Rep. calls for deeper inquiry into secret Iraq attack plan(Conyers)

[cal04]

Has this been posted?

Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) is circulating a letter calling for a further inquiry into a secret U.S.-UK agreement to attack Iraq, RAW STORY has learned.

In a statement, Conyers says he is disappointed the mainstream media has not touched the revelations.

"Unfortunately, the mainstream media in the United States was too busy with wall-to-wall coverage of a "runaway bride" to cover a bombshell report out of the British newspapers," Conyers writes. "The London Times reports that the British government and the United States government had secretly agreed to attack Iraq in 2002, before authorization was sought for such an attack in Congress, and had discussed creating pretextual justifications for doing so."

"The Times reports, based on a newly discovered document, that in 2002 British Prime Minister Tony Blair chaired a meeting in which he expressed his support for "regime change" through the use of force in Iraq and was warned by the nation's top lawyer that such an action would be illegal," he adds. "Blair also discussed the need for America to "create" conditions to justify the war."

Conyers says he is seeking an inquiry.

"This should not be allowed to fall down the memory hole during wall-to-wall coverage of the Michael Jackson trial and a runaway bride," he remarks. "To prevent that from occuring, I am circulating the following letter among my House colleagues and asking them to sign on to it."

The letter follows.

http://rawstory.com/aexternal/conyers_iraq_letter_502

[Double T]

1. At Least Some One in Congress Will Not Let This Opportunity For Truth....

....Slip Away. Where The Hell Is The Damn Media ??? Have All The Journalists Sold Their Souls To The Bush White House ???

[wicket]

2. Alright!!!!

:kick:

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. Conyers failed to mention the media blitz surrounding the hilarity

of the laura show. laura as a funny as a cigarette salesman.

[burn the bush]

4. Isn't it a crock that he has to do this. the media should have been all

over it. I'm for filing war crimes against the media as well. They are the main reason they are getting away with the crap. Faux just out right lies now. I think they should share the blame when the fall comes. And it is coming...

[Disturbed]

5. "Journalists Sold Their Souls To The Bush White House ???"

These so called Journalists are paid employees of the Lame Stream Corp. Media Congloms. They follow their orders or they get fired. It's the Media Congloms that are complicit with the Bush Junta Criminals. The Media is rewarded by the Bush Junta so they toe the line. The Lame Stream Media is no longer serving the public interests. It is time for a mass boycott and protest of our loss of the 4th Estate.

[Dr Fate]

9. The big DEMs like Kerry, Dean, Hillary, etc could talk about it too.

Conyers should not be out there alone on somthing as big as this.

The Republican owned media is not going to go after fellow Republicans- DEMs need to speak up if this is to go anywhere...

Folks need to call their reps & demand they speak up and go on TV and back Conyers.

[Al-CIAda]

17. I'm with you 100% Dr. Fate... Watch how they let Conyers twist alone -AGAI

AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:nuke: :grr: :nuke:

[OzarkDem]

6. Lets see who signs

I can't think of any solid reason why a representative of either party wouldn't want to sign this letter.

[paineinthearse]

7. Has this been posted?

If it has been, I haven't seen it.

Thanks.

JC :yourock:

[BigBearJohn]

8. This is MAJOR. Let's unite on this. Come on DU ! Have we become numb?

I think a lot of us are numb to all this because the shrub
administration has gotten away with almost everything. It is
easy to just say, "ah, what's the use?" But come on now --
this is a GIFT. If I am wrong, please tell me. But really,
what would a major push do? Please give me your opinions.
Do we have any fight left in us?

To write Congress
To write Letters to the editor!
To call everyone in site
To call foreign press?

Anybody have any suggestions?

[Dr Fate]

10. Contact Dean...

See the contact info on this thread...

http://www.democrats.org/blog/comment/00011599.html

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1759353

[BigBearJohn]

11. Have I told you lately how wonderful you are? GREAT LINK & IDEA

Spread the word. This is fucking GREAT. Thanks so much for the links. Let's keep this kicked. WAY TO GO. HOORAY!!!!!!!!

[Dr Fate]

12. It only takes two minutes to write Dean about this

Who knows- mabey they will listen to us? Worth a shot.

[BigBearJohn]

13. Damn straight it is.

If we can raise over $25,000 for Andy
we can do this too.

