Bush /Blair memo stories coming out!

[Melissa G]

Editor and Publisher

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_di...

A New Memo-gate? Knight Ridder Covers Leaked British Document That Disputes Bush Claims on Iraq

By E&P Staff

Published: May 06, 2005 4:30 PM ET

NEW YORK For much of the week, much of the U.S. press paid little attention to the highly classified British memo, leaked to a British newspaper, which seems to reveal that President Bush decided by summer 2002 to overthrow Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and was determined to ensure that U.S. intelligence data supported his policy.

That changed on Friday, when Knight Ridder circulated a lengthy report on the memo by Warren P. Strobel and John Walcott.

The memo was first disclosed earlier this week by the Sunday Times of London. It has not been disavowed by the British government. A White House official told Knight Ridder that the administration wouldn't comment on the leaked document.

Meanwhile, Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has gained 88 signatures on a letter among fellow Democrats asking the White House for an explanation of the memo. Among other things, he wants to know: “Did the Administration lie to the American people about its intentions with respect to Iraq? Did the Administration deliberately manipulate intelligence to deceive the American people about the strength of its case for war?”

[Carolab]

1. Great!

Why not post this in GD Politics?

[Melissa G]

2. Feel Free to repost....There is a lot to converse on here

and I'm likely to be tied up with mother's day. Please post new articles on the Daily thread.

[Imagevision]

3. Impeachment Time: "Facts For War Were Being Fixed."

The memo, uncovered this week by the Times, goes on to describe an elaborate plan by Bush & Blair to hoodwink the planet into supporting an attack on Iraq knowing full well the evidence for war was a phony.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=2546

[garybeck]

4. I had a dream about Michael Moore last night

I was watching his next movie. Unfortunately I can't remember exactly what it's about. But a lot of people were watching it and it was "BIG."

[FogerRox]

5. Another feather in the cap of the "How many charges can you fit into an

Impeachment hearing.

HAndcuffs, I tell ya-------------

[KansDem]

6. "The page cannot be found"

Tried the link and got the above message. Has this story been pulled already?

[Peace Patriot]

7. Here are other links:

(the original Knight-Ridder story)...

Common Dreams

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0506-01.htm

Published on Friday, May 6, 2005 by Knight Ridder

British Memo Indicates Bush Made Intelligence Fit Iraq Policy

by Warren P. Strobel and John Walcott (Knight-Ridder)

 WASHINGTON -- A highly classified British memo, leaked in the midst of Britain's just-concluded election campaign, indicates that President Bush decided to overthrow Iraqi President Saddam Hussein by summer 2002 and was determined to ensure that U.S. intelligence data supported his policy.

The document, which summarizes a July 23, 2002, meeting of British Prime Minister Tony Blair with his top security advisers, reports on a visit to Washington by the head of Britain's MI-6 intelligence service.

The visit took place while the Bush administration was still declaring to the American public that no decision had been made to go to war.

"There was a perceptible shift in attitude. Military action was now seen as inevitable," the MI-6 chief said at the meeting, according to the memo. "Bush wanted to remove Saddam through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD," weapons of mass destruction.

The memo said "the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy." ....(more)

-----

Same story in Seattle Times:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002265205_intel06.html?syndication=rss

-----

(Refers to Knight Ridder story...)

Global Security Newswire

http://www.nti.org/d_newswire/issues/W_2005_5_6.html#E34EFA4A

Bush Pressed for Iraq War Despite Doubtful Intelligence, Classified British Memo Indicates

From Friday, May 6, 2005 issue.

A classified British memo indicates that the Bush administration planned as early as summer 2002 to oust then-Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, and wanted U.S. intelligence to support that decision, Knight Ridder reported today (see GSN, April 29).

The memo recounts a July 23, 2002, meeting between British Prime Minister Tony Blair and top security advisers. A visit to Washington by the head of the British MI-6 intelligence service was discussed in the meeting.

“There was a perceptible shift in attitude. Military action was now seen as inevitable,” the MI-6 chief said at the meeting, according to the memo. President George W. Bush “wanted to remove Saddam through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD.”

“The intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy,” the memo quotes him as saying.

The memo is “an absolutely accurate description of what transpired,” during the meeting in Washington, a former senior U.S. official said.

The Bush administration at the time claimed that no decision had been made on invading Iraq, Knight Ridder reported. The U.S.-led Iraq Survey Group found no weapons of mass destruction following the March 2003 invasion.

The memo also cites British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw saying, “Bush had made up his mind to take military action.”

“But the case was thin. Saddam was not threatening his neighbors, and his WMD capability was less than that of Libya, North Korea or Iran,” Straw said, according to the memo (Strobel/Walcott, Knight Ridder/Seattle Times, May 6).

[Peace Patriot]

8. Try this link to the Editor & Publishers' version. I just went there and

...and found the story.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000912159

Note: I just tested this link and it works.

[Peace Patriot]

9. Keep your eye on Knight-Ridder! They are the best news service in...

...the country (of the more or less "mainstream" type), and often investigate and report important items that the others don't. They are making an effort at real journalism--and have been doing so for some time--as opposed to the stinky ca-ca that is being produced by the Bush Cartel lapdogs in all other "mainstream," "news" organizations.

[newscott]

10. It's no accident the report was written up on a Friday

That's the best day of the week to report bad news.

No one cares on Friday and by the time Monday rolls around there's usually another Runaway Bride to bury the bad news.

[Melissa G]

11. Late Friday is take out the trash day for the White House!

A good reason for us to be monitoring what comes out then so we can media blast the Hell out of it all weekend!