The Bush-Blair 2003 Iraq memo or Manning memo was a secret memo of a meeting between American President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair that took place on January 31, 2003. It purportedly showed that the Bush administration had already decided on the US invasion of Iraq at that point. The memo was written by Blair's chief foreign adviser at the time, David Manning, who participated at the meeting.
It has become controversial for its content, which shows Bush floating the idea of painting a U-2 spyplane in UN colors and letting it fly low over Iraq to provoke the then-leader Saddam Hussein to shoot it down, providing a pretext for America and Britain's subsequent invasion. It also shows George Bush and Tony Blair making a secret deal to carry out said invasion regardless of whether weapons of mass destruction were discovered by UN weapons inspectors, in direct contradiction with statements Blair made to Parliament afterwards that Saddam would be given a final chance to disarm.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bush-Blair_memo
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[EDITED]
Veterans for Common Sense Letter signed by 1,000 war veterans and given to the President on March 10, 2003.
".....The possibility of large-scale war between the U.S. and Iraq looms before us once again. For this urgent reason we would like to meet with you to discuss steps the United States and its allies can take to protect U.S. soldiers, allied forces, and Iraqi civilians from known and suspected hazards that would result from military operations.
We understand the risks that come with war and that there are times when such risks are necessary. However, we strongly question the need for a war at this time. Despite Secretary of State Colin Powell's report to the Security Council and the testimony of others in the administration, we are not convinced that coercive containment has failed, or that war has become necessary.
Our own intelligence agencies have consistently noted both the absence of an imminent threat from Iraq and reliable evidence of cooperation between Iraq and Al Qaeda. Again, we question whether this is the right time and the right war.
Further, we believe the risks involved in going to war, under the unclear and shifting circumstances that confront us today, are far greater than those faced in 1991. Instead of a desert war to liberate Kuwait, combat would likely involve protracted siege warfare, chaotic street-to-street fighting in Baghdad, and Iraqi civil conflict. If that occurs, we fear our own nation and Iraq would both suffer casualties not witnessed since Vietnam. We fear the resulting carnage and humanitarian consequences would further devastate Iraqi society and inflame an already volatile Middle East, and increase terrorism against U.S. citizens........"
Read the full text here:
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/articleid/7497
google Susan Lindauer
nicenonya3 4 months ago
well said
patrakis2 2 years ago
Politicians in charge should be taken by the neck and pulled in front of court !!
EVERY MAN IS EQUAL TO THE LAW !!!!
May this tide turn, and the wave rise tall !
Degredan 2 years ago
Don't hold your breath.
FREEW0RLD2012 3 years ago
Dear FREEW0RLD2012,
A friend from Australia was visiting recently. She teaches mentally handicapped people. She is decidely non-political and never really listened to Bush speak. While here she listened to a speach Bush made. When it was over she had this perplexed look on her face. She said he has some type of mental disability she sees in her work. She was totally serious too.
I hope we as a country can turn things around fairly quickly.
Take care my friend,
Len B.
len120453 3 years ago
Dear FREEW0RLD2012,
I was embarrassed for my fellow countrymen and myself whenever that asshole would speak in public because I knew the whole world was listening to the worst this country had to offer.
My daughter just got home from Balad AFB in Iraq on monday and if she had been hurt there I swear I don't know what I would have been capable of doing to that idiot Bush. Thank God that never came to be but over 4000 other parents weren't so fortunate.
Take care my friend,
Len B.
len120453 3 years ago
The UN is a sham.People who are awake know the UN is a sham,and that there is NO real US gov,but a puppetgov with the next Dictator about to be installed very soon.There is a justice..and they will meet it,as we all do one day..I don't see them ever coming to justice in THIS life,but they can't escape it in the next life.Oh boy,do they and so many others have MUCH to answer to!
FREEW0RLD2012 3 years ago
Like maybe exposure to Depleted Uranium....yeah,that's good for starters!
FREEW0RLD2012 3 years ago
The irony of ignoring and lying to the U.N and the world to support going to war against someone they claimed he himself was ignoring the U.N and the world.
It's sad that people like this are not brought to justice for their crimes against humanity but are offered professorships and have libraries named after them. Why?
Because they know we've allowed ourselves to trade in our power of gov't for comfort provided by the gov't.This war was racist and imperial in nature plan and simple.
JudahKhan 3 years ago 2
I hope Bush suffers a long, terribly painful end of his life.
len120453 3 years ago