Secret Minutes...

I want to know more about the Secret minutes of a meeting that occured in 2002, before the war in Iraq. If you haven't heard about them visit here to get a little information.

Apparently, US leaders met with British leaders and talked about Iraq and how to manipulate the intelligence to indicate that military action was necessary.

I want to know why we haven't heard more about it. Are the documents fakes? Is it not true? Why is there no media coverage?

If it is true--and I'm not saying it is--shouldn't there be an investigation? The country was outraged that President Clinton lied about his relationship with an intern. I would think that this kind of falsehood deserves the same kind of scrutiny.

I am not arguing--here at least--that the reasons we now say we are in Iraq aren't good enough. Maybe they are. I am asking if it is proper for a president and his administration to make a case they know to be false to get the American people to back a military action.

If the reasons we use now--freedom, democracy, the horrors of Saddam--are good enough reasons to go to war then why weren't they the ones the President gave?

Democrats.com is offering a $1000.00 reward for anyone who can get President Bush to answer the question of "fixing" the intel or manipulating the intel. Seems to me an answer to this question is worth a lot more.

Silent Lucidity offers this:

The contents of the memo are shocking. The meeting minutes detail how our government did not believe Iraq was a greater threat than other nations, how intelligence was "fixed" to sell the case for war to the American public, and how the Bush administration's public assurances of "war as a last resort" were at odds with their privately stated intentions. When asked, British officials "did not dispute the document's authenticity" and a senior American official has described it as "absolutely accurate." Yet the Bush administration continues to simultaneously sidestep the issue while attempting to cast doubt on the memo's authenticity.

For more of what they have to say read the whole post.

I don't know if it is true--but I think at the very least we should be looking into it.

Chris

The more I look the more I find...someone tell me why the media isn't lookig at this and why the conservatives aren't screaming about the MSM ignoring THIS story?

Comments

[Billy]

I am sure there is some truth to this.Even if this particular memo is false,i will always believe this war is about oil,power and money.I was on the Bush bandwagon when Saddam was about to launch a WMD attack againist us.But there were no WMDS as Bush said,there were none of Bin Ladens boys training in IRAQ. there was no link between Iraq and 9-11 as MR. CHENEY said.If you dont think BIG oil controls the strings,read this.In our local paper there was a story about OPEC increaseing production by 500,000 barrels a day.This was to help bring gas prices down.At the bottom of the story it said that Exon-Mobil,Chevron and Royal-Dutch-Shell cut production by 473,000 barrels to OFFSET opecs increase.I guess 40 to 50 % profit just isnt enough anymore.Another thing that irks me ,is our two leaders,BUSH AND CHENEY had a chance to serve their country [on active duty] during a time of war and they both did everthing they could do to get out of it.And they did get out of it.But they have no problem sending our fine young men and women off to fight in Iraq.Under equiped and under staffed a lot of time.just my opinion ,i am sure it is wrong.

[Capitalist Infidel]

Billy, you forgot Chimpy McBushitlerburton.

The Downing Street Memo is real.

I thought we all knew this was an illegal war and Bush lied to us. Thats what the media keeps telling us. Why would this make any difference?

Ok, in all seriousness, first of all this is one persons take on the situation, second, you need to know how the British use the word "fix." It means to "organize." Of course the far left wing kook fringe is all over this but most people know its pretty much a non issue. I spent the longest year of life in England one month! :) Talk about bad food, if you want to lose weight spend a few days in London.

[Chris]

Now Cappy, language issues aside this meeting took place in 2002--the intel was less compelling than it should have been and if you click on the last link in the article you can read all about how we stepped up bombing in the hopes Saddam woulod give us a reason to attack. If the reasons we use today are good enough reason to go to war and have our soldiers killed then why weren't they enough at the time? You are not answering my questions--why is that?

chris

[Miss Peach]

I'm betting that this memo is authentic. And I imagine the reason we aren't hearing about it is because the Bushies are quietly sweeping it under the rug.

Like you, I also wonder why there was such a scandal over Clinton's liaison with Lewinsky but no investigation whatsoever over this memo. Interesting.

