Former GOP Rep.: Iraq War was revenge

Published: July 13, 2008 at 6:37 PM
Order reprints
INDIANAPOLIS, July 13 (UPI) -- The 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq was motivated by revenge for an assassination attempt former President George H.W. Bush" title="Topic: George H.W. Bush" class="tpstyle">George H.W. Bush, a former GOP member of Congress says.

John Hostettler of Indiana also says the invasion was intended to aid Israel. Hostettler -- one of six House Republicans to vote against the 2002 resolution authorizing use of force in Iraq -- makes the claims in a new, self-published book, "Nothing for the Nation: Who Got What Out of Iraq," the Indianapolis Star reported Sunday.

"It cannot be debated that toppling Saddam was accomplished by means of a 'private compact' with political appointees and their underlings in the Pentagon 'to support' the ideals of 'partisans ... dedicated to another cause,'" Hostettler wrote.

The conservative Republican, who lost his bid for a seventh term last year, said he wrote the book because conservatives must acknowledge the invasion was inconsistent with the nation's foreign policy principles.

Hostettler said he believes President George W. Bush wanted to avenge a 1993 assassination attempt against his father by the Iraqi Intelligence Service.

"Revenge is a powerful motivator," Hostettler wrote. "On inauguration day in 2001, motive married opportunity."


© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


Australian navy reacts to sex allegations (<1 min)
Official: China retains trade advantages (16 min)
Prosecutor downplays al-Bashir issues (18 min)
Outfest broadening its film boundaries (20 min)
Chinese fishermen's release demanded (28 min)
Madonna honors Jackson during concert (30 min)
'Slumdog' child star enjoying new home (34 min)
1st person allowed back into the Statue of Liberty is white, and her name is an anagram for "Let...
Maggie, a 13 year-old blind poodle, was rescued from a storm drain and returned to her owner. At...
Production of Kid Rock's "American Badass Beer" starts today. "You grab it, you share it with your...
Australian wine prices driven lower than bottled water prices. Life is good
Photoshop this rugged race
Afghanistan as a major tourist destination? The tag says it all