Hoffman
Blasts Bush's War Plans
Thursday 6th February 2003
Dustin
Hoffman has become the latest US star to voice his opposition
to war with Iraq.
Hoffman
accused the Bush administration of "manipulating the grief of
the country" after the events of September 11.
The
president's real motives for going to war are power and oil,
he said.
He
spoke out after receiving a lifetime achievement accolade at
the Empire Film Awards in London.
"For
me as an American, the most painful aspect of this is that I
believe that administration has taken the events of 9/11 and
has manipulated the grief of the country and I think that's
reprehensible," he said.
"I
don't think, like many of us, that the reasons we have been
given for going to war are the honest reasons.
"If
they are saying it's about the fact they have biological weapons
and might have nuclear weapons and that gives us the liberty
to pre-empt and strike because we think they might hit us, then
what prevents Pakistan from attacking India, what prevents India
from attacking Pakistan, what prevents us from going into North
Korea?
"I
believe - though I may wrong because I am no expert - that this
war is about what most wars are about: hegemony, money, power
and oil".
Hoffman
pointed out that the US had once funded Saddam Hussein's regime
even as he killed tens of thousands of Kurds. He added that
he believed all politicians were incapable of telling the truth.
"If
I was asked what is the most important aspect of being a politician,
I would say getting re-elected. And when that's the goal, then
all bets are off with the truth".
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