Sharpton seeks probe of Bush in Iraq war

Democratic presidential hopeful Rev. Al Sharpton on Thursday called for a congressional investigation of Bush's role in the Iraqi war because he says it was launched without credible evidence in violation of international law.

Sharpton is taking part in a presidential debate organized by the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. on Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition's annual convention at the Chicago Sheraton in downtown Chicago.

Sharpton, who wants the truth to be known "once and for all," thinks that Congress and possibly an independent panel or commission, should conduct a full, bipartisan and mostly open investigation surrounding the questions that are now surfacing about both Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair's involvement in that war.

Sharpton told the Chicago Defender Bush "may have massaged and selectively manipulated intelligence information in a way that justified a decision he or they may have already made, in an effort to justify war with Iraq.

"It would be premature to call for an impeachment of President Bush without a full accounting of the facts, but it is fair to call for a thorough and full investigation to determine the facts.

"It is the facts, as determined by an independent source, that should be the basis of any discussion, pro or con, of an impeachment proceeding against President Bush," Sharpton added.

Agreeing with Sharpton was West Side activist Richard Barnett, who said: "I agree there should be an investigation because going to war was a huge step. We put more than 200,000 troops over there and put them in harm's way, and you don't do that for trivial reasons.

"No weapons of mass destruction were found, and if they are found now, no one will believe him," Barnett told the Chicago Defender. "You don't usually question folks when they go to war," he added.

But Barnett said given the huge military budget that has negatively impacted domestic social programs like Social Security, education and drugs for the elderly, the president's integrity is questionable.

"People are suspect at what Bush and Cheney are saying because there is such a conflict of interest," he said. "Both of them are in the oil business, and Iraq has the most oil in the world.

"If they don't have anything to hide, then hold the hearings. That would put the American people at ease," said Barnett.

"I think the hearings should be partially opened to the public unless there are security issues at stake; but I never thought there were weapons of destruction in Iraq because they wouldn't give the inspectors more time to look for these weapons.

"And besides, Halliburton had a $900 million contract before they dropped the first bomb and that is what makes this suspect. Whose interests were they acting in, Bush or Cheney's?"

Photograph (Al Sharpton)