problem Child]

Likely zero. Ritter is a highly useful propaganda tool for Saddam. Hussein is responding to the imminent threat of invasion, not to one reasoning person who supposedly somehow understands him.

Saddam is a genocidal mass murderer who uses poison gas on his own people, but he is not stupid. He has to be aware of all the naive people in the West who think that if we could somehow just sit down and talk like reasonable people then everything will be hunky dory. The more people who believe that, the longer that Hussein can continue to slaughter his own people. I have no idea what Ritter's motivation or character is, but he is allowing himself to be used against his own country by a brutal tyrant.

You're probably right that Ritter's speech had very little to do with Saddam's decision to let inspectors back in, but I don't think Ritter is being used by Saddam against the U.S. I'm sure however, that Saddam appreciates the help.

I watched a long interview with Ritter on C-SPAN, and he truly sees himself as a patriot who is just trying to prevent war and save American lives (and european lives, and arab lives and Iraqi lives, etc).

He claims his four-year-long crusade to get weapons inspectors back into Iraq has been entirely funded by himself and private citizens, and a few anti-war groups.

 

[bored1]

Ritters intentions are to be applauded, however I believe he is misguided and confused.

 

[Cherry]

What do you think?

He may mean well ... but, the book deal eroded his credibility substantially.

Personally speaking, I would hope that future UN weapons inspectors be more vigilant and forthcoming in their search for hidden weapons. They aren't there for peacekeeping, but to do a job.

 

[Lost Cause]

"Benedict Ritter"

Bought and paid for. Just like Benedict Arnold, he served America well, but for the money and self-interest, he deceived his former comrades. Hopefully, Ritter is a plant and giving cryptic information. If not, I hope he ends up like his colonial counterpart, shunned and direspected by both sides! Traitors are a DYING breed!

 

[takingchances42]

You're probably right that Ritter's speech had very little to do with Saddam's decision to let inspectors back in, but I don't think Ritter is being used by Saddam against the U.S. I'm sure however, that Saddam appreciates the help.

By used, I didn't mean that Ritter was being employed by Iraq. But the invitation to address the rubber stamp Iraqi national assembly had to have been issued for one reason only -- to generate favorable international publicity for Hussein. It is not as if the assembly has any actual power in that dictatorship. By giving the speech, even if he was sincere in his beliefs, in my opinion Ritter was allowing himself to be used by Hussein.

 

[Problem Child]

Re: Re: Scott Ritter: Hero or Traitor

He may mean well ... but, the book deal eroded his credibility substantially.

Why? He obviously has an agenda he wants to promote. What better way to get his message out? Who cares if he makes some money along the way? It's not like he's selling his story to the National Enquirer two days before he testifies in the OJ trial.

Personally speaking, I would hope that future UN weapons inspectors be more vigilant and forthcoming in their search for hidden weapons. They aren't there for peacekeeping, but to do a job.

I don't know what you mean, unless you are talking about the way the U.S. alledgedly corrupted the inspections process with CIA spying.

 

[Problem Child]

By used, I didn't mean that Ritter was being employed by Iraq. But the invitation to address the rubber stamp Iraqi national assembly had to have been issued for one reason only -- to generate favorable international publicity for Hussein. It is not as if the assembly has any actual power in that dictatorship. By giving the speech, even if he was sincere in his beliefs, in my opinion Ritter was allowing himself to be used by Hussein.

I believe Ritter said that he approached the Iraqis about speaking, not the other way around. I haven't seen any evidence to the contrary.

 

[Problem Child]

Re: "Benedict Ritter"

Bought and paid for. Just like Benedict Arnold, he served America well, but for the money and self-interest, he deceived his former comrades. Hopefully, Ritter is a plant and giving cryptic information. If not, I hope he ends up like his colonial counterpart, shunned and direspected by both sides! Traitors are a DYING breed!

Bought and paid for by whom? Do you have any proof to back up that accusation, or is this just another Lost Cause Rant™?

 

[sunstruck]

First, he stated that Iraq didn't kick the inspectors out in the first place "let's remember Saddam Hussein didn't kick the inspectors out. The U.S. ordered the inspectors out 48 hours before they initiated Operation Desert Fox -- military action that didn't have the support of the U.N. Security Council and which used information gathered by the inspectors, to target Iraq".

Second, I think that his speach may be partly responsible as it could have reminded Sadam that the US government has no hard proof of sufficient weapons of mass destruction and that cooperating could very well buy him some time.

Third, I think that Ritter was right when he stated that it isn't the ability to inspect Iraq's weapons manufacturing that is needed or would be effective, but that a consistant and permanent monitoring system is necessary to prevent the productions of WMD. If Iraq complies with the current request for weapons inspections, they avoid that possibility.

Right now George is flying high on his war horse and willing to go in without cause or right and he has a country of angry, hurt, blood thirsty citizens supporting him who know less about UN policy and military sanctions than they do about nuclear science.

There. I feel better now.

Oh, and I don't think he is being used anymore than any other figure who speaks out, not necessarily against, but in reguards to US military policy. Anyone's words can be twisted. He may not be a hero, but he believes he's doing the right thing and his ideas are valid.

 

[Purple Haze]

I have such a boner right now...

 

[Problem Child]

I have such a boner right now...

Go stick it in a jar of creamy peanut butter, you purple freak.

 

[patient1]

He may not be a hero, but he believes he's doing the right thing and his ideas are valid.

That summarizes it nicely for me.

 

[Purple Haze]

Peanut butter?

Hmmm...

 

[Problem Child]

Peanut butter?

Hmmm...

Yeah, then you whistle for a dog. Last time you told me you used your neighbor's Cocker Spaniel, remember?

 

[Purple Haze]

Cocker's tend to be a little snippy,

I prefer no teeth.

By the way, how's your mom been?

 

[Azwed]

Just looking through.

 

[sunstruck]

I have such a boner right now...

You're a sick man. Seek help now.

 

[Problem Child]

By the way, how's your mom been?

She's fine. Your sister looks like the head glazed donut taster for Krispy Kreme with all that crust all over her face though.

Yeesh.

 

[Cherry]

Originally posted by Cherry
He may mean well ... but, the book deal eroded his credibility substantially.

Originally posted by Problem Child
Why? He obviously has an agenda he wants to promote. What better way to get his message out? Who cares if he makes some money along the way? It's not like he's selling his story to the National Enquirer two days before he testifies in the OJ trial.

True ... but, I think his "agenda" would have been better received (credibility wise) had he dismissed the personal financial aspects of his book deal by donating proceeds to a worthy cause.


Originally posted by Cherry
Personally speaking, I would hope that future UN weapons inspectors be more vigilant and forthcoming in their search for hidden weapons. They aren't there for peacekeeping, but to do a job.

Originally posted by Problem Child
I don't know what you mean, unless you are talking about the way the U.S. alledgedly corrupted the inspections process with CIA spying.

Corrupted the inspection process? Why do you say that? Sounds like a page out of the Saddam Excuse Booklet, where he shuffles the nasty stuff around like a shell game, blocks entry to the hidden cache when the CIA surveillance points the inspectors to viable resources, and then makes claims that the weapons inspectors are actually US spies.

It's all relative to the purpose of the inspections, HOWEVER it's accomplished ... to find and eliminate Iraq's weapons for mass destruction.