Blair had to talk * into Afghanistan first...

[slor]

before Iraq, I remember reading that in Time or Newsweek. Anyone remember? This is again another underreported story that needs to be Bloggified, Blognasticated, and, by golly, Bloggerized! Help me do it!

[Crachet2004]

1. If that is true, then you are right.

It should be smeared all over the internet, and now is the time to do it.

There was absolutely no hard evidence back then of Iraqi involvement in Al Quada...no reason to attack Iraq at all.

I think it is very relevant, timely and important.

[teach1st]

2. Bush: ""I agree with you. Iraq we keep for another day."

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/blair/etc/script.html

EVAN THOMAS, Assistant Managing Editor, Newsweek: In the Bush administration before 9/11, they're not paying much attention to Iraq, with one important exception. In the Defense Department, Paul Wolfowitz, a neo-conservative, is consistently agitating to do something to take out Saddam. At Camp David, the weekend after 9/11, Wolfowitz is right there, saying, "Let's go." I mean literally right there. And the president, in a fundamental way, made up his mind on about September 12th, 2001, that Iraq was something he was going to eventually deal with.

NARRATOR: When Tony Blair arrived at the White House, he entered the debate on Iraq.

Sir CHRISTOPHER MEYER, UK Ambassador to US, '97-'03: We finally got to the White House after this very emotional morning.

Pres. GEORGE W. BUSH: It's my honor to welcome my friend and a friend to America, Prime Minister Tony Blair, to the White House.

Sir CHRISTOPHER MEYER: One of the issues was were the Americans going to use 9/11, quite apart from hunting down al Qaeda, to go after Iraq, as well. And Tony Blair's view was, whatever you're going to do about Iraq, you should concentrate on the job at hand. And the job at hand was get al Qaeda, give the Taliban an ultimatum. The president took Blair and moved him off into the corner of the room, and he said, "I agree with you. Iraq we keep for another day."

[pinto]

3. thanks for the link to that PBS Frontline show, great info...n/t