Confidential memo reveals US plan to provoke an invasion of Iraq

[deminks]

Source: The Observer

A confidential record of a meeting between President Bush and Tony Blair before the invasion of Iraq, outlining their intention to go to war without a second United Nations resolution, will be an explosive issue for the official inquiry into the UK's role in toppling Saddam Hussein.

The memo, written on 31 January 2003, almost two months before the invasion and seen by the Observer, confirms that as the two men became increasingly aware UN inspectors would fail to find weapons of mass destruction (WMD) they had to contemplate alternative scenarios that might trigger a second resolution legitimising military action.

Bush told Blair the US had drawn up a provocative plan "to fly U2 reconnaissance aircraft painted in UN colours over Iraq with fighter cover". Bush said that if Saddam fired at the planes this would put the Iraqi leader in breach of UN resolutions.

(snip)

Philippe Sands, QC, a professor of law at University College London who is expected to give evidence to the inquiry, said confidential material such as the memo was of national importance, making it vital that the inquiry is not held in private, as Brown originally envisioned.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jun/21/iraq-inquiry-tony-blair-bush

[undeterred]

1. Old news, but I hope somebody who can prosecute them cares.

[babylonsister]

2. Sounds suspiciously like the Downing Street Memo, but the dates

don't match.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downing_Street_memo

[Middle finga]

3. It doesn't matter anymore, Bush could go on national TV

and admit he lied to start the war and the Obama Justice Dept. and the democratic lead congress would just continue "looking forward"

[Journeyman]

4. What, these three clowns conspire for an illegal war? . . .

Who goes to war with an insipid grin plastered on their mug? I mean, who, other than a trio of reckless sociopaths. . .

[struggle4progress]

5. dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3932957