Tony Blair and George Bush exchanged voluminous correspondence prior to the start of military operations in Iraq. Now, the UK is moving to declassify details of the talks for an inquiry into Britain’s involvement in the conflict, British media reported.
The release, set for the upcoming year, is expected to include more than 100 documents, described as a collection of notes, records of 200 minutes of ministerial level talks, telephone conversations and private meetings between the British prime minister and American president, The Independent reported.
This will give the green light for the Chilcot Iraq Inquiry to publish an account of the conflict, where much attention will be given to decisions made by then Prime Minister Tony Blair. Indeed, the files could play a major part in determining Blair’s historical legacy, which critics say has been stained by the Iraq War.
Blair has been criticized for failing to challenge then-US President George W. Bush on Iraq’s alleged weapons of mass destruction, specifically chemical and biological weapons, which a Joint Intelligence Committee report said in September 2002 “could be ready for firing in 45 minutes.”
The former Labour leader said he worked to restrain the Bush administration’s seeming determination for military involvement in Iraq, even as UN weapons inspectors on the ground failed to discover any chemical or biological stockpiles.
A senior government official predicted the results of the inquiry will not do Blair any favors: "In the new year it seems the Chilcot inquiry is going to be published. Everyone will be assuming: bad hair day for Tony Blair and Jack Straw." Straw served as Blair’s secretary of state.
All I can say is, if they do NOT redact the most damaging portions, this would be a great gift to those of us who know that the administration lied about the reasons for the war, and bullied Blair into following them into the abyss.
It might also give the Right Wing an opportunity to see what REAL treason looks like so that they can see the damn difference from now on!
"It might also give the Right Wing an opportunity to see what REAL treason looks like so that they can see the damn difference from now on! "
ReplyDeleteNot a chance in hell that will EVER happen.
No matter what information is declassified, there is no way the Right Wing will ever recognize what treason looks like. Many of their attempts to destroy Obama since 2009 should be considered acts of treason. They will write their own history sort of like they plan to rewrite the bible to make Jesus look like a hateful warrior who attacks the poor and downtrodden.
ReplyDeleteTony Blair was too concerned with getting into Rebecca's underwear to pay attention to much else.
ReplyDeleteMy first thought when I saw the name Rebecca was Sarah Lou's BGGFF, and almost threw up. Yeah, yeah, Rupert's ravishing redhead, who I'm sure has the skinny (no pun intended, but def not RAM) on some of the Murdoch/Blair games of footsie in proliferation of lies and propaganda to support the three stooges ruse of WMDs illegal war.
DeleteNot really sure what all I typed before I hit publish accidentally... but I was about to remind those of us who've forgotten about the conspiracy by the Neocons via PNAC to carve up the Iraqi oilfields for the multinational Big Oil, etc., led by the three stooges, Dick, Rummy, & Dummy. Each of these 3 assholes have released their bullshit memoirs in an attempt to revise *Republican History* for future fundie homeskoolers and teabagger state public skools. It would be karma to have future generations learn the truth about the war crimes of this despicable bunch of criminals.
DeleteBenghazi my ass!
They only embrace Fox's view of treason, which is basically...if you;re not GOP, you can't be legitimate. Period. They still love torture, war, and kids being shot daily. They still think teaching Bible stories is as good as teaching science and math. They still think Sarah Palin thinks, for God's sake. They will never admit that Bush is a coward and a liar. Never. Look how they've reacted to the truth about Benghazi.
ReplyDeleteHow could any senior politician expect that these correspondences won't be made public at some point in time? Remember Bush's comments about history being the final deciderer about his decidering? I'd expect him (okay, his staff) to be using these exchanges to write the first draft of history as they want it told. As such, I don't expect any bombshells about bombing from what I assume are/were documents intended to get history "right".
ReplyDeleteSad.
DeleteGood. I have a bunch of former friends who wanted to be Republicans/Cool Kids and supported the Iraq War. I’d say “I told you so” but I don’t see them anymore.
