Your So-Called Librul Media at Work

British Intelligence Warned of Iraq War.

Seven months before the invasion of Iraq, the head of British foreign intelligence reported to Prime Minister Tony Blair that President Bush wanted to topple Saddam Hussein by military action and warned that in Washington intelligence was "being fixed around the policy," according to notes of a July 23, 2002, meeting with Blair at No. 10 Downing Street.

"Military action was now seen as inevitable," said the notes, summarizing a report by Richard Dearlove, then head of MI6, British intelligence, who had just returned from consultations in Washington along with other senior British officials. Dearlove went on, "Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD [weapons of mass destruction]. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy."

"The case was thin," summarized the notes taken by a British national security aide at the meeting. "Saddam was not threatening his neighbours and his WMD capability was less than that of Libya, North Korea or Iran."

The notes were first disclosed last week by the Sunday Times of London, triggering criticism of Blair on the eve of the May 5 British parliamentary elections that he had decided to support an invasion of Iraq well before informing the public of his views.

The notes of the Blair meeting, attended by the prime minister's senior national security team, also disclose for the first time that Britain's intelligence boss believed that Bush had decided to go to war in mid-2002, and that he believed U.S. policymakers were trying to use the limited intelligence they had to make the Iraqi leader appear to be a bigger threat than was supported by known facts.

1. That is a crap headline. It should rightfully read: Bush Fakes Intelligence to Justify Illegal War on Iraq.
2. Why is this story on page A18?
3. Why is this story being reported one week after being revealed in the Sunday Times (London)?
4. Why is this asshole thinking he should keep his job?
5. Vote to Impeach.
6. Impeach B*sh.

Comments

[Erudite Redneck]

The essence of this is in "Bush at War." So, technically, it's not "news."

[The Heretik]

Come on, Arse. Don't be shy! Tell me how you really feel!

[ae]

Right on, ER. Granted that this is not "news," per se, considering that even the most casual observer of this madministration's history could tell that at the time they were just making sh*t up, to use a highly technical phrase. What a passel of pricks.

P.S. I didn't read "Bush at War," because I was too busy being annoyed w/ Woodward, but my pal's got it on the shelf, so maybe some book-swapping is in order.

'tik, next time, I promise I'll really let loose! ;-) No more Mr. Nice Grrl!