I doubt if Kerry/Edwards and Congress had access to the same intelligence sources and info the administration did.; nor did other countries. If the admin. said Iraq had WMDs, and this led others to believe Iraq had them, then that was the best information at the time. Unfortunately, the admin. never had the definitive proof but went with it anyway. In addition, not many elected officials were opposed to finding the perps after 9/11.
The admin. merely had 2nd hand reports from people like Ahmed Chalabi, the former Iraqi dissident (and accused of fraud) who was a longtime Pentagon favorite who convinced GW and folks Saddam had WMDs (so he could squeeze in power). Chalabi was to be the interim leader of Iraq but as since fallen out of favor with the U.S. government. He's currently being investigated by the FBI for passing classified documents to Iran. So much for admin. buddies like him. The admin. also had Cheney's fervor, no small motivational source.
www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/05/21/1085120117263.html?from=storylhs&oneclick=true
Anyway, in addition to the vast majority of Americans who believed GWs "intelligence" reports, many govt. leaders did as well. Many of you still believe it. What makes it so hard to believe that members of Congress swallowed that story too?
Today (10/10/04), National Security Advisor Rice said President Bush was correct in launching the invasion of Iraq even if U.S. officials had known, as they do now, that the former Iraqi president had no stockpiles of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21905-2004Oct10.html
That sounds like backpedalng to cover their arses.
Sherwood