The White House memo - Bush and Blair discussed US Spyplane in UN colours to lure Saddam into war

channel4.com ^ | February 2, 2005 | Gary Gibbon

[HAL9000]

Revealed: Bush and Blair discussed using American Spyplane in UN colours to lure Saddam into war.

Channel 4 News tonight reveals extraordinary details of George Bush and Tony Blair's pre-war meeting in January 2003 at which they discussed plans to begin military action on March 10th 2003, irrespective of whether the United Nations had passed a new resolution authorising the use of force.

Channel 4 News has seen minutes from that meeting, which took place in the White House on 31 January 2003. The two leaders discussed the possibility of securing further UN support, but President Bush made it clear that he had already decided to go to war. The details are contained in a new version of the book 'Lawless World' written by a leading British human rights lawyer, Philippe Sands QC.

President Bush said that:

"The US would put its full weight behind efforts to get another resolution and would 'twist arms' and 'even threaten'. But he had to say that if ultimately we failed, military action would follow anyway.''

Prime Minister Blair responded that he was: "solidly with the President and ready to do whatever it took to disarm Saddam."

But Mr Blair said that: "a second Security Council resolution would provide an insurance policy against the unexpected, and international cover, including with the Arabs."

Mr Sands' book says that the meeting focused on the need to identify evidence that Saddam had committed a material breach of his obligations under the existing UN Resolution 1441. There was concern that insufficient evidence had been unearthed by the UN inspection team, led by Dr Hans Blix. Other options were considered.

President Bush said: "The US was thinking of flying U2 reconnaissance aircraft with fighter cover over Iraq, painted in UN colours. If Saddam fired on them, he would be in breach."

He went on: "It was also possible that a defector could be brought out who would give a public presentation about Saddams WMD, and there was also a small possibility that Saddam would be assassinated."

Speaking to Channel 4 News, Mr Sands said:

"I think no one would be surprised at the idea that the use of spy-planes to review what is going on would be considered. What is surprising is the idea that they would be used painted in the colours of the United Nations in order to provoke an attack which could then be used to justify material breach. Now that plainly looks as if it is deception, and it raises some fundamental questions of legality, both in terms of domestic law and international law."

Also present at the meeting were President Bush's National Security Adviser, Condoleeza Rice and her deputy Dan Fried, and the Presidents Chief of Staff, Andrew Card. The Prime Minister took with him his then security adviser Sir David Manning, his Foreign Policy aide Matthew Rycroft, and and his chief of staff, Jonathan Powell.

Those present, as documented in Mr Sands' book, also discussed what might happen in Iraq after liberation.

President Bush said that he: "thought it unlikely that there would be internecine warfare between the different religious and ethnic groups."

[Canard]

"The Prime Minister took with him his then security adviser Sir David Manning, his Foreign Policy aide Matthew Rycroft, and and his chief of staff, Jonathan Powell."

Matthew Rycroft was the author of the minutes refered to in the media as the Downing Street Memo, his name seems to crop up quite a lot in these things.

[mnehring]

Thanks.. considering those are published numbers, then I'm sure you can add another 10-20k on that.

[napscoordinator]

I agree and I am actually glad you used the curse word which is normally not allowed but I am glad that you were able to keep it. This is crazy!!!!!! I am so sick of this nonsense. I think four years of this BS is ridiculous.

[Killborn]

Only in a conflict between neutral parties does the "first blood drawn" theory applied. (Cowboys and Indians, one group of protesters against another, etc)

I couldn't give a (r@p if Uncle Sam gave Saddam psychoactive drugs that makes him think that Gremlins will come in and steal WMDs and beat him up in a pinata if he submits to UN inspection.

Some people just need killing.

[reagan_fanatic]

[Iscool]

How come they don't discuss the memos about George's sex life??? Or the memos of what he ate for breakfast last Thursday???

Does someone really write down everything the President says???

I'm thinkin' if I was the President, I would suggest the memo writer leave the room during private war conversations (and sex with the wife)...

[OkiMusashi]

Yeah. Like, I remember reading about the UN U2 flights years ago. It was easy to Google an article about it. So, what we have here is:

1. The US loaned a U2 to the UN for a flight over Iraq and it was in the Press.
2. The Iraqis knew about it ahead of time. Iraq Ok'ed the flight.... and that was also in the Press.
3. A Journalist, 3 years later, is stunned to find out that Bush and Blair talked about the flight and the consequenses for Iraq if Iraq took a pot shot at it.

Like, so what? [shrug] I would be stunned if Bush and Blair hadn't discussed the consequenses. LOL ... Now, THAT would be News!

[tlb]

"The US was thinking of flying U2 reconnaissance aircraft with fighter cover over Iraq, painted in UN colours. If Saddam fired on them, he would be in breach."

Must have pretty sharp eyes to see the markings on a plane flying 90,000 feet above you.

[rarestia]

I'm not normally inclined to the use of foul language except in situations that warrant extreme responses. In this case, it's a matter of the relentless attack by the MSM to denigrate the Bush administration.