Dave Johnson (normally of Seeing The Forest, now contributing to The American Street groupblog) nails it:
What does it mean, that former Treasury Secretary O’Neill says they
were planning to invade Iraq right from the start, long before 9/11?
It means that after we were attacked on 9/11, the Bush administration
betrayed us, and instead of going after the attackers, and instead
of putting 100% of their efforts and resources and energy and
brainpower and skills and talents into protecting us from additional
attacks, they used that event to accomplish a different, PRE-EXISTING agenda. PRE-EXISTING!
They harnessed our shock and emotions, and redirected them, and used
them, and used us, and, worst of all, used our 3,000 dead in a cynical,
corrupt, dishonest, drive to win an election and then to commit aggressive war against a country that had not attacked us, had not even threatened us.
And, lest we forget, they let the people responsible for 9/11 go free. And people wonder why we’re pissed at Bush.