Road to War in Iraq: English translation of the Bush-Aznar conversation

[NV1962]

Maybe you've heard that El País published the transcript (in Spanish) of the meeting between Aznar and Bush, just weeks before the invasion, where they discuss the wrangling over the second UNSC resolution, which eventually was shelved by the US in the face of a majority UNSC voting against it.

It has some juicy bits.

I made a quick translation of the entire transcript, as published, into English:

http://nv1962.net/2007/09/25/english-translation-of-the-aznar-bush-transcript/

Have at it.

[gateley]

1. Boy you're good! This is - again - unbelievable. Thanks. nt

[grytpype]

2. Holy shiet!

I can't get over it. I just can't.

Too much to process.

Bush thought the war would cost $5 billion dollars.

And there's more. Holy living shiet.

[NV1962]

3. Actually, 50

You read it correctly though. The text I copied showed 5 billion - now, the text on EP shows 50 billion; I've corrected that figure as a result, too. It's still a woeful underestimation of course.

But what stuck out for me is the unabashed, hardly veiled threats that abound: from threatening Chile and Angola, if they didn't budge on their position re: 2ns resolution, to even having Hussein assassinated (if he opted for exile) by Mubarak's hit squad. What plausible deniability!?

It just oozes contemptuous hubris.

[grasswire]

6. deleted

stupid question

[Greeby]

4. What I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around

Is the idea of der Shrubler speaking as if he has more than two brain cells,which he certainly doesn't in his public speaking

[gateley]

5. I had the same thought, although a transcript probably wouldn't include

the pauses and stutters and guffaws and mispronounced names and words we've grown to love.