Bush/Blair respond to Downing Street Memo Question (Transcript)

[truthpusher]

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/06/20050607-2.html

President Welcomes British Prime Minister Blair to the White House
The East Room
--------------------------------
4:46 P.M. EDT
--------------------------------
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 7, 2005
--------------------------------

PRESIDENT BUSH: Steve.

Q Thank you, sir. On Iraq, the so-called Downing Street memo from July 2002 says intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy of removing Saddam through military action. Is this an accurate reflection of what happened? Could both of you respond?

PRIME MINISTER BLAIR: Well, I can respond to that very easily. No, the facts were not being fixed in any shape or form at all. And let me remind you that that memorandum was written before we then went to the United Nations. Now, no one knows more intimately the discussions that we were conducting as two countries at the time than me. And the fact is we decided to go to the United Nations and went through that process, which resulted in the November 2002 United Nations resolution, to give a final chance to Saddam Hussein to comply with international law. He didn't do so. And that was the reason why we had to take military action.

But all the way through that period of time, we were trying to look for a way of managing to resolve this without conflict. As it happened, we weren't able to do that because -- as I think was very clear -- there was no way that Saddam Hussein was ever going to change the way that he worked, or the way that he acted.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, I -- you know, I read kind of the characterizations of the memo, particularly when they dropped it out in the middle of his race. I'm not sure who "they dropped it out" is, but -- I'm not suggesting that you all dropped it out there. (Laughter.) And somebody said, well, you know, we had made up our mind to go to use military force to deal with Saddam. There's nothing farther from the truth.

My conversation with the Prime Minister was, how could we do this peacefully, what could we do. And this meeting, evidently, that took place in London happened before we even went to the United Nations -- or I went to the United Nations. And so it's -- look, both us of didn't want to use our military. Nobody wants to commit military into combat. It's the last option. The consequences of committing the military are -- are very difficult. The hardest things I do as the President is to try to comfort families who've lost a loved one in combat. It's the last option that the President must have -- and it's the last option I know my friend had, as well.

And so we worked hard to see if we could figure out how to do this peacefully, take a -- put a united front up to Saddam Hussein, and say, the world speaks, and he ignored the world. Remember, 1441 passed the Security Council unanimously. He made the decision. And the world is better off without Saddam Hussein in power.

complete transcript: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/06/20050607-2.html

[bpilgrim]

1. ---------------- ----------------- ------------------ > MP3

http://news.globalfreepress.com/mp3/DSM/DSM-Bush-Blair.mp3

peace

[JRob]

96. NO FOLLOW UP ! ! Ah, the question Mr. President was regarding specific...

allegations on fact fixing... WHAT A BUNCH OF PATHETIC HACKS!!!!

[InternalDialogue]

2. "There's nothing farther from the truth"?

How about this: I totally believe you.

[grasswire]

55. ha!

Your post made me laugh out loud. Thanks! And a belated welcome to DU.

[mirrera]

73. "Disassemble that means to not tell the truth" GWB

They both EFFIN Suck. As Micheal Moore said they just keep repeating the lies until people believe it. On Prairie Home companion in 2000 there was this great song that Garrison sang that keeps going through my head. It was something like

"I'm going to make pretend I'm president, I'm going to wave and smile the way they do. I'm going to make pretend I'm president 'til you believe it too."


www.nobullshirt.com

[KeireG]

3. Wow

Incoherence and incompetence rarely comes across THAT vividly through text. He makes me want to scream. Yay, this is starting to pick up :)

[fooj]

4. Dropped WHAT out there, you bastards? THE TRUTH?

Make them accountable!

peace.

[madhat]

Who asked? Steve who? n/t

[Lindacooks]

5. The contrast between Blair and chimpy's speech patterns

is so striking, I hardly know what else to say. The grammatical mistakes, misuse of words, how he can't even complete a sentence - why is this man not just picking up trash along the side of the road (no offense to people who do that job, of course).

Of course, they're both lying through their teeth.

[Iowa]

33. I thought the same thing...

GW is very possibly the first mentally retarded President of a large country. I'm all for hiring the disabled, but this goes too far. We need an amendment to the Constitution that limits the Presidency to those with a WAIS IQ score above 90. I suppose the founding fathers never dreamed the country would elect the village idiot to the top job.