[NightOwwl]

14. This is almost becoming a joke.

Illegal/immoral activities occur. Conyers (and sometimes Boxer) requests an inquiry into the offense (so far IraqGate, GannonGate, ElectionGate, among others.) What happens to these inquiries? Most likely sent to File 13.

Conyers and Boxer can't do this alone. They need the support of some big names, but no one seems willing to come forward. Bless their hearts for trying, but like all other inquiries, this will go nowhere.

[Al-CIAda]

19. The 'leadership' is OUT TO LUNCH. God bless John Conyers, Boxer

and CYNTHIA MCKINNEY.

[HR_Pufnstuf]

15. Time to dissolve big media...

The lack of coverage on this is proof of the need. Gannon too.

News is whatever they choose, and therefore, most americans' reality.

When is time to march on their HQ's and demand the real news?




"country's run by corporate media thugs" - guerrillafinga.

[ClarkUSA]

16. Let's all send this to Keith Olbermann with an urgent note

[e-mail]

[BigBearJohn]

21. I just sent him this letter. (((COME ON FELLOW DU'ERS!! PITCH IN)))

Dear Keith,

Representative Conyers is once again holding the sole torch, shining a light on the atrocious abuses
by both Bush and Blair and not one solitary media outlet is covering this. A major London
newspaper offers PROOF that Bush planned this all along, WMD's or not. This is major,
major news. Why isn't anyone covering this? This is outrageous. Is this what our
country has disintegrated to.

Can you help?

Here is Rep. Conyer's letter:

The Honorable George W. Bush President of the United States of America The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We write because of troubling revelations in the Sunday London Times apparently confirming that the United States and Great Britain had secretly agreed to attack Iraq in the summer of 2002, well before the invasion and before you even sought Congressional authority to engage in military action. While various individuals have asserted this to be the case before, including Paul O'Neill, former U.S. Treasury Secretary, and Richard Clarke, a former National Security Council official, they have been previously dismissed by your Administration. However, when this story was divulged last weekend, Prime Minister Blair's representative claimed the document contained "nothing new." If the disclosure is accurate, it raises troubling new questions regarding the legal justifications for the war as well as the integrity of your own Administration.

The Sunday Times obtained a leaked document with the minutes of a secret meeting from highly placed sources inside the British Government. Among other things, the document revealed:

* Prime Minister Tony Blair chaired a July 2002 meeting, at which he discussed military options, having already committed himself to supporting President Bush's plans for invading Iraq.

* British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw acknowledged that the case for war was "thin" as "Saddam was not threatening his neighbours and his WMD capability was less than that of Libya, North Korea, or Iran."

* A separate secret briefing for the meeting said that Britain and America had to "create" conditions to justify a war.

* A British official "reported on his recent talks in Washington. There was a perceptible shift in attitude. Military action was now seen as inevitable. Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy."

As a result of this recent disclosure, we would like to know the following:

1) Do you or anyone in your Administration dispute the accuracy of the leaked document?

2) Were arrangements being made, including the recruitment of allies, before you sought Congressional authorization go to war? Did you or anyone in your Administration obtain Britain's commitment to invade prior to this time?

3) Was there an effort to create an ultimatum about weapons inspectors in order to help with the justification for the war as the minutes indicate?

4) At what point in time did you and Prime Minister Blair first agree it was necessary to invade Iraq?

5) Was there a coordinated effort with the U.S. intelligence community and/or British officials to "fix" the intelligence and facts around the policy as the leaked document states?

We have of course known for some time that subsequent to the invasion there have been a variety of varying reasons proffered to justify the invasion, particularly since the time it became evident that weapons of mass destruction would not be found. This leaked document - essentially acknowledged by the Blair government - is the first confirmation that the rationales were shifting well before the invasion as well.

Given the importance of this matter, we would ask that you respond to this inquiry as promptly as possible. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Congressman John Conyers

[Generator]

24. Can you help?

That line just choked me up. Where is someone to help us? Where? Yes..maybe I'm being melodramatic..but even though I know Olbermann despises Bush and voted Kerry..and finds much of the coverage on "news" a joke himself (that's why he's laughing) he is also forced to cover the runaway bride and Jackson et all.

Frankly the only news any more is local-the schools and the weather.

Someone HELP US.

There is nobody.

Also, let me point out that for readers of Vanity Fair this latest story only confirms the pieces we read last year..such as Path to War..this just makes it more blatant.

It's all lies. And nobody cares.

Can anybody help?

Is there anybody out there?

