Downing Street Memos

Documents have recently surfaced (The Downing Street Memos) indicating that the Bush Administration manipulated intelligence in order to "sell" the public on its plan to invade Iraq in 2003. The undersigned call for a full investigation of the Downing Street Memos by the United States Congress in order to establish whether or not the Bush Administration engaged in illegal activities in its efforts to promote war with Iraq.


Excerpts from the Downing Street Memos:

From minutes of a July 23, 2002, meeting between Blair and top government officials. C refers to Sir Richard Dearlove, then chief of Britains intelligence service.

C reported on his recent talks in Washington. There was a perceptible shift in attitude (about Iraq). 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. The NSC had no patience with the UN route, and no enthusiasm for publishing material on the Iraqi regimes record. There was little discussion in Washington of the aftermath after military action.


It seemed clear that Bush had made up his mind to take military action, even if the timing was not yet decided. But the case was thin. Saddam was not threatening his neighbors, and his WMD capability was less than that of Libya, North Korea or Iran.