Instead of calling Bush a loser (which he surely is) Harry Reid might have done better to say Bush appears to be limited intellectually and unable to perform the job effectively. Every time the press hounds him about it he could back it up with Bush dumb quotes - and then challenge Bush to an IQ test.

[Vanje]

50. Challenge Bush to a test

"...and then challenge Bush to an IQ test."

I'd like to see Bush challenged to a urine test.
Really.
Isnt in our interest to know what chemicals he's on?

My nephew had to get drug-tested to deliver phone books.
Being president of the United States is almost as important as delivering phone books, isnt it?

[AuntiBush]

85. LOL! You're so right! Our President is "We-Tard-ed!"

[Barrett808]

78. Blair: Denial, diversion. Bush: Mushmouth.

Blair's reply is pretty well studied: No, the facts were not fixed, followed by diversion: "And let me remind you..."

[AuntiBush]

84. It's called, "Covering their Lying Butts!"

I'm surprised they have any teeth left to lie through.

[Supersedeas]

103. there wasn't a prepared transcript...he knew the questions was coming

[otohara]

6. Moron & World Class Liar

PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, I -- you know, I read kind of the characterizations of the memo, particularly when they dropped it out in the middle of his race. I'm not sure who "they dropped it out" is, but -- I'm not suggesting that you all dropped it out there. (Laughter.) And somebody said, well, you know, we had made up our mind to go to use military force to deal with Saddam. There's nothing farther from the truth.

My conversation with the Prime Minister was, how could we do this peacefully, what could we do. And this meeting, evidently, that took place in London happened before we even went to the United Nations -- or I went to the United Nations. And so it's -- look, both us of didn't want to use our military. Nobody wants to commit military into combat. It's the last option. The consequences of committing the military are -- are very difficult. The hardest things I do as the President is to try to comfort families who've lost a loved one in combat. It's the last option that the President must have -- and it's the last option I know my friend had, as well.

And so we worked hard to see if we could figure out how to do this peacefully, take a -- put a united front up to Saddam Hussein, and say, the world speaks, and he ignored the world. Remember, 1441 passed the Security Council unanimously. He made the decision. And the world is better off without Saddam Hussein in power.

[Donailin]

18. Bush's denial about having mind made up about invading iraq is the

equivalent of this:

"I did not have sex with that woman!"

And like his predecessor, those words -- that quote from today's news conference -- will be played over and over and over one day, just like the media did to Clinton when the news was "Clinton lied to the American people"

George W Bush on June 7th 2005:

"And somebody said, well, you know, we had made up our mind to go to use military force to deal with Saddam. There's nothing farther from the truth.

memorize it folks, those are famous last words.

[AuntiBush]

86. This explains bLAIR's fast-track visit w/the Chimp!

Had to get their stories straight. And isn't that a LIE about the UN!?!

[Arkansas Granny]

101. I believe invading Iraq was on his mind

even before he took office. When he started making noises about Iraq I knew that there was nothing Saddam could do to stop GWB from pushing for invasion.The "war on terror" had really boosted his ratings after 9/11. A year later they were beginning to slip so he needed something kick them back up. What could be better than another war?

[Straight Shooter]

24. "Fuck Saddam. We're taking him out."

Why doesn't somebody ask him to explain that infamous quote?

[aneerkoinos]

30. Very Good Point

Why not ask Conyers to ask Bush & co about that?

OK, where was that originally reported, who were there, and who want's to start an activist thread to bomb Conyers, Kerry, Media and all involved with relevant info, so that SOMEBODY will ask the question and get an official affirmation or denial for that quote.

[psychopomp]

40. Originally reported in Time Magazine, 3/23/03 link

http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,1101030331-435968,00.html

[aneerkoinos]

46. Thanks

I'm just solidaric foreigner, so better that an American DUer takes initiative. Any takers?

[Window]

89. Damn.

That's some way to talk for a so-called Christian.

[jayctravis]

34. "How could we do this peacefully?"

We could not go to war, President Bush.

We did not find what you said we went in there for. There are terrorists who threaten us, but it doesn't have to be with WMD as proven in 2001.

You don't search through a china shop with a pitchfork. You have made us in the eyes of the World exactly what you thought Saddam was.

