'This strange combination of arrogance and incompetence has not only destroyed the hopes for a new Iraq...'

Mr Bush, when referring to wayward CEOs, said this:

You're beginning to see the consequences of people making irresponsible decisions. They need to pay a price for their irresponsibility...without realizing that he was talking about himself as well. As noted in yesterday's post below, Mr. Bush had no idea of what the ramifications could be from the Iraqi prison debacle. Just a few short hours later, the animals holding a U.S. contractor beheaded him on television.

Since 9/11, a handful of officials at the top of the Defense Department and the vice president's office have commandeered American foreign and defense policy. In the name of fighting terror they have systematically weakened the traditional restraints that have made this country respected around the world. Alliances, international institutions, norms and ethical conventions have all been deemed expensive indulgences at a time of crisis.

Last week he (Rumsfeld) said again that the Geneva Conventions did not "precisely apply" and were simply basic rules.

The conventions are not exactly optional. They are the law of the land, signed by the president and ratified by Congress. Rumsfeld's concern—that Al Qaeda members do not wear uniforms and are thus "unlawful combatants"—is understandable, but that is a determination that a military court would have to make. In a war that could go on for decades, you cannot simply arrest and detain people indefinitely on the say-so of the secretary of Defense.

The basic attitude taken by Rumsfeld, Cheney and their top aides has been "We're at war; all these niceties will have to wait."

I have just one question for you Mr Bush and you Mr. Rumsfeld: would any of this have happened without the pre-emptive invasion of Iraq, unsupported by any facts?