New UK Memos Support ‘Sexed Up’ Iraq Dossier Claim
New UK Memos Support ‘Sexed Up’ Iraq Dossier Claim
On Sept, 24, 2002, then-British Prime Minster Tony Blair presented MPs with a government dossier claiming that Saddam Hussein was capable of launching an attack using biological or chemical weapons within 45 minutes — a claim that became one of Britain’s main justifications for joining the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. The BBC reported shortly after the invasion that a source, now known to be Dr. David Kelly (who also subsequently committed suicide), had said the 45-minute claim was the “classic example” of how the dossier was “sexed up” to make the case to the British public.
While the British government officially withdrew the 45-minute claim in October 2004, new e-mails and memos just released by the British government provide further evidence that the September dossier Blair used to make the case for war was indeed “sexed up.”
Desmond Bowen, head of the Cabinet Office defense secretariat — in a memo sent and copied to 10 Downing Street 13 days before Blair’s presentation to parliament — expressed “grave reservations over the threat”:
“The question we have to have in the back of our mind is: ‘Why now?’ I think we have moved away from promoting the ideas that we are in imminent danger of attack and…intend to act in pre-emptive self-defence.”
Another memo dated a few days later, Sept. 16, showed an unnamed official mocking claims that Saddam was developing nuclear weapons, calling them “iffy drafting”:
“[Iraq] has assembled specialists to work on its nuclear programme’ – Dr Frankenstein I presume? Sorry. It’s getting late… We have suggested moderating the same language in much the same way on drafts from the dim and distant past without success. Feel free to try again!… Lots of ‘ranges’ close together – iffy drafting.”
An e-mail sent by then-Foreign Secretary Jack Straw’s private assistant argued that the report should be made simple enough for the media to digest. “We need a very simple table somewhere… This should be brief enough to get on to the Sky wall – ie no more than five bullets,” it read.
Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat’s spokesman on foreign affairs, said the new memos “confirm” suspicions that the Blair government “deliberately tweak[ed]…the intelligence to bolster the case for war on Iraq. “The jigsaw of how the public and some MPs were duped nears completion with this crucial revelation,” he said, adding that it “further strengthens the case for a full public inquiry.”
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I’m kind of offended by the use of the phrase “sexed up” here.
This doesn’t make me feel very sexy.
Angry… disgusted… repulsed… yes.
But sexy? I don’t think so.
March 13th, 2009 at 11:51 amRepublic, I was JUST ABOUT TO SAY something similar, except…
…I kind of like the phrase. It’s appropriate. When neanderthal neocons are contemplating a one-sided profitable war, you know what’s going on under their belts…
March 13th, 2009 at 11:56 amHere’s hoping the people across the pond have the stomach for investigating and prosecuting their leader. On this side, the delicate peach blossoms of congress don’t seem up to the task.
PEACE
March 13th, 2009 at 11:56 amThere was a great deal of controversy over whether Dr. Kelly committed suicide. A review of the evidence at the time by some unofficial observers indicated that this was another poorly done “suicide” report by those who wanted the problems that Kelly raised to go away. This is another case of those of us who believe that there are problems be covered over are called conspiracy theorists. For those who say those kinds of things, I simply have the question: so you say that the Warren Commission answered all of the questions about JFK’s death?
March 13th, 2009 at 12:00 pmTony is going to swing right beside Bush.
no amount of hail mary’s will save you Tony…..see you in hell.
March 13th, 2009 at 12:07 pmDaddy-O Says:
…I kind of like the phrase. It’s appropriate. When neanderthal neocons are contemplating a one-sided profitable war, you know what’s going on under their belts…
__________
True… unfortunately it has the exact opposite effect on me.
March 13th, 2009 at 12:07 pmBearCountry Says:
There was a great deal of controversy over whether Dr. Kelly committed suicide.
______________
Riiiight… “Dr Kelly committed suicide”.
Jean Pelfrey committed suicide…
The Anthrax researcher committed suicide…
March 13th, 2009 at 12:09 pmAll you Bush supporters, trumping his illegal war….
March 13th, 2009 at 12:10 pmARE YOU PROUD STILL!!!
How much more money have we spent on Iraqi oil than if we just bought it, strait up? I mean, at least that has to be an embarrassment to the war mongers…
March 13th, 2009 at 12:23 pmSimply disgaceful and inhuman.
When you purposely manipulate intelligence reports , that is heinous enough ; but when it’s done in this manner , to spark an endeavor that is going to be costly in terms of human life , that is simply unforgivable ………….
March 13th, 2009 at 12:24 pmThis should not surprise any of us.
March 13th, 2009 at 12:24 pmBear Country & TroS,
Now we know what Cheney’s private assasination squad was up to.
March 13th, 2009 at 12:31 pmHey all you 23%ers!
You tell me if this is sexy!!!
You feel good now????
March 13th, 2009 at 12:34 pmadding that it “further strengthens the case for a full public inquiry.”
Please, for the sake of all, make it happen.
March 13th, 2009 at 12:51 pmAside from manipulated intelligence reports:
They had to know that they were planning a preventive attack, and that that is illegal. The intelligence brouhaha is a bit of a red herring imo.
March 13th, 2009 at 12:52 pm“Sexed up” – Not a good expression.
With all of the evidence that has been presented – I just want to know when Bush, Cheney, Blair, Rove and the rest are going to jail? What else is needed? There’s not a damn thing sexy about this mess!
March 13th, 2009 at 12:55 pm.
Q U E S T I O N:
How does one
FIXSEX-UP Facts around a policy?.
March 13th, 2009 at 12:59 pmMany of us asserted so from the beginning: the big media, once again, failed to do due diligence–or worse, participated in this jingoism!