[kimpossible]

7. Uuuh, the dog ate my talking points

It's just so damned embarrassing to have a so-called President who can't speak well enough to hold his own on a 6th grade debate team.

[Arugula Latte]

8. What BSers they both are.

It is absolutely hilarious, however, to compare Blair's remark's with Bush. Blair -- polished, articulate, smooth. Bush -- stumbling, fragmented, incoherent.

Note Bush's grammar: " ... look, both of us didn't want to use our military." He couldn't even string together: "neither one of us wanted to use our military."

Fucking fake cowboy dunce!

[Inland]

9. Bush just denies the conclusion of the memo. Gee, who to believe.

Just as he denied Clark's conclusion, and O'Neill's conclusion.

All those guys watching Bush first hand, and a couple of them actual intel guys, come to the same conclusion. And then it turns out that Saddam wasn't a danger at all, that the intel was wrong, that it was crazily untrustworthy from drunks and liars known to be drunks and liars, and nobody knows HOW that happened.

And in the meantime, Bush wins the midterms and general on teh basis of being a wartime president, and Halliburton gets rich.

Gee, who to believe, who to believe.

[Demit]

10. I noticed in watching the clip that he just couldn't stand not getting

all the credit--"...before we even went to the United Nations -- or I went to the United Nations..."

Fine with me--he can have all the credit if it gets him impeached.

[morgan2]

51. that was the most telling part

They seem to be saying because the memo was written before they went to the UN, it can't be true. This for obvious reasons is utterly ridiculous. It claims they had no patience for the UN route, which they obviously didn't because they didnt give the inspectors any real time to check up and find that Saddam was being truthful.

[uppityperson]

76. Exaclty. They had it planned before going to the UN

It didn't matter what the UN said, they had the invasion reasons already planned.

[ixion]

11. tell it to a tribunal in the Hague

:grr:

[McIntyre]

16. If I had a nickel for every time Chimpy said

"We're spending money on ______________". Fill in the blank and you've got the stock answer for 99 questions! What a morAn!!!

Oh how he makes me cringe!

[driver8]

80. "We're spending money on anything EXCEPT what might benefit

the citizens of the United States."

[NV Whino]

12. BULL PUCKY!

:grr:

[Kipling]

13. Oh, come on!

That's pathetic. Blair was doing his usual "deny-quickly-then-change-topic" tactic. And Dubya was trying pathetically to do the same, although handicapped by having the IQ of a retarded mole. Can't they come up with anything a bit more believable?

[jayctravis]

35. Annie Oakley-esque

"Any lie you can tell I can say dumber!
I can dissembleate better than you!
...and that means 'to take apart' for those of you not on the internets.

[tavalon]

94. A retarded mole!

If I'd been drinking liquid, my keyboard would have taken a bath! I love it!

[deminks]

14. The Chimp and his Poodle

When did he ever do this:

The hardest things I do as the President is to try to comfort families who've lost a loved one in combat.

:mad:

[Blue Belle]

17. Has he EVER had to comfort a family who has lost a loved...

one in combat?? Uhm... I'm guessing no.

Did we actually expect thes criminals to answer the question truthfully??

[Bullwinkle925]

29. I'm wondering that as well. Never have seen anything in any media

regarding that and LORD KNOWS the Repugs wouldn't pass that one up!

[FizzFuzz]

49. I remember one: it was "hard to show her his love"

or some such nauseating line.

Strictly photo op. She was probably a fundy, chosen carefully for her fundyness and passivity (and conviction that b*sh is lord).

puke

[Blue Belle]

83. His love was hard to show because it was never there...

Hard to show something that never existed... kind of like those WMD's.

[FizzFuzz]

92. yep. Heartless, soulless, conscienceless sub-human. n/t

[Blue Belle]

97. I wonder if Shrub has placed a comforting call to

Pat Tillman's family as of late. I wonder if his words could comfort Tillman's mother.

Bush is a coward. He's never had to fight in a war, and the sympathy and empathy that he shows for the family's of the troops are about as deep as a bird bath.

:grr:

[Donailin]

15. And after their answer, there was no godammed follow up!

Fucking media. They were like, "Oh OK" and on to the next question.

