Potential 2016 presidential candidate and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush laid out a foreign policy vision last week in which he declared himself his “own man” — a clear attempt to distance himself from the administrations of both his father and his brother, as well as the unpopular Iraq war that continues to dogs the family.
But actions speak louder than words.
Bush recently unveiled the names of supporters and foreign policy advisers, and 19 out of 21 worked in the administrations of George W. Bush or George H.W. Bush. The roster includes several Iraq war architects and those who promoted faulty intelligence concerning weapons of mass destruction.
Some of the eyebrow raising picks include:
Paul Wolfowitz – As an advocate and chief architect of the Iraq War, George W. Bush’s deputy secretary of defense argued that the war would be a quick engagement, sectarian violence wouldn’t be an issue, and that the U.S. would be “greeted as liberators.” Wrong!
John Hannah—As deputy national security adviser to then-Vice President Dick Cheney, Hannah passed false information about Iraq’s alleged weapons of mass destruction that was used to justify the invasion. He also played a key role in writing a speech that then-Secretary of State Colin Powell delivered in making a case for war to the United Nations, a speech Powell has since said will be a permanent “blot” on his record.
Porter Goss – The former CIA director defended torture techniques, including waterboarding, which he described in 2005 as a “professional interrogation technique.”
Stephen Hadley – George W. Bush’s deputy national security adviser disregarded memos from the CIA and a direct call from its then-director George Tenet urging the administration to not assert that Iraq tried to buy nuclear weapons materials in Africa. It was still included in Bush’s State of the Union speech.
Michael Hayden – As George W. Bush’s National Security Agency director, he played a key role in overseeing an illegal, warrantless eavesdropping program in the U.S. after the 9/11 attacks.