[BamaBecky]

18. Why want the links to the London Times work?????????

anybody have those links?

[gordianot]

20. Wonder if he can get the redacted pages of the 911 commission?

A little off subject but remember they were promised to be released 5 months after the election.

Conyers is one of the last Democrats with nerve and the ability to get the job done.

[smurfygirl]

22. I can't believe no one has reported this

I am going to write my local paper about this.

And everyone else that I can.

[BigBearJohn]

23. NOW IT IS ON YAHOO!!! New leak shows secret Iraq war plans

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair were determined to topple Saddam Hussein at least nine months before they launched the war in Iraq, documents leaked in a Sunday newspaper say.

The secret documents could have a late impact in the election next Thursday, in which Iraq -- and whether the prime minister told the truth about his case for war -- has emerged as a last-minute issue in the final week of campaigning.

Blair has always maintained that he did not commit to war in Iraq until after Saddam was given a final chance to abandon banned weapons, and that "regime change" was never his aim.

But the Sunday Times printed what it said were secret minutes of a top level cabinet meeting held in July 2002 to discuss Iraq, nine months before the invasion.



http://uk.news.yahoo.com/050501/325/fhv2o.html

[Generator]

25. July 23,2002

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050501/wl_uk_afp/britainvoteiraq_050501092117

Blair and his inner circle discussed the looming conflict on July 23, 2002 when, the memo cited foreign intelligence chief Sir Richard Dearlove as saying, "military action was now seen (in Washington) as inevitable".

"We should work on the assumption that the United Kingdom would take part in any military action," read the conclusions of the memo, which opened with the words: "Secret and strictly personal -- UK eyes only."



There you have it folks..July 23, 2002. Use for your talking points.

Inevitable. And that means Washington decided long before that date.

Richard Clarke knew IRAQ was the target on September 12, 2001. We ar all just pawns in a game.

[BigBearJohn]

26. Any ideas on what we should do about this?

[Generator]

29. Sigh

No. As usual Conyers is the one man band in the truth brigade..front and center.

Since Countdown is the ONLY cable news I watch since 11/2-and I don't watch him very often anymore-I turned tonight and Runaway Bride's hidden secrets was the TOP story. In fairness, I didn't catch what the others were. But shame. It makes me ILL.

[Rageneau]

27. This story will conclusively prove that big media is owned by the GOP

The amount of attention that is paid to this story will show whether today's mainstream media is on the GOP payroll or not.

This story is so absolutely earth-shattering (literally) that if the press really cared anything about the public's right to know, it would focus at least as much attention on this historically monumental story as it does on Michael Jackson's trial, or the runaway bride, or Gary Condit, or Terry Schiavo or etc. etc.

But will it?

You and I both know it won't.

This incredibly -- extraordinarily -- important story will soon be swept under the rug by the WP, NYT, the networks, and the talking heads. This deceptive action, clearly one of the greatest examples of presidential misconduct in American history, will affect the lives of literally millions of people forever. Hundreds of thousands of people will lose their lives as the direct result of this deception. Tens of thousands will be maimed forever. And the reputation of the United States -- once golden -- may never, ever, be regained.

You'd think it would be big news. And it would be -- if the right-wing of the Republican Party didn't own the mainstream media lock, stock and barrel.

[AuntiBush]

28. Can't thank Conyers enough! Where would we be w/out him..

kicked

[Liberty Belle]

30. Send this to every newspaper editor in America &

include a letter to the editor calling for Congress to impeach Bush, Cheney, and any other elected officials who conspired along with them. Such abuse of power cannot be tolerated.

It's time to call for IMPEACHMENT loudly and clearly.

Also send copies of this to your Republican Congressional representatives and tell them it's time to impeach this lying scumbag who is taking their party straight down the toilet.

[Coexist]

32. all right, I forwarded it to him, let's see if it gets on tv

lately his show has gotten pretty lame.

[Al-CIAda]

31. kick

[DearAbby]

33. Let's DU this!

:kick:

[killbotfactory]

34. our media is a fucking sham

and our congress is hopelessly corrupt...

so what else is new?

[Hissyspit]

35. Here is new Raw Story headline: "CONYERS LETTER CALLING FORINQUIRY GETS

... DOZENS OF SIGNATURES FROM CAUCUS, ISSED TO PRESIDENT BUSH... DEVELOPING.... "

[dweller]

36. up to 88 members signed on now

Conyers expects 100's will join in.

dp