Former U.S. ambassador goes on attack
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com

WILSON SPEAKS--Joe Wilson, former U.S. ambassador to Iraq and husband of ex-CIA operative Valerie Plame, speaks to a gathering of more than 300 people at California Lutheran University.

"The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa."

After the fallout from those 16 words spoken by President George W. Bush at his State of the Union Address on Jan. 28, 2003, Joe Wilson became famous. The former U.S. ambassador to Iraq was asked to speak last Saturday at California Lutheran University.

As it turned out, Wilson said, the British government had wrongly proclaimed that Niger sold yellow cake--the material used to make nuclear weapons--to Iraq. The claim was baseless and shouldn't have been made, he said.

Wilson was later praised for making courageous remarks.

"It was not an act of political or moral courage--it was just good citizenship," Wilson said.

After Wilson exposed what he called a presidential lie, someone brokered the disclosure of his wife, Valerie Plame, as a covert CIA agent to the media to take the spotlight off the false 16-word statement, he said.

"They felt committing treason less harmful than the exposure of lies," Wilson said.

Regarding the war in Iraq, Wilson said the solutions are much more complicated than "cut and run" or "stay the course."

He noted the war on terror is seen around the world as illegal. The fact that the U.S. economy is based on petroleum is also a concern, he said.

Wilson told his audience that it's important to keep the best interests of the United States in mind.

"Why are we involving ourselves in someone else's civil war?" he asked, and, "couldn't we find someone else to guard the Iraqi bridges--like Iraqis?"

His remarks drew thunderous applause.

Wilson was critical of the absence of any political process taking shape in Iraq that would allow the opposing forces to communicate without violence. The correct political process would make it so enemies could be yelling at each other across the table instead of shooting each other across the streets of Baghdad, Wilson said.

Popular event

Hundreds of people--more than could fit comfortably--were packed inside the Lundring Events Center to hear the former ambassador during the Ventura County Speaker Series event.

Once the chairs were filled, many attendees stood wherever they could. Others sat on the floor in the front around the podium. The side and the back doors were left open and people spilled out and listened from outside the room.

Wilson said former President George H.W. Bush invited him to the White House and, while they were in the Oval Office, declared him an American hero for helping to free hostages held in Iraq by Saddam Hussein after Hussein invaded Kuwait.

But Wilson also said he'd once given $1,000 to the younger President Bush's campaign and would now like to have a refund.

Wilson said President Bush "has the blood of the Iraqi people on his hands" and has ignored the geography and history of who we are as a people in an attempt to turn the United States into a Roman Empire.

"We are not the Brits going out to colonize India," he said. "When was the last time you saw an American in a pith helmet?"

The native Californian and graduate of UC Santa Barbara received more applause from the crowd when he called the U.S. vice president "a lying son-of-a-. . . ."

Wilson recalled being questioned by "Meet the Press"' Tim Russert for saying those same words when speaking about Dick Cheney in Iowa. He said his response to the TV journalist was, "Frankly, that's about the nicest thing I have to say about him."

He also didn't pull any punches regarding other Washington figures. Wilson described U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona as "not a bright man" and "stupid."

He called former top Cheney aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby a four-time convicted felon and a traitor.

In summary, the Bush administration was damaging the country's political and moral authority around the world, Wilson said.

"We should never forget how we got here, and we need to hold accountable the administration that brought us here," Wilson said.

Among those sitting on the floor to hear the speaker was Leslie Decicco of Camarillo. "I've followed this since the first, and I have great respect for him. I enjoyed it, but I'd hoped he would talk more about current issues," Decicco said.