In 1990, George H. W. Bush built a case for war with Iraq by claiming that 250,000 Iraqi troops were positioned and threatening to invade Saudi Arabia. "It was a pretty serious fib," says journalist Jean Heller, who investigated the administration's claim and found no evidence for it. Now the administration of George the Younger seems to be using very similar disinformation.

A year has passed since the U.S. launched its war on terrorism. "Unfortunately, the evidence suggests that most of the initial 'war aims' have not been achieved," reports Jane's Intelligence Digest, a leading publisher of military and security analyses. "In fact, in the view of many within the Western intelligence community, Al-Qaeda is probably stronger now than it was before 11 September. The reasons for this are complex, but key factors include the enormous growth in grassroots support for the group throughout much of the Islamic world. ...

"Yes, the secretary of state is a 'moderate' -- compared to the likes of Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld," Media Beat columnist Normon Solomon writes. "But that's not saying much. And history tells us, even if the press won't, that Powell does not have a record as a man of conscience. ... Instead of undermining prospects for a military conflagration, Powell's outsized prestige is a very useful asset for the war planners.