God told me to invade Iraq, Bush tells Palestinian ministers

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2005/10_october/06/bush.shtml ^ | 10/06/05 | BBC

[Blogger]

This press release is embargoed until 2230 hours on Thursday 6 October. Before that time it is only available through the link which you have been sent.

President George W. Bush told Palestinian ministers that God had told him to invade Afghanistan and Iraq - and create a Palestinian State, a new BBC series reveals.

In Elusive Peace: Israel and the Arabs, a major three-part series on BBC TWO (at 9.00pm on Monday 10, Monday 17 and Monday 24 October), Abu Mazen, Palestinian Prime Minister, and Nabil Shaath, his Foreign Minister, describe their first meeting with President Bush in June 2003.

Nabil Shaath says: "President Bush said to all of us: 'I'm driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, "George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan." And I did, and then God would tell me, "George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq …" And I did. And now, again, I feel God's words coming to me, "Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East." And by God I'm gonna do it.'"

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

..................

Nabil Shaath says: "President Bush said to all of us: 'I'm driven with a mission from God'"

Gotta do better than that Nabil. Everyone in the US has seen the Blues Brothers.

Jake: First you trade the Cadillac for a microphone. Then you lie to me about the band. Now you're gonna put me right back in the joint.
Elwood: They're not gonna catch us. We're on a mission from God.

Another one for Nabil.

Reverend Cleophus James: Praise God.
Elwood: And God bless the United States of America.

[cooper72]

I think you are all forgetting one thing:

It was not the BBC who said it but quotes from Palestinians. If the Palestinians have lied it is major news. If George Bush said these things it is major news. Either way it must be reported, unless some of you guys want to live like Putin's Russia.

As for the BBC saying Black Hawks were sent to kill Black people in New Orleans - absolute rubbish.

At least attack the BBC with truth, not with lies.

[defenderSD]

Let me get this straight and make sure I understand what you said: Are you calling me a liar?

[cooper72]

YES!

[pepperdog]

Oh yeah, like the President is going to tell Palestinians about his conversations with God! Not hardly!

[defenderSD]

Then you have a problem with reading comprehension pal, and I suggest you go back and read my posts again and let me know what part you don't understand. You also have a problem with bad manners and lack of respect for other people at FR.

[cooper72]

1. The BBC have never said Black people are being killed by Black Hawk helicopters in New Orleans.

2. According to the Press Release the BBC never SAID anything about the President, they REPORTED what OTHERS said about him. Pretty big news if Bush did say those things or else it is big news if the Palestinians are liars.

If you want to say the opposite then it is not bad manners to say you are a liar. Where is all this American straightforwardness and love of truth?

[ravingnutter]

This is a rehash of an old story from 2003.

Moscow Times - Global Eye -- Errand Boy - 06/27/03

Common Dreams - Did Bush Say God Told Him To Go To War? - 06/30/03

[SJackson]

It was not the BBC who said it but quotes from Palestinians. If the Palestinians have lied it is major news.

Palestinian diplomats lie everyday, and BBC prints the least offensive of them. This isn't major news, and BBC doesn't have to give it any more credibility than the Israel was behind 9/11 and the Jews cook with Christian babies blood nonsense which prominent officials in the region come out with on an ongoing basis.

That said, when one speaks with a terrorist like Dr. Abu Mazen, PhD in Holocaust Denial, you have to expect to have your words distorted.

[Rosemont]

Please tell me that there is another source of the story besides Palestinian ministers.

[Blogger]

Just reporting. We can all decide based upon the source.

[DaGman]

Would that not be a mission from Allah?

[Blogger]

Like the Pally's would be happy with "God" telling Bush to attack another Muslim people.

[conservativewasp]

" I always thought the Brits were more cool, calculating, and rational than that."

Nope, they're a bunch of loons, spent 120 days over there in the last 2 years. Sky news is fairly useful, BBC is almost tabloid trash now, like the rest of their media.

[M. Thatcher]

it is big news if the Palestinians are liars.

Big news to whom?

[carl in alaska]

I did not "say the opposite" of what you said. I said the BBC was reporting someone's recollection of Bush's statements, which is not the same as reporting an exact quote on film. People sometimes don't remember exactly what was said and their recollections differ in important ways from what was actually said.

The BBC also took whatever statements they reported out of the context of everything else Bush said in this meeting. In so doing, they of course lose some of the meaning of what Bush said to these ministers.

[cooper72]

I did not "say the opposite" of what you said. I said the BBC was reporting someone's recollection of Bush's statements, which is not the same as reporting an exact quote on film. People sometimes don't remember exactly what was said and their recollections differ in important ways from what was actually said. The BBC also took whatever statements they reported out of the context of everything else Bush said in this meeting. In so doing, they of course lose some of the meaning of what Bush said to these ministers.

How do you know what the film says? It hasn't been shown yet!

[BJClinton]

What is "NR"? National Review?

[Sabramerican]

You have to come at it with a simple truth: you can't believe a single thing any "Palestinian" says.

But there is always a first time.

If Bush said nothing of the kind, how will he react to the "Palestinian" leaders making him out to be insane and dangerous in office?

[roses of sharon]

Yes, their blog page is called the "corner", it is a great place to ck throughout the day.