Bush approved, then scratched plan to influence Iraq vote

[tocqueville]

2 hours, 11 minutes ago


NEW YORK (AFP) - President George W. Bush approved a covert plan to influence the outcome of Iraq's January 2005 election, but dropped it amid opposition from the US Congress, according to a report.

After debate within the White House, "the president's national security team recommended that he sign a secret, formal authorization for covert action to influence the election," the New York Times said, citing "a dozen current and former government officials" familiar with the discussions.

"Bush either had already signed it or was about to when objections were raised in Congress. Ultimately, he rescinded the decision," the Times said.

All the sources spoke anonymously, except for Frederick Jones, spokesman for the National Security Council, who would not comment on whether a formal authorization ever existed.

"But there were concerns about efforts by outsiders to influence the outcome of the Iraqi elections, including money flowing from Iran," he was quoted as saying.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050717/wl_mideast_afp/usiraqvote

[Postman]

1. US elections, on the other hand, were a whole different matter...

they wouldn't "fix" elections in the United States, would they?

[firefox]

2. Isn't the head honcho a Kurd

Now how did the smallest of three groups accomplish that?

[marmar]

3. Besides, he was fresh off his influencing of American elections...

This man is nothing but a fraud.

:argh:

[Quixote1818]

4. So he voted for it before he voted against it?

nt

[Missy M]

5. I think many must know they still did covert actions...

to influence the election. I will never believe it was otherwise.

[knowbody0]

6. after he lost the debate, he did it anyway

[leesa]

7. Right.

[Cooley Hurd]

8. George W Bush has a conscience? Since when?

:shrug:

[wurzel]

9. Perhaps Iraq doesn't have a Supreme Court?

[Zorbuddha]

10. Did he rescind the decision because it was unethical, immoral, and wrong?

Or because he feared getting caught?

This is the heart of so many questions about Bush.

[AnnInLa]

11. There is a more complete report on one of the lefty blogs

that said the bushco reluctantly agreed not to influence any certain political CANDIDATES. When asked by a journalist if they had covertly tried to influence the election in favor of certain political PARTIES, the admin spokesman would not respond to that question!!

I'll see if I can find that blog if anyone is interested.

[AnnInLa]

12. Here it is....a little different from my memory of it..

www.dailykos.com

In the months before the Iraqi elections in January, President Bush approved a plan to provide covert support to certain Iraqi candidates and political parties, but rescinded the proposal because of Congressional opposition, current and former government officials said Saturday.

In a statement issued in response to questions about a report in the next issue of The New Yorker, Frederick Jones, the spokesman for the National Security Council, said that "in the final analysis, the president determined and the United States government adopted a policy that we would not try - and did not try - to influence the outcome of the Iraqi election by covertly helping individual candidates for office."

The statement appeared to leave open the question of whether any covert help was provided to parties favored by Washington, an issue about which the White House declined to elaborate.

The article, by Seymour M. Hersh, reports that the administration proceeded with the covert plan over the Congressional objections. Several senior Bush administration officials disputed that, although they recalled renewed discussions within the administration last fall about how the United States might counter what was seen as extensive Iranian support to pro-Iranian Shiite parties.

Free and fair elections, my ass.

[Just Me]

13. Wow. The RW machine is quick. Info to the contrary is on its way.

These fuckers will do anything to betray the truth.

It's astounding. We really are living in a corporacratic dictatorship. A fascism.

Wow. Just,...wow.

[Just Me]

14. I must ask the OP,...why are you spreading this information?

We have already been exposed to the forthcoming article detailing this administration's hand in manipulating Iraq's election.

Are you trying to prepare us? :shrug:

I find it just, mind-boggling, that this article is up on yahoo, at this moment.

:wow: