Quote:Steve, how would Parliament have known what we know now?
Well of course it was a pretty fatuous question, but I was really thinking of Iraq's lack of wmd. Blair was adamant that Iraq's wmd posed a "real and current" threat that left no option but to invade. He made an impassioned speech, a lot of mps who had doubts were convinced by it. They now feel conned, and are quietly seething with anger.
Quote:Do you mean that they should have been told that there were gaps and questions about the intelligence?
Absolutely. All the caveats, all the qualifications all the checks and balances which are inherent to intelligence reports were stripped out from the September 2002 document....by Alastair Campbell (Tony's best mate within Downing Street, and his Director of Communications) along with John Scarlett (who retained "ownership of the document") who was Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, and for services rendered has recently been promoted by Blair to being head of MI6 and thus Britain's top spy.
Quote:Do you think that Blair was aware of questions regarding the accuracy of the intel (his own or that of the US) but that he brushed them aside?
Its just impossible that he did not know. One example, when told by Scarlett that Iraq had chemical or biological weapons that could be deployed in 45 minutes or less, Blair claims he never went on to ask what this meant. He NEVER ASKED if this meant Saddam had a few artillary shells that could be fired at invading troops, or if he had long range missiles that could hit British bases in Cyprus. If we are to believe him, the only possible explanation was that Blair knew full well that Saddam only had a very limited wmd capability. When the Evening Standard published headline "45 minutes from doom", Blair did nothing to correct the impression that was given. There are obviously two types of intelligence streams, one given to govt. by the intelligence serives, and intelligence given to the people by government in order to scare them sh1tless.
Blair is incredibly sensitive on this issue. His fall back position is that the intelligence might have been wrong, but he acted in good faith. Anyone who dares question his integrity, i.e. that he knew the truth but sold us a lie, is asking for BIG TROUBLE.
Quote:I think that if Congress had been given all of the intel, not just what suited the administration's war plans, that we never would have gone to war.
So there must be many members of congress who feel tricked, just like Brit mps?
Quote:As an aside, I am disgusted with Kerry's backing and filling about his vote on the war. It would have been easy, and perhaps even true, that he voted to support an attack on Iraq IF the president was totally convinced by the intel that we were under dire threat. Now -- in response to questions asking if he would have voted that way if he knew what is known now -- he is saying that, even if he had known there were no WMDs or any of the other hoked-up intel, he would still have supported the president in going to war. What an absolutely spineless stance when he has trotted out vets who say that Kerry knows war, he has been to war, he will never take us into war carelessly.
Well I have been quite heartened by some of the stuff I've heard Kerry say, but the real reasons that took us to war will not have changed with the election of a Democrat, or anyone else for that matter, so maybe he's just being honest. Though I agree it sounds really weak.
Quote:In discussions with friends in Europe, I hear that many of them are saying there would be no change in our administration's policies if Kerry is elected.
I think this is the general fear. Lots of people think America has embarked on a programme of neo-imperialism. Any particular president might change emphasis but wont change the general thrust.
If Bush gets re elected, I think he'll engineer regime change in Iran. And if Kerry gets elected...?
Thanks for your posts btw, always interesting to read...especially when you agree with me
Now to an interesting phase in the cricket...yes the same game, being going on since Thursday. Might finish tomorrow!
