Ministers Were Told Of Need For Gulf War ‘Excuse’

There has been another Cabinet Office briefing paper leaked to the media. Tony Blair had already agreed to back military action to get rid of Saddam Hussein at a summit at the Texas ranch of President George W Bush three months earlier. The briefing paper, for participants at a meeting of Blair’s inner circle on July 23, 2002, said that since regime change was illegal it was “necessary to create the conditions” which would make it legal.

TimesOnline: Ministers were told of need for Gulf war ‘excuse’

June 12, 2005

MINISTERS were warned in July 2002 that Britain was committed to taking part in an American-led invasion of Iraq and they had no choice but to find a way of making it legal.

The briefing paper, for participants at a meeting of Blair’s inner circle on July 23, 2002, said that since regime change was illegal it was “necessary to create the conditions” which would make it legal.

This was required because, even if ministers decided Britain should not take part in an invasion, the American military would be using British bases. This would automatically make Britain complicit in any illegal US action.

The briefing paper is certain to add to the pressure, particularly on the American president, because of the damaging revelation that Bush and Blair agreed on regime change in April 2002 and then looked for a way to justify it.

There has been a growing storm of protest in America, created by last month’s publication of the minutes in The Sunday Times. A host of citizens, including many internet bloggers, have demanded to know why the Downing Street memo (often shortened to “the DSM” on websites) has been largely ignored by the US mainstream media.

Click the link to read the full article from Sunday Times...

Why am I not surprised?

edit: I just noticed there is a related thread on ATS:
ATS: Downing Street Memo -- Full Text

Similar News Sources:
The Washington Post- Memo: U.S. Lacked Full Postwar Iraq Plan
Yahoo! News: Building Iraq's Army: Mission Improbable
CBC News: Suicide bombers and gunmen kill more than 35 in Iraq, including children

[edit on 2005/6/12 by Hellmutt]

All of this hoo-ha about the DSM is moot as far as any effect on the Bush regime is concerned, since it is technically only "hearsay" from the British side. The Minutes do not constitute any sort of solid evidence that the intelligence was "fixed". We know it was; Colin Powell as good as admitted it, but that and the minutes are not enough to form any basis for legal actions. The only body that may be affected by it is the Blair government, and I think the British voters have already stated where they stand on that.

[edit on 2005/6/13 by wecomeinpeace]