More evidence that Bush was trying to avoid war. Riiiiight!
Topic: Iraq

The NYT reports that even as W. was telling the world on January 31 2003 that," Saddam is not disarming. He is a danger to the world," he was telling Tony B-liar privately that he didn't expect any WMD to be found before the invasion. According to previously leaked memo of the January meeting, W. was trying to come up with a way to get Saddam to fire the first shot in order to justify the invasion to the world.

The memo says, "The U.S. was thinking of flying U2 reconnaissance aircraft with fighter cover over Iraq, painted with U.N. colours." This was W.'s great idea apparently. "If Saddam fired on them, he would be in breach." Another Bush brainchild was that, "The U.S. might be able to bring out a defector who could give a public presentation about Saddam's WMD." (Who, Curveball?) Keep this little tidbit in mind over the next few months as W. tries to come up with an excuse to attack Iran.

Even though W. was initially reluctant to even bother going to the U.N. early in 2002, he was apparently pressured into going the U.N. route at some point, maybe by Daddy. Thus the first resolution that was passed authorizing inspections ---but not an attack as the defenders of Bush keep claiming. Security Council resolution 1441 threatened "serious consequences" if Saddam failed to comply, but not military action per se. (Keep this in mind also as W. and his wrecking ball Co. try to get similar wording into a new resolution against Iran.) The memo says the idea behind the second resolution was that it "would give us international cover, especially with the Arabs." The Brits seemed to be the ones most intent on getting some sort of international sanction for this highly illegal maneuver. Bush for his part thought he had God on his side, so he didn't need no stinkin' badge. Even so, Bush agreed that the U.S. and Britain should attempt to get another resolution but time was running out.

You see, after all the preparation involved in getting ready for the war W. supposedly didn't want ---starting way back in Dec. 2001 when Rummy started taking money earmarked for the war in Afghanistan and moving it into the Persian Gulf ---the military was ready to go and nothing could stop the time table. Certainly not some namby pamby legalistic fig leaf the limeys were asking for. The memo says Bush told his British "partner" that, "The U.S. would put its full weight behind efforts to get another resolution and twist arms and even threaten. But he had to say that if we ultimately failed, military action would follow anyway." Of course, you see how Saddam forced him into this?

Well, that was then and this is now.