[uppityperson]

19. Wow. That reads, just, wow. Question here about the Minutes

Are they saying that the DSM isn't that bad because it was before whomever went to the UN? Doesn't this mean that they were looking for excuses and manipulating information to go to war before they were seeking peace? How does this mean it is ok? I am confused. Help.

And as far as the rest of this transcript-wow. WTF is he babbling about? What race? Who is "they"? WTF? Oh my goodness, what a bumbling speaker. What does any of this have to do with anything? that's a rhetorical question.

[Warren Stupidity]

41. exactly my puzzlement

:wtf:

Blair's argument is: pay no attention to the DSM, that was before we went to the UN. Oh. I see.

No, I don't see. So before you went to the UN you were full of bullshit and fixing the intell and everything, but then you went to the UN and everything was OK 'cause Colon Bowels put up a power point f*ing graphic of what mobile bio weapons labs might look like if Saddam had some which you knew damn well he didn't? Is that your point? Or was your point that your spooks confirmed that the american spooks told them a whole lot of bullshit about WMD and the american spooks confirmed that your spooks told them a whole lot of bullshit about WMD, so see all the bullshit intel was independently confirmed? Was that your point?

[psychopomp]

43. The race referred to is the recent UK election

wherein Bliar won an historic 3rd term, though is significantly weakened by his party's anemic majority position.

[uppityperson]

48. Thanks for clearing that up. Mr.bush is wayyyyy confusing.

and Mr.bush won a historic second term. Hard to do when you didn't win the first one either. sorry. I'm pissed and snarky argh

[babylonsister]

20. I have to recommend, if only to let people

see what a literary master we have representing us. :sarcasm:

[UpInArms]

21. these two things have less than no credibility

when it comes to this and any other issue.

They are Liars and War Criminals.

[Warren Stupidity]

42. Liar and Liarer. EOM

[uppityperson]

22. more bs from press conference: spreading freedom in ME

Prime Minister Blair and I share a common vision of a world that is free, prosperous, and at peace. When men and women are free to choose their own governments, to speak their minds, and to pursue a good life for their families, they build a strong, prosperous and just society.

This is the vision chosen by Iraqis in elections in January. And the United States and Britain will stand with the Iraqi people as they continue their journey toward freedom and democracy. We'll support Iraqis as they take the lead in providing their own security. Our strategy is clear: We're training Iraqi forces so they can take the fight to the enemy, so they can defend their country. And then our troops will come home with the honor they have earned.

By spreading freedom throughout the broader Middle East we'll end the bitterness and hatred that feed the ideology of terror.

[pinto]

23. Thanks for the transcript post. n/t

[donkeyotay]

25. Oh cool.

Neither one denied the authenticity of the minutes.

And somebody said, well, you know, we had made up our mind to go to use military force to deal with Saddam. There's nothing farther from the truth. Prezeldent, June 05, 2005.

Nothing further? Now we have to look at timelines of like Wolfie's statement about Afghanistan - Iraq, which to attack... and all the rest.

[4 t 4]

99. WAIT ! CAN SOMEBODY

Please explain to me the answer? I understand the question but the answer blows. Who is Steve? go back and read the question and answer again they did NOT answer the QUESTION. What is wrong with these freaks I'm going nuts I can't take anymore I'm really on the edge. IMPEACH BUSH IMPEACH BUSH IMPEACH BUSH

[Zorra]

26. Wow. Those two are, hands down, the world's biggest fucking liars.

And killers, for that matter.

Before I die, I really want to see Bu*h and Blair doing life sentences for war crimes.

Bu*h, from the OP:

"And so we worked hard to see if we could figure out how to do this peacefully, take a -- put a united front up to Saddam Hussein, and say, the world speaks, and he ignored the world. Remember, 1441 passed the Security Council unanimously. He made the decision. And the world is better off without Saddam Hussein in power."

Another unforgivable whopper from the father of lies.

September 17, 2002

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- In a letter handed over to the United Nations on Monday, Iraq said it would allow the return of U.N. weapons inspectors "without conditions" to "remove any doubts Iraq still possesses weapons of mass destruction."

The White House was dismissive of Iraq's pledge: "We do not take what Saddam says at face value," said a Bush administration official, referring to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

In the letter, Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri wrote: "The Government of the Republic of Iraq is ready to discuss the practical arrangements necessary for the immediate resumption of inspections."