March 13th, 2009 at 1:11 pmA whole lot of suicides, and Cheney had an assassination squad, any link?
March 13th, 2009 at 1:12 pmchat
thanks you
March 13th, 2009 at 1:22 pmThe whole thing started with DEATH SQUAD CHENEY’S Energy Task Force Meeting, where he had a map of Iraq and the oil fields on the table…
…this was way pre-911.
WAR CRIMINALS ALL
March 13th, 2009 at 1:22 pmSo, when Reichwhiners say “everyone thought Saddam had WMD”, they are wrong. Now that that’s cleared up, can we skip on to the indictments?
March 13th, 2009 at 1:26 pm.
DOWNING STREET DOCUMENTS
.
March 13th, 2009 at 1:27 pmIt is immoral and illegal to wage a pre-emptive war. That would be bad enough and warrent international tribunals. Then the facts emerge that the evidence that was pushed by both America and Great Britain to justify this pre-emptive war (in which case would need to be ironclad in lieu of actuallly being attacked first) has been intentionally distorted to the point of outright lies is not simply illegal it is treasonous for both parties of both countries. I hope for Blair’s sake his life was threatened by Cheney and he can proove it otherwise as was previously posted he may well swing next to Bush.
March 13th, 2009 at 1:31 pmA lie is a lie no matter what you call it.
A lie with a kernel of truth is worse, in my opinion, than an outright fabrication.
What should be done to the liars that caused 100s of thousands of deaths?
March 13th, 2009 at 1:31 pm.
So I CAN become the President of the USA AND become an International WAR CRIMINAL…
… Because the Government of the USA is weak, feeble and IMPOTENT?
R E M E M B E R:
Republican did not take impeachment “OFF THE TABLE”!
.
March 13th, 2009 at 1:48 pmIs there any chance that, as Britain is just a short swim away from the Netherlands, that the Hague may do some investigating there ?
March 13th, 2009 at 2:05 pmMapleStreet,
March 13th, 2009 at 2:29 pmhttp://www.petitiononline.com/BlairWar/petition.html
Not to be pedantic, Patriot, but it was a preventive war—what Hitler got busted for for invading Poland (though it wasn’t yet the supreme crime against peace when he did it). One “preempts” when an actual attack is imminent or taking place. The perception of a threat of a possible attack sometime in the future does not count. A manufactured threat of possible attack doesn’t count either.
March 13th, 2009 at 2:34 pmHmmmm? I don’t mean to be pedantic either but, I think I’ll go with:
presumptive invasion
March 13th, 2009 at 2:48 pmTrial, conviction, firing squad.
March 13th, 2009 at 3:21 pmLive by the sword, die by it.
THE MURDER OF DAVID KELLY
Part one of two
( This first part lays out the case from the evidence presented in the Hutton inquiry why the death of Dr. David Kelly was not by suicide. Part two will show the reasons, in this writer’s opinion, Dr. Kelly was killed.)
http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/101403_kelly_1.html
March 13th, 2009 at 5:09 pmGood article in The New Yorker as well.
March 13th, 2009 at 5:44 pmIn the vernacular “presumptive invasion” is perfect. In court, “preventive”.
March 13th, 2009 at 6:47 pmFull public inquiry, Now!
March 13th, 2009 at 9:07 pmMax, I would not be so sure. I am sure death squad Cheney talked to members of Congress. Remember the Criminal Cheney operates in the shadows.
March 13th, 2009 at 9:14 pmdbearton,
Oath trumps cowardice in my book.
While we may speculate a number of things as to why Impeachment fell off the table, the fact remains…
… Duty to the Nation and the People are paramount, otherwise you’re not serving FAITHFULLY!
.
March 13th, 2009 at 10:29 pmHOW DO YOU “SEX UP” THIS?
BUS TO CHIRAC: “Gog and Magog are at work in the Middle East”
FROM THE ARTICLE “When God Spoke to Me”: …..During those private interviews, Jacque Chirac had purportedly confessed to the journalist some personal remarks regarding the faith of George W. Bush that seemed quite daunting. He told the journalist that the latter called him twice beseeching him basically, in the name of their common “spiritual faith”, i.e., “Christianity”, to join the collective effort of the coalition being formed to wage a preemptive war against Iraq. In his first telephonic call he reportedly said to Jacque Chirac: “Gog and Magog are at work in the Middle East” and then added that “the biblical prophecies are being fulfilled”…..
ENTIRE ARTICLE -
March 13th, 2009 at 10:48 pmhttp://www.palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=14890
#9 Interesting thought. Our past 8 years of govt. style and MSM coverage make me think of crack addicts on speed. Just when you think it can’t get any crazier…here comes bush again with that twitchy mouth and eyes darting side to side…and everybody just adores that style….so much you just want to have a beer with him.With that crazy bush speak. Nobody expects hinm to make sense because because…
March 14th, 2009 at 12:39 amThese people have created unimaginable human suffering on a grand scale. For what? To satisfy a lust. That’s what it looks like to me.
March 15th, 2009 at 12:57 amTony Blair is a WAR CRIMNAL! He should be prosecuted for it! Like the USA, the UK has no moral credetials to call Mugabe or any other criminal for their crimes, until the UK prosecutes it own War Criminals.
March 15th, 2009 at 2:41 pmIt is absurd, ’surrealistic’, criminals and hypocritical to have this man part of the ‘Middle Eats peace’. He has given full support to the Terrorist State of Israel during the MASSCRE of 1500 women, children and civilians in Gaza last December. Blair should hang from a noose for crimes against humanity and War Crimes! I don’t trust one single word that comes from this SOB!