FORMER TREASURY SECRETARY PAUL ONEILL SAYS INVASION OF IRAQ WAS PLANNED IN THE FIRST DAYS...

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[Tumbleweed_Connection]

The Bush Administration began laying plans for an invasion of Iraq including the use of American troops within days of President Bush's inauguration in January of 2001, not eight months later after the 9/11 attacks as has been previously reported. That is what former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill says in his first interview about his time as a White House insider. O'Neill talks to Lesley Stahl in the interview, to be broadcast on 60 MINUTES Sunday, Jan. 11 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

"From the very beginning, there was a conviction that Saddam Hussein was a bad person and that he needed to go," he tells Stahl. "For me, the notion of pre-emption, that the U.S. has the unilateral right to do whatever we decide to do is a really huge leap," says O'Neill.

O'Neill, fired by the White House for his disagreement on tax cuts, is the main source for an upcoming book, "The Price of Loyalty," authored by Ron Suskind. Suskind says O'Neill and other White House insiders he interviewed gave him documents that show that in the first three months of 2001, the administration was looking at military options for removing Saddam Hussein from power and planning for the aftermath of Saddam's downfall, including post-war contingencies like peacekeeping troops, war crimes tribunals and the future of Iraq's oil. "There are memos," Suskind tells Stahl, "One of them marked 'secret' says 'Plan for Post-Saddam Iraq.'" A Pentagon document, says Suskind, titled "Foreign Suitors For Iraqi Oilfield Contracts," outlines areas of oil exploration. "It talks about contractors around the world from...30, 40 countries and which ones have what intentions on oil in Iraq," Suskind says.

In the book, O'Neill is quoted as saying he was surprised that no one in a National Security Council meeting questioned why Iraq should be invaded. "It was all about finding a way to do it. That was the tone of it. The president saying 'Go find me a way to do this,'" says O'Neill in the book.

Suskind also writes about a White House meeting in which he says the president seems to be wavering about going forward with his second round of tax cuts. "Haven't we already given money to rich people," Suskind says the president uttered, according to a nearly verbatim transcript of an Economic Team meeting he says he obtained from someone at the meeting, "Shouldn't we be giving money to the middle?"

O'Neill, who was asked to resign because of his opposition to the tax cut, says he doesn't think his tell-all account in this book will be attacked by his former employers as sour grapes. "I will be really disappointed if [the White House] reacts that way," he tells Stahl. "I can't imagine that I am going to be attacked for telling the truth."

Developing...

[KQQL]

His comments frequently had an impact on financial markets, with one remark about the low likelihood of an IMF rescue package for Brazil causing a rapid fall in the Brazilian currency.

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In other words, Mr. O'Neil was aware of a contingency to invade Iraq (similar to many other contingencies created by those that do such things). Additionally, Mr. O'Neil has the wonderful ability to ad lib and take quotes out of context. Finally, he hired a ghost writer and found a willing publisher.

[Monti Cello]

in the first three months of 2001, the administration was looking at military options for removing Saddam Hussein from power and planning for the aftermath of Saddam's downfall, including post-war contingencies like peacekeeping troops, war crimes tribunals and the future of Iraq's oil

Wait a second, the left told me for months that there was no post-Iraq plan.

This is simply more indication that Bush's plans on Iraq were practically a seamless continuation of Clinton's policy and the near-unanimous opinion on Saddam held in Washington.

[TUX]

Another petty little corporate elitists with a overblown opinion of himself with a mouth to match.

Obviously the reason W. caned his a$$.

[11th Earl of Mar]

Sounds like he is really trying to hype his book.

BTW, the US must have contingency plans to invade N. Korea, if circumstance would ever demand it.

I'm sure we 'have plans' to invade nearly every country in the world. We have plans to evacuate the capitol if it gets nuked, plans for burying the dead if the Andreas Fault finally ruptures and sends the West Coast into the ocean.

What's the big deal?

[CFC__VRWC]

I just wonder how long it'll be until O'Neill joins the crowd claiming that President Bush was directly responsible for setting up the 9/11 attacks, for the sole purpose of manufacturing a reason to attack Iraq.

[MEG33]

I think you may be right.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

The whole story sounds made up. Who would talk like that about tax cuts?

"Haven't we already given money to rich people," Suskind says the president uttered, according to a nearly verbatim transcript of an Economic Team meeting he says he obtained from someone at the meeting, "Shouldn't we be giving money to the middle?"

You're right. Complete and utter BS.

[11th Earl of Mar]

O'Neill, who was asked to resign because of his opposition to the tax cut, says he doesn't think his tell-all account in this book will be attacked by his former employers as sour grapes. "I will be really disappointed if [the White House] reacts that way," he tells Stahl. "I can't imagine that I am going to be attacked for telling the truth."

Is he arrogant, or just plain stupid?

[MizSterious]

If not Dean, one of the other "Party of Treason" candidates. Excuse me if I totally discount this wild story of his. Perhaps a more important question might be: how did this twerp end up in such a high position in this admin? I can understand what's involved in getting rid of the Clinton holdovers, but that isn't what this jerk is. Someone should have done a more careful background check.

[tet68]

"One of them marked 'secret'

Tell us Mr.Suskind, just WHO gave you this document?

[Asclepius]

Suskind also writes about a White House meeting in which he says the president seems to be wavering about going forward with his second round of tax cuts. "Haven't we already given money to rich people," Suskind says the president uttered, according to a nearly verbatim transcript of an Economic Team meeting he says he obtained from someone at the meeting, "Shouldn't we be giving money to the middle?"

Oh, yeah. Verbatim. This sounds exactly like our President ... if he were Clinton or Gephart or Dean.

[cartoonistx]

...the notion of pre-emption, that the U.S. has the unilateral right to do whatever we decide to do is a really huge leap...

What an idiot. All nations act unilaterally if they are sovergn. If they meet with opposition they might cease or fail to act but every action taken is, at first, unilateral action. In these terrifying modern times, if we must wait until attacked before defending ourselves, we will quite quickly cease to exist....unless we act unilaterally and pre-emptually!

[lormand]

Any administration serious about National Security should lay plans to oust any regime that is a threat to the US.

So what is the BFD?

[Erik Latranyi]

O'Neil = nothing on radar


The man does not matter and does not deserve all this attention.

[Thom Pain]

Saddam should have been taken out in 1991. If not then, then he should have been taken out when he violated the agreements which allowed him to remain in office subsequent to Desert Storm. Imagine if Germany had not honored the Treaty of Versailles?? "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

[Zipporah]

The Project for a New American Century had lobbied Clinton on Iraq in 98

Letter to Clinton

[rintense]

Yep. I swear I've read before that as soon as GWB took office, he started outline scenarios for Saddam and Bin Laden. Big deal, O'Neill. At least this President saw the threat and actually developed a plan to get rid of it.

[KQQL]

Speaking about his first meeting with Mr Bush, which lasted about an hour, Mr O'Neill says: "I went in with a long list of things to talk about and, I thought, to engage [him] on.

"I was surprised it turned out me talking and the president just listening . . . It was mostly a monologue."

[CFC__VRWC]

The man does not matter and does not deserve all this attention.

We know that, but since he's a former administration "crony" who has "seen the light" and is now loudly proclaiming his Bush hatred, the media will roll out the red carpet for him and saturate the airwaves.

Sadly, these kind of "drive-bys" on the president are only going to happen more frequently as the election draws nearer. We've seen nothing yet.