Billy is right-on with his comments. This war is all about money & power. It's an outrage.

[Billy]

Cappy, i have voted Republican for a long time,i like to consider my self an independent,but 99% of the time i vote to the right.I spent 4 years in the military after Vietnam ended .Went in right out of High School.Best decision i ever made.I am 100% for our troops.It just drives me nuts when i see our troops used for profit and power.Those enlisted troops who went to prison for the Abu Graib Prison abuse should have been punished but not to the extent that they were.We didnt see any Officers going to jail,or any civilian intel.agents either.Military justice is a joke for the enlisted man.He or she is always the scapegoat.Colin Powell is a great military man,and his skill and knowledge could have us a lot further along in this IRAQ mess[for the better],but he was cast to the side and we are in a dogfight with no end in sight.

[Capitalist Infidel]

Good grief Chris, did you ever read the Senate investigation? Instead of relying on some British staffer in one meeting maybe you ought to look at the in depth investigation. In case your wondering bush bashers like Senators Levin, Rockefeller, and Feinstein found that the blame lies with the CIA not the administration. Just in case you would like to educate yourself here is the report.

http://intelligence.senate.gov/iraqreport2.pdf

[Chris]

Um--Cappy? Bite ME! I have read the report and what it said that there was an atmosphere of group think that led to unpopular opinions not being listened to. It also made reference to the atmosphere created by the administration. Read the 9/11 report where Wolfowitz sat in meeting and insisted that despite all contrary evidence Iraq was involved in 9/11--get real--Iraq was an agenda item. They should have been forthright and truthful--they were not. And nice blaming the CIA and I'd even give you that point if President Bush had responded by firing George Tenet but he didn't and that lays the responsibility for all the crap that came after 9/11 dirctly at his door.

[Lisa]

Hey Peachy,

Welcome to Two Babes. Glad to came to visit.

Lisa

[Capitalist Infidel]

Chris

How does it feel to live in an alternate reality? :)

I don't know how to respond to your propoganda? I mean, reading your post and then reading the report it states clearly that Bush dismissed Wolfowitz. What in the world is your point??????

[Chris]

You are cracked--you know that? He dismissed Wolfowitz it the hours following 9/11, yes. But Rumdfeld and Wolfowitz pushed the case long after and they kept their jobs and their positions of influence. Powell said slow down and they froze him out. Now there is evidence of a meeting in which they talked about using force against Saddam in 2002, there is evidence that they increased their bombing campaigns in the hopes of engagin Saddam. You still haven't answered the question--if the reasons they give now are valid and good enough why weren't they sufficient to make the case to the world and the American people then? Geeze you would be the first to say I don't answer the question--I stay up late to make sure I answer all of your questions--you may not like the answer but I answer. Why not you, Cappy? Answer the damn question...going to bed. Will look for the answer in the morning--but I suspect it won't be here...night sunshine.

Chris

[Steel]

Now listen up children ...

I will make this short and sweet.

IF the MSM or even plain old media had even a whiff of this being of any import ... they would have been lobbing grenades at the Whitehouse by now. That you don't hear about it doesn't in ANY way suggest a Pro-Bush cabal within the media. Perish the thought.

The truth is more likely that this is SO suspect they won't touch with somebody else's 10 foot pole.

At ease.

That is all.

[Capitalist Infidel]

Sorry Chris most of us Republicans can't afford to sit home all day like democrats who collect their government cheese on the backs of those of us who work. :)

I have no idea what you question is??? I guarantee you we have plans right now to invade Korea, Iran, Syria, China, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan, Yemen, Cuba, Venezuala, and dozens of other countries. Just like Clinton did, just like Reagan, Bush Sr. and Carter did. This is not a secret. We have always been prepared to attack just about any country that we may need to.

Bush dismissing Wofowitz at the beginning is proof that nothing nefarious happened. The CIA came in with their assessments and if you recall Bush asked Tenent several times if he was sure, and the reply was it's a "slam dunk." Most clear thinking individuals would consider impeachment if Bush did NOT attack Iraq with that kind of intelligence.