When is a lie a lie?

I want to talk about (nonelected) U.S. President George W. Bush, whose enormous ignorance is a danger for the whole world. Less then half a year after he and his lapdog Prime Minister Blair misled (knowingly or not) the American and British public and the rest of the world about (nonexisting) weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq, we have to learn that there are no such weapons at all.

Now we hear about a WMD-"Program", which makes a big difference.

We also remember the dramatic Hollywood-style story of U.S. war hero Jessica Lynch, who was rescued from an Iraq hospital by U.S. soldiers. She was allegedly stabbed and shot during an Iraqi attack. Now we know: there were neither stab wounds nor bullets on her body; she was injured in a car accident!

Both Bush and Blair eliminated the UN Security Council, kicked the weapons inspectors out of Iraq and ignored millions of peace- loving protesters.

Now we know: We were told either lies (deliberate untruths) or the leaders of the United States and Great Britain relied negligently on completely false intelligence information.

MICHAEL BEER Amlapura, Bali