Sabri hand-delivered the letter in a meeting Monday evening with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Amr Moussa, the secretary-general of the Arab League.

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/meast/09/16/iraq.un.letter/

October, 2002
Congressman Dennis Kucinich:

Unilateral military action by the United States against Iraq is unjustified, unwarranted, and illegal. The Administration has failed to make the case that Iraq poses an imminent threat to the United States. There is no credible evidence linking Iraq to 9/11. There is no credible evidence linking Iraq to Al Qaeda. Nor is there any credible evidence that Iraq possesses deliverable weapons of mass destruction, or that it intends to deliver them against the United States.

http://www.progressive.org/nov02/kuc1102.html

BUSH LOOKS OUR NATION RIGHT SMACK IN OUR COLLECTIVE EYES AS HE DELIBERATELY AND PREMEDITATEDLY LIES TO US ABOUT WMD IN IRAQ.

Monday, March 17, 2003

(CNN) -- Here is a transcript of President George W. Bush's Monday night televised address to the nation:
snip----
Our good faith has not been returned. The Iraqi regime has used diplomacy as a ploy to gain time and advantage. It has uniformly defied Security Council resolutions demanding full disarmament.
snip----
Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised. This regime has already used weapons of mass destruction against Iraq's neighbors and against Iraq's people.
snip----
The United States of America has the sovereign authority to use force in assuring its own national security. That duty falls to me as commander of chief by the oath I have sworn, by the oath I will keep. Recognizing the threat to our country, the United States Congress voted overwhelmingly last year to support the use of force against Iraq.
snip----
Today, no nation can possibly claim that Iraq has disarmed. And it will not disarm so long as Saddam Hussein holds power.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/17/sprj.irq.bush.transcript/

March 22, 2004

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United Nations' top two weapons experts said Sunday that the invasion of Iraq a year ago was not justified by the evidence in hand at the time.

"I think it's clear that in March, when the invasion took place, the evidence that had been brought forward was rapidly falling apart," Hans Blix, who oversaw the agency's investigation into whether Iraq had chemical and biological weapons, said on CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer."

Blix described the evidence Secretary of State Colin Powell presented to the U.N. Security Council in February 2003 as "shaky," and said he related his opinion to U.S. officials, including national security adviser Condoleezza Rice.

"I think they chose to ignore us," Blix said.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/03/21/iraq.weapons/

January 12, 2005

Official: U.S. calls off search for Iraqi WMDs
Bush stands by decision to go to war, spokesman says

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. inspectors have ended their search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq in recent weeks, a U.S. intelligence official told CNN.
snip---
The search ended almost two years after President Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq, saying intelligence indicated Saddam was building weapons of mass destruction and may have hidden weapons stockpiles.
snip----
In October, Duelfer released a preliminary report finding that in March 2003 -- the month of the invasion -- Saddam did not have any WMD stockpiles and had not started any program to produce them.
snip----
"I can apologize for the information that turned out to be wrong," Blair said. "But I can't, sincerely at least, apologize for removing Saddam."

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/01/12/wmd.search/

[aneerkoinos]

27. Denying it - good

So admitting it would be shamefull and wrong to have done what they did. Just more lies they will be hanged for.

And Blair, please: it's beyond rich to lie that Iraq didn't comply with international law. UNSC never said he didn't, and Blix was not allowed to say Iraq did, the illegal war of aggression had to start before Blix could finish his job.

[natrat]

28. george bush is a fucking pussy

he will only address this when there is someone next to him who can actually form complete sentences.

[indypaul]

31. Mr. President , your "disassembled" speech

is becoming obviously dissembled.

[necso]

32. "that memorandum was written before we then went to the United Nations."

So the minutes are accurate then? (That is, is this memo really minutes from some meeting that took place as depicted in the memo? If so, do these minutes accurately describe the understanding reached at that meeting -- even if only by a majority of parties in attendance -- and even if this is only one historical data point that "runs counter to the trend of others"? ) (Yes or no answers, please.)

[Warren Stupidity]

44. If only.

But no we have sissyboys scared to lose their bigass houses and their vacations on Marthas Vineyard and their Lexus SUVs so nobody asks anything.

[necso]

47. Ah,

but other people will have the opportunity to question Mr Blair, in both private and public forums.

