"Bush talked about several ways to provoke a confrontation" [View All]

[sabra]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/27/international/europe/27memo.html?ei=5090&en=7c30d11fe0c8c923&ex=1301115600&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

<snip>

The memo also shows that the president and the prime minister acknowledged that no unconventional weapons had been found inside Iraq. Faced with the possibility of not finding any before the planned invasion, Mr. Bush talked about several ways to provoke a confrontation, including a proposal to paint a United States surveillance plane in the colors of the United Nations in hopes of drawing fire, or assassinating Mr. Hussein.

Those proposals were first reported last month in the British press, but the memo does not make clear whether they reflected Mr. Bush's extemporaneous suggestions, or were elements of the government's plan.

Consistent Remarks

Two senior British officials confirmed the authenticity of the memo, but declined to talk further about it, citing Britain's Official Secrets Act, which made it illegal to divulge classified information. But one of them said, "In all of this discussion during the run-up to the Iraq war, it is obvious that viewing a snapshot at a certain point in time gives only a partial view of the decision-making process."

Is it just me, but I just keep coming back to this part. Here we have a memo that has been confirmed to be authentic. Both Bush and Blair have not dismissed the content, and claim that they won't discuss a private conversation.

ways to provoke a confrontation

I start thinking about PNAC, September 11.... I am putting my tin foil hat away.