Democrat Urges Inquiry on Bush, Iraq (Downing St. memos)

AP on Yahoo ^ | 6/16/05 | Pete Yost - AP

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON - Congress should conduct an official inquiry to determine whether President Bush intentionally misled the nation about the reasons for toppling Saddam Hussein, a senior House Democrat suggested Thursday.

New York Rep. Charles Rangel (news, bio, voting record) was among Democratic House members who participated in a forum to air demands that the White House provide more information about what led to the decision to go to war in Iraq.

"Quite frankly, evidence that appears to be building up points to whether or not the president has deliberately misled Congress to make the most important decision a president has to make, going to war," said Rangel, senior Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. John Conyers (news, bio, voting record) and other Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee organized the forum to investigate implications in a British document known as the "Downing Street memo." The memo says the Bush administration believed that war was inevitable and was determined to use intelligence about weapons of mass destruction to justify the ouster of Saddam.

Conyers pointed to statements by Bush in the run-up to invasion that war would be a last resort. "The veracity of those statements has — to put it mildly — come into question," he said.

In the opening hours of the forum, witnesses spoke mainly about their views on the decision to go to war and not the memo, which the Bush administration has dismissed.

"We are having this discussion today because we failed to have it three years ago when we went to war," former Ambassador Joseph Wilson said.

"It used to be said that democracies were difficult to mobilize for war precisely because of the debate required," Wilson said, going on to say the lack of debate in this case allowed the war to happen.

Wilson wrote a 2003 newspaper opinion piece criticizing the Bush administration's claim that Iraq had sought uranium in Niger. After the piece appeared someone in the Bush administration leaked the identity of Wilson's wife as a CIA operative, exposing her cover.

Wilson has said he believes the leak was retaliation for his critical comments. The Justice Department is investigating.

The Downing Street memo states the "intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy," recounting a July 23, 2002, meeting of Prime Minister Tony Blair and his national security team. The meeting took place just after British officials returned from Washington.

U.S. officials and Blair deny the assertion about intelligence and facts being "fixed," a comment that the memo attributes to the chief of British intelligence at the time.

"This is simply rehashing old debates that have already been discussed," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Thursday.

The London Sunday Times disclosed the contents of the memo May 1. It also reported on an eight-page briefing paper prepared for Blair that concluded the U.S. military had given "little thought" to the aftermath of a war in Iraq.

The briefing paper of July 21, 2002, said that a postwar occupation of Iraq could lead to a protracted and costly nation-building exercise and that "as already made clear, the U.S. military plans are virtually silent on this point. Washington could look to us to share a disproportionate share of the burden."

[NormsRevenge]

Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., center, ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, is helped by Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., front row 2nd left, and Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee, left, to hand-deliver petitions to the White House, outside the Northwest Appointment gate of the White House, Thursday, June 16, 2005 in Washington. The petitions are signed by 105 members of Congress and more than 540,000 Americans demanding that President Bush provide a detailed response to the evidence in the 'Downing Street Memo'. The so-called 'Downing Street memo' says the Bush administration believed that war was inevitable and was determined to use intelligence about weapons of mass destruction to justify the ouster of Saddam (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

[NormsRevenge]

In the opening hours of the forum, witnesses spoke mainly about their views on the decision to go to war and not the memo, which the Bush administration has dismissed.

---

These blathering idiots could read the backs of cereal boxes and find reason to impeach President Bush.

[cripplecreek]

Conyers will have to wait his turn, we aren't done beating up on Dick Durbin yet.

[NormsRevenge]

Ray McGovern, a former CIA agent (R), places a photo of the son of Cindy Sheehan, founder of Gold Star Families for American Peace(C) on the table as Ambassador Joseph Wilson looks on during an unofficial forum on the Downing Street Minutes on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC June 16, 2005. The document, created in 2002 for British Prime Minister Tony Blair said that United States President George W. Bush was intent on invading Iraq and that intelligence was being manipulated to support Bushs interests. Sheehan's son, Army Specialist Casey Sheehan was killed in Iraq. REUTERS/Chris Kleponis

[tobyhill]

Even the MSM MSNBC on countdown admitted this memo is going no where. All allegations were out before even the election and Bush got the votes. The Rats are up s*it creek without a paddle.

[Bahbah]

Her child was way too young to be accepted into the Military. This is a travesty.

[satchmodog9]

Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., center, ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, is helped by Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., front row 2nd left, and Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee, left

Here is you axis of weasels.

[kcvl]

The "Downing Street Memo" is nothing. They are making a mountain out of a molehill, as usual.

[roylene]

Interesting site. Gives one a good laugh!

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/

[federal]

After the piece appeared someone in the Bush administration leaked the identity of Wilson's wife as a CIA operative, exposing her cover.

The AP never lets the facts get in the way of a good old President Bush smear.........

That has never been proven and I sincerely doubt those two liberal reporters are risking jail for anyone in the Bush administration.

[JeffersonRepublic.com]

The BULL$#!T coming out of the Democrats can not be helping them win over voters - Calling American Soldiers Nazis, defending Saddam, blocking the Republicans every move without offering there own solutions and the list go on and on...

I think Republicans will be able to pick up seats in the Senate, and Mitt Romney should easily win the WhiteHouse. Soon Republicans will have 60 senators and the Democrats will be gone.

Holtz
JeffersonRepublic.com

[sgtbono2002]

Conyers, Rangel, Waters ,Lee ,. The NAACP always said a brain was a terrible thing to waste. I guess that why whoever created them decided not to waste one by installing it.

[Mark]

All a bunch of WANKERS.

I want FOX TV to run 911 repeats everyday.

[Howlin]

I love seeing Joe Wilson reduced to hanging out with Commies!

[Howlin]

After the piece appeared someone in the Bush administration leaked the identity of Wilson's wife as a CIA operative, exposing her cover.

[Howlin]

I sincerely doubt those two liberal reporters are risking jail for anyone in the Bush administration.

Ding! Ding! Ding! Move to the head of the class!

[sgtbono2002]

Cindy Sheehan and the Gold Star Familiesfor American Peace have sold out their relatives in the military, and those who died for their country.. It doesnt get more shameful than that, What a total POS she is.

[kcvl]

Ambassador Joseph Wilson

FORMER Ambassador Joseph Wilson aka LIAR

[cyncooper]

I did not watch this today but having Wilson at the forefront is most interesting. I have always maintained that rolling out his charges were timed to coincide with the "Sexed-up Dossier" trumped up charges against Blair.

Both fizzled and this latest memo has always struck me as an attempt to revive those scams.

And yes, I notice how the media takes the Wilson version of why his wife's role in the matter came out. For the love of God, I wish Wilson would be charged with something.

[Howlin]

Come to the live thread.......the Democrats are trying to censure Sensenbrenner!