Memo: Blair Urged to Defend War in Iraq

[UpInArms]

LONDON - Tony Blair's communications director urged the British prime minister to calmly rebut claims his government inflated evidence about Iraqi weapons, but still vehemently defend the war, according to a memo made public Saturday.

The note from powerful Blair aide Alastair Campbell was released by the senior judge investigating the suicide of a Ministry of Defense weapons expert. It comprised just a few of the thousands of pages of documents posted on the inquiry's Web site.

The memo was written days after the start of an angry row between Blair's office and the British Broadcasting Corp. A BBC report quoted an anonymous official as claiming the government exaggerated evidence about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction to justify war. Government scientist David Kelly, who committed suicide last month, was later identified as the source.

<snip>

In a new poll, 67 percent of those questioned said the government had deceived Britons about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Of those who voted for Blair's Labor Party in the 2001 elections, 62 percent believed they were deceived, according to the survey by polling firm ICM for The Sunday Telegraph newspaper.

...more...

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/breaking_news/6603338.htm

[Nottingham]

1. Well the Sleepers have Awakened!

Now hopefully the Americans too :bounce:

[Skip Intro]

2. When blair is ousted

bush will fall, if he hasn't already by then...

That's the way it looks to me, and everything I've read about the inquiry just blows away any sliver of credibility blair had been hanging onto since the "shock and awe" bloodbath began.

I hope the Brittish people will revolt in the streets, and physically kick the liar out of office, if that's what it takes. He has no standing as a leader anymore.

And when he falls, the shockwave will hit DC, and the sad excuse for what has passed as a free media here for the last few years will be caught in the undertow - too busy trying to keep their heads above water to spin for the bush regime anymore.

The people of the UK, who now know they've been lied to and mass death and misery are the result, may hold the key to the fall of bush (before we kick his sorry ass out in November, that is).

[MoonAndSun]

3. I am stunned, but happy that this is on an midwestern American

city paper. It seems that the NYTimes and WaPo are lagging behind these other papers in letting the American people know what is really going on. Let's wait and see if this story shows up on those two "liberal" papers.

[Starpass]

4. I believe today there were like 3 British soldiers killed and one

seriously wounded. The more the numbers pile up for the Brits, perhaps the issue will come closer to exploding in Blair's face. If Bush rattles any more war chains, watch for the Brits and the rest of the world to go fucking nuts.

[bpilgrim]

5. 'make it clear Saddam could not attack us at the moment' - 'PREVENTIVE WAR

:wow:

http://www.the-hutton-inquiry.org.uk/content/cab/cab_11_0053.pdf

From: Jonathan Powell
Sent: 17 September 2002 13 36
To: Alastair Campbell, David Manning
Subject : RE Revised dossier foreword

Three comments

- I think it is worth explicitly stating what TB keeps saying . this is the advice to him from the JIC On the basis
of this advice what other action could he as PM take Something like "I am today taking the exceptional step of
publishing the JIC's advice to me because I want MPs and the British public to see the advice on which I am acting
When you have read this I ask you to consider what else a responsible PM could do than follow the course we have in
the face of this advice?"

- We need to do more to back up the assertions "We cannot of course publish the detailed raw intelligence on
which this report is based without endangering the lives of agents But all of the statements in this report are backed
up by detailed intelligence reports, the veracity and the sources of which have been verified by the intelligence
agencies" Is there any independent verification we can cite?

- In the penultimate para you need to make it clear Saddam could not attack us at the moment . The thesis is
~would be a threat to the UK in the future if we do not check him

----- Original Message-----
From Felicity Hatfield On Behalf Of Alastair Campbell
Sent 17 September 2002 10 21
To, Jonathan Powell, David Manning
Subject : Revised dossier foreword
« File 020916 - AC - TB Foreword - dossier doc »

more...
http://www.the-hutton-inquiry.org.uk/content/cab/cab_11_0053.pdf

so WHO sexed it up? :shrug:

peace

[bpilgrim]

6. "penultimate para" = Limitation of Liability

which OBVIOUSLY is shrewd and wise advice... who pumped it up?

TB