[Fire Walk With Me]

36. Three things.

1. Saddam _had already complied_. Who wouldn't let the UN inspectors in again to see? Mmm?

You cannot comply with an impossible demand. "Look what you made us do" is not an acceptable response from BushCo. He could not prove anything to people holding their hands over their ears, shouting, "Destroy your WMD! Do it now! Why won't you do it! We'll have to use force! Why won't you listen!"

2. There were no-bid contracts in place prior to the invasion. How long before? Cheney's cash connection to Halliburton is a prime motivator for guilt; follow the money. You've got the motive and opportunity right there too.

3. Thousands of people died. They impeached Clinton for lying about a blow job. The culture of life demands recompense for the thousands who've died. Any genuine, actual culture of life would.

[Initech]

37. Translation time!

"Well, I -- you know, I read kind of the characterizations of the memo, particularly when they dropped it out in the middle of his race. "

That means...



*drum roll*






He didnt read it.

[psychopomp]

38. LIARS!! The US-UK conspiracy is detailed clearly in this BBC program here:

http://www.overcast.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/warofterror/iraqtonytruth.htm

Iraq, Tony & the Truth

Excellent video that shows clearly that the fact is that Bliar and the chimperor are lying, lying to confuse the public!

[snot]

81. If you appreciate the BBC as we've known it, PLS go to this link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=376080&mesg_id=376080

[Martin Eden]

39. BOLD ...... FACED ....... LIES

BLAIR:
And the fact is we decided to go to the United Nations and went through that process, which resulted in the November 2002 United Nations resolution, to give a final chance to Saddam Hussein to comply with international law. He didn't do so. And that was the reason why we had to take military action.

I see ... Saddam refused to give up his non-existent WMD.

BLAIR:
But all the way through that period of time, we were trying to look for a way of managing to resolve this without conflict. As it happened, we weren't able to do that because -- as I think was very clear -- there was no way that Saddam Hussein was ever going to change the way that he worked, or the way that he acted.

Acted how -- by destroying his WMD years ago?
Blair knows full well the war decision had been made by the summer of 2002. He's a fucking liar.

BUSH:
And so we worked hard to see if we could figure out how to do this peacefully, take a -- put a united front up to Saddam Hussein, and say, the world speaks, and he ignored the world. Remember, 1441 passed the Security Council unanimously. He made the decision.

Idiocy heaped on lies. Saddam made the decision!?

How can two of the world's (alleged) leading democracies watch passively as their (alleged) leaders tell BOLD FACED LIES?!!?

[bpilgrim]

45. has Blair said the minutes are forgeries and the meeting never happened?

peace

[stickdog]

52. So the answer to the question is what?

That the minutes of meeting were forged, 100% inaccurate or that the meeting never happened?

Look over there, Saddam's in his underwear!

[deminks]

53. Exactly,

The meeting happened, what was said was said. It wasn't just "someone said..." - it was the head of British Intelligence making a f***ing report to his prime minister of meetings with foreign (US) leaders. There is nothing here said today that disputes this. They lied, and thousands died.

[uppityperson]

54. Besides, it was BEFORE meeting with the UN, see???

arhg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Warren Stupidity]

58. I'm trying to figure out which from of lying that is.

At first I thought it was argument non sequitor, but its not. The memo was indeed minutes from before the UN meetings and that fact is relevant. Is there a fallacy of argument by bluster? As my son pointed out - the fact that the minutes were from the period before the deliberate lying to the UN in fact supports the case that the DSM document the criminal behavior of bush and blair. So Tony basically says "never mind all that see, 'cause its true". And not one honest voice in the press conference follows up on this.

Sometimes I think they have a running contest to see who can say the most outrageous piece of bullshit to the MSM without being called on it.

[donkeyotay]

98. Sure things changed, but what was constant was B&B's rush to war

Good grief, these people will twist your brain into a pretzel. But your son has it right:

"As my son pointed out - the fact that the minutes were from the period before the deliberate lying to the UN in fact supports the case that the DSM document the criminal behavior of bush and blair.

Their lies to the UN merely confirm the intent shown in the minutes.

[Zhade]

56. Fucking liars.

They both should hang for their crimes.

