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Bush questioned about secret Iraq war decision
Bush questioned about secret Iraq war decision
Bush questioned over papers leaked in UK
The White House is being pressed by congressional Democrats to explain leaked British documents which suggest that President George Bush and Tony Blair had basically decided to invade Iraq as early as July 2002.
The leak caused a major stir in Britain in the closing stages of the general election campaign, but at first had little impact in the US. But that may be changing.
A group of 89 Democratic congressmen have written to Mr Bush expressing their shock at the revelations - which have not been disputed by the Government in London - saying that the documents raised "troubling new questions" over the legal justification for the invasion, and regarding "the integrity of our administration". The letter, which has thus far elicited no response from the White House, notes that if they are correct, the documents suggest that not only was the decision to go to war taken months before Mr Bush sought congressional authorisation for war in October 2002, they would also bear out charges that the administration manipulated intelligence to back up its case, and that US diplomatic moves before the conflict were little more than a charade.
The leaked documents include a memo of a meeting between Mr Blair and top officials on 23 July 2002.
SOURCE
The Independent, "Bush questioned over papers leaked in UK", 13 May 2005.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=637950
"The Insider" mailing list article, 13 May 2005.
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