ReplyDeleteI still want to see Bush and Cheney stand in The Hague. The damage done to the Iraqis is beyond description. Saddam’s neck wasn’t worth it, and we don’t have the oil anyway.
Every time a repub. said "Four brave Americans were killed in Benghazi" I wanted to scream "What about the HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS killed in Iraq and Afghanistan?" Blair, Bush, Cheney and the rest of them should have to forfeit their pensions and donate that money to the wounded troops. They all damaged this country beyond repair, and are STILL at it! Look at all the young lives destroyed. When I see the brave young people missing limbs, eyes, burned terribly I despise the Repubs. and their so-called "leaders" even more.
ReplyDelete"Blair, Bush, Cheney and the rest of them should have to forfeit their pensions and donate that money to the wounded troops. "
DeleteTheir pensions are a drop in the bucket, what they should forfeit are the profits from Halliburton and other "consulting firms they have stock etc in.
Interesting, didn't Obama "pardon" Bush for war crimes (or did he give him immunity from prosecution?). Just like Ford pardoned Nixon(even though the republicans said Nixon didn't commit any crime).
If they haven't committed any crimes then why do they need to be pardoned/given immunity?
Ladies and Gentlemen, please. Do yourselves a favor and look up the definition of treason AS SPECIFIED IN THE CONSTITUTION! And DON'T be satisfied with reading only one explanation, either. Or even just Article III, Section 3 of the Constitution. Many will have different points brought out that other explanations don't list, such as examples of actual cases.
ReplyDeleteThey all damaged this country beyond repair, and are STILL at it!
ReplyDeleteThey all damaged this country beyond repair, and are STILL at it!
They all damaged this country beyond repair, and are STILL at it!
I used to respect Blair, then when he became W's poodle, I lost respect. How could he not have seen the difference between Clinton and Bush? He knew Clinton was highly intelligent, then along came dum-dum W. Surely he should have been able to see through the repub. bull? Maybe thanks to Murdoch's intelligence arm, the repub. administration knew about Blair's private life, and so he was blackmailed? I would not put it past them. Dirty tricks are all they know.
ReplyDeleteOn Christmas, Republicans Quietly Declare War on Themselves
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/on-christmas-republicans-quietly-declare-war-on-themselves-20131230
ReplyDeleteObama’s Defining Fight: How He Will Take On the NSA’s Surveillance State in 2014
Before he left for Hawaii, the president was sending signals that government surveillance programs need an overhaul to restore the public’s faith on issues of national security.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/12/31/obama-s-defining-fight-how-he-will-take-on-the-nsa-s-surveillance-state-in-2014.html
Palin's boobs
ReplyDeletehttp://cdnet.myxer.com/tn/c/964868/big/?t=20081024113550
WAY OT: Sarah Palin and quite a few other conservative talkers have shot off their mouths without doing their homework. Despicable, yes indeed.
ReplyDeleteMelissa Harris-Perry knows more about race and the Mormons than all those whites that are condemning her for being a racist. Her father is black and her mother was raised Mormon and graduated from BYU......A lot more family history than I can go into here and now....but Google it out if your are interested.
Yes, one of the Romney sons and his wife adopted a black baby boy this year. And the recent family photo did look a lot like the RNC. No explanation needed. And at last, Dec. 5, 2013, there was word from Salt Lake City on why the curse was lifted on those with dark skins to explain the 1979 change that black males could become priests.
In fact, it would appear that the Romneys could use some genetic diversity to strengthen their line. I recall hearing that they were using scientific means and in some cases surrogates in order to keep producing those grand babies to grace the estates and beach front home in the manor Romney,
RJ in Brownbackistan
+ 1,000,000 +
DeleteYeah, this explains President Bush's doing oil paintings of his feet in the bathtub. If they're not highly redacted, he can claim insanity.
ReplyDeleteWhy/ How Darth and Geo weren't tried for war crimes is beyond me.