[Catfight]

57. Well, good then, I guess Bush and Blair won't mind an investigation? nt

[Name removed]

59. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Dudley_DUright]

60. Blair's answer was manifestly false

Blair: "...to give a final chance to Saddam Hussein to comply with international law. He didn't do so. And that was the reason why we had to take military action.

Here is the main point of UN resolution 1441:

Recognizing the threat Iraq’s non-compliance with Council resolutions and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles poses to international peace and security.

The international law Saddam was supposedly breaking was possession of WMDs. Tony, I hate to break it to you, but Saddam had no WMDs or long range missiles.

[Warren Stupidity]

90. and he was complying with the weapons inspections imposed on him

at the time the blair-bush project launched their criminal war of aggression. Other than that, Tony was very articulate while lying his ass off.

And after all the DSM were from Before the UN meetings see, so there!

Brilliant.

[sabra]

61. Bush: Iraq war plans memo wrong

<<SNIP>>
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/US/06/07/iraq.uk.memo/

Bush: Iraq war plans memo wrong
Wednesday, June 8, 2005 Posted: 0103 GMT (0903 HKT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President George W. Bush said Tuesday that there was "nothing farther from the truth" than allegations in a British government memorandum that his administration had decided to go to war in Iraq months before he took his case to the American people.

The British document -- known as the Downing Street memo since its publication in a British newspaper --says the Bush administration considered an invasion of Iraq to be "inevitable" as early as July 2002 and that "the intelligence and the facts were being fixed around the policy."

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who met Tuesday with Bush at the White House, told reporters, "The facts were not being fixed in any shape or form at all." Both leaders said they viewed military action as a last resort.

"Somebody said, well, you know, we had made up our mind to use military force to deal with Saddam. There's nothing farther from the truth," Bush said.

A U.S.-led invasion in March 2003 deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and led to an ongoing conflict that, so far, has killed nearly 1,700 U.S. troops and 89 British troops.

<</SNIP>>

[Straight Shooter]

62. "Fuck Saddam, we're taking him out."

Famous bush quote. Google at your convenience.

[Democrats_win]

63. The cover-up begins.

[Sir Derek]

64. These two lying pricks must think everyone in the

world is as stupid as those who vote for the two war criminals.

[rocktivity]

65. They are meeting minutes, not a memo interpreting the meeting

and do correct me if I'm wrong, but neither Bush nor Blair were present.

:boring:
rocknation

[maryallen]

66. And we should believe this jerk because ... ?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

67. We have made the new rules for their "new" economy.... funny

how they need to lay off perhaps 50 percent of their state employees... I wonder how Chalabi fits into all of that.

[kliljedahl]

68. There's nothing farther from the truth?

Yeah, right Bu**it. & the pope just converted to Buddhism.


Keith’s Barbeque Central

[Jack Rabbit]

69. Excuse me, Frat Boy, but . . . .

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
That tops anything you've said yet. And that's saying a mouthful.

[Botany]

70. He is on record as Gov of Tex ASS saying as .......

...... president he would have a war w/ Iraq. Either 98 or 99.

Lying sack of shit ..... send him and Wolfie over there ASAP ......

Also google PNAC ..... look @ the 1998 letter to Clinton ......
those shits have had a hard on for Iraq for a long time .

Dick Clark in March of '01 maps of Iraqi oil fields on cheney's
desk.

[shanti]

74. lying liars and the lies they tell

what's new, chimpy?

[Supersedeas]

71. Well military combat is very difficult and we werked hard to figure peace

[evermind]

72. Is this their "We are not a crook" moment? :-) (n/t)

[truthpusher]

77. I like that...."we are not a crook" n/t

[sellitman]

75. The expression is....

These two would rather climb a tree and lie to you then stand on the ground and tell you the truth.

Fucking lying bastards!

[batsauce]

79. I don't see impeachment.

The thing that is missing here is the arrogant blunder by the perpetrator that proves the accusation. If you ever watched the old Columbo shows, you know what I mean. The perp gets away with murder, but proves his guilt with the subsequent cover up.

Nixon was not breaking into Watergate, he was trying to cover it up.
Clinton was not in trouble for having sex with Lewinsky, he was in trouble for trying to cover it up. ( He ended up not telling the strict truth about events which were substantiated independently)

It pretty much takes a smoking gun to get a savvy politician in trouble, and although Nixon and Clinton provided that smoking gun, Bush seems disinclined to the sense of arrogance and drama that gets politicians impeached. His brand of arrogance is the sneaky kind, that actually shields the politico from consequences.

Now, if it was a Columbo episode, Bush would have written the DSM , and left his fingerprints all over the document, and made a dozen silly mistakes. In real life, it turns out that British intelligence suspected Bush's motives. I don't think they are going to impeach Bush just because we have written evidence that the Brits didn't like him.

It takes a brilliant mind to make a colossal blunder of the sort we need, and Bush just isn't smart enough to do us the favor.

[AuntiBush]

82. No, those so called reporters "didn't drop it out there," now did they!

Laughter, huh... I've seen those so-called reporters laughing at their Commander & Thief! They're a disgrace - worse American's ever!

Now, if that was Clinton it would be all over!

They better hope their free pass to the bunkers are authentic, just in case, ya know.

[daleo]

87. Non-denial denials.

On closer examination all Blair says is:

"And the fact is we decided to go to the United Nations and went through that process, which resulted in the November 2002 United Nations resolution, to give a final chance to Saddam Hussein to comply with international law. He didn't do so. And that was the reason why we had to take military action...there was no way that Saddam Hussein was ever going to change the way that he worked, or the way that he acted."

i.e. no mention of weapons of mass destruction here.


As for Bush:
"And so we worked hard to see if we could figure out how to do this peacefully, take a -- put a united front up to Saddam Hussein, and say, the world speaks, and he ignored the world. Remember, 1441 passed the Security Council unanimously. He made the decision. And the world is better off without Saddam Hussein in power."

i.e. no mention of weapons of mass destruction here.

[GeorgeGist]

88. Dubya, dubya, you're dis-assembling again.

But it is fun to watch you make a fool of yourself in front of your friends.

[bluecrush]

91. I'm really surprised

President Bush didn't call Blair's skimpy re-election a "mandate."
I wonder if Blair is looking forward to spending his "political capital" too? :silly:

[JNelson6563]

93. What a stinky pantload

:puke:

[Zerex71]

95. I like how he gets his last talking point in, just like the puppet-robot

that he is. "And the world is better off"--SHUT UP.

[Arkansas Granny]

100. What confuses me about this whole war

is Bush's insistence that Saddam had not complied with U.N. resolution 1441. Wasn't that the resolution that barred him from having weapons of mass destruction and missiles that could fly beyond a certain range? If so, don't the searches, inspections and reports done after we invaded show that he had complied with the resolution? Please correct me if I am wrong.

Something else that has mystified me for some time is Bush's insistence that Saddam wouldn't let the inspectors in, so that's why we had to invade. Has anyone pointed out to him that the inspectors were in Iraq and had to leave before the bombing began?

[EMAN51]

102. Scripted nonanswer to generic question with no follow up

"the so-called Downing Street memo from July 2002 says intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy of removing Saddam through military action. Is this an accurate reflection of what happened?"
This question deserved the nonanswer it received. Blair clearly was assigned to respond first and inadvertently validated the authenticity of the memo when he stated "let me remind you that that memorandum was written before we then went to the United Nations." He then went on to blather about "we" (U.S. and England) did not fix the intelligence and facts to support the policy and they went to the UN to enforce international law and so on. However, the memo said the U.S. was fixing the facts around the policy. This allowed Blair the wriggle room to answer the way he did (it may have been the U.S.alone, but not England and the U.S. together).
Bush then mumblefucked something totally unintelligible (I have digital recorder and listened several times) during his attempt at a laugh line before giving some generic canned response. Of course, the U.S. was in the process of fixing the intelligence and the facts to justify the military effort and England had not signed on yet (wink,wink) until such time as it had been accomplished. Nothing factual in the memo was "debunked" by these responses.
The question should have been something to the effect "is this an authentic memo of a meeting?" and followed up with "was the U.S. in the process of fixing the facts and intelligence to justify military intervention base on WMD?"
By the way, who authored this memo? Has he/she addressed its contents? Who leaked it and why? Who is the "Steve" reporter who asked the question? If this has already been addressed, I apologize. I try to keep up, but life gets in the way.

[lakercub]

104. kick n/m