88 Members of Congress Call on Bush For Answers On Secret Iraq Plan

I posted this previously in the General Discussion forum before, but now there is a full article AND the list of signatories to Rep. Conyers letter posted at the website, so I'm posting in LBN. Mods, feel free to combine as you see fit.

http://www.rawstory.com/aexternal/conyers_iraq_letter_502
SECRET PLANS
Eighty-eight members of Congress call on Bush for answers on secret Iraq plan
RAW STORY

Eighty-eight members of Congress have signed a letter authored by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) calling on President Bush to answer questions about a secret U.S.-UK agreement to attack Iraq, RAW STORY has learned.
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In a letter, Conyers and other members say they are disappointed the mainstream media has not touched the revelations.

- snip -

"The London Times reports that the British government and the United States government had secretly agreed to attack Iraq in 2002, before authorization was sought for such an attack in Congress, and had discussed creating pretextual justifications for doing so."

"The Times reports, based on a newly discovered document, that in 2002 British Prime Minister Tony Blair chaired a meeting in which he expressed his support for "regime change" through the use of force in Iraq and was warned by the nation's top lawyer that such an action would be illegal," he adds. "Blair also discussed the need for America to "create" conditions to justify the war."

The members say they are seeking an inquiry.

- snip -

Members who have already signed letter:
Listed at link above

Maybe it will get more media recognition, we will see.

Why only 88?

.

Once again, John Conyers is at the forefront of bringing attention to another abominable act by this administration. He's more on top of things than anyone else in congress. I'm so proud to be from his state. And, to the poster down thread, I believe they are all Reps, not Senators.


May 5, 2005

The Honorable George W. Bush President of the United States of America The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We write because of troubling revelations in the Sunday London Times apparently confirming that the United States and Great Britain had secretly agreed to attack Iraq in the summer of 2002, well before the invasion and before you even sought Congressional authority to engage in military action. While various individuals have asserted this to be the case before, including Paul O'Neill, former U.S. Treasury Secretary, and Richard Clarke, a former National Security Council official, they have been previously dismissed by your Administration. However, when this story was divulged last weekend, Prime Minister Blair's representative claimed the document contained "nothing new." If the disclosure is accurate, it raises troubling new questions regarding the legal justifications for the war as well as the integrity of your own Administration.

The Sunday Times obtained a leaked document with the minutes of a secret meeting from highly placed sources inside the British Government. Among other things, the document revealed:

* Prime Minister Tony Blair chaired a July 2002 meeting, at which he discussed military options, having already committed himself to supporting President Bush's plans for invading Iraq.

* British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw acknowledged that the case for war was "thin" as "Saddam was not threatening his neighbours and his WMD capability was less than that of Libya, North Korea, or Iran."

* A separate secret briefing for the meeting said that Britain and America had to "create" conditions to justify a war.

* A British official "reported on his recent talks in Washington. There was a perceptible shift in attitude. Military action was now seen as inevitable. Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy."

As a result of this recent disclosure, we would like to know the following:

1) Do you or anyone in your Administration dispute the accuracy of the leaked document?

2) Were arrangements being made, including the recruitment of allies, before you sought Congressional authorization go to war? Did you or anyone in your Administration obtain Britain's commitment to invade prior to this time?

3) Was there an effort to create an ultimatum about weapons inspectors in order to help with the justification for the war as the minutes indicate?

4) At what point in time did you and Prime Minister Blair first agree it was necessary to invade Iraq?

5) Was there a coordinated effort with the U.S. intelligence community and/or British officials to "fix" the intelligence and facts around the policy as the leaked document states?

We have of course known for some time that subsequent to the invasion there have been a variety of varying reasons proffered to justify the invasion, particularly since the time it became evident that weapons of mass destruction would not be found. This leaked document - essentially acknowledged by the Blair government - is the first confirmation that the rationales were shifting well before the invasion as well.

Given the importance of this matter, we would ask that you respond to this inquiry as promptly as possible. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Members who have already signed letter:
Neil Abercrombie
Brian Baird
Tammy Baldwin
Xavier Becerra
Shelley Berkley
Eddie Bernice Johnson
Sanford Bishop
Earl Blumenauer
Corrine Brown
Sherrod Brown
G.K. Butterfield
Emanuel Cleaver
James Clyburn
John Conyers
Jim Cooper
Elijah Cummings
Danny Davis
Peter DeFazio
Diana DeGette
Bill Delahunt
Rosa DeLauro
Lloyd Doggett
Sam Farr
Bob Filner
Harold Ford, Jr.
Barney Frank
Al Green
Raul Grijalva
Louis Gutierrez
Alcee Hastings
Maurice Hinchey
Rush Holt
Jay Inslee
Sheila Jackson Lee
Jessie Jackson Jr.
Marcy Kaptur
Patrick Kennedy
Dale Kildee
Carolyn Kilpatrick
Dennis Kucinich
William Lacy Clay
Barbara Lee
John Lewis
Zoe Lofgren
Donna M. Christensen
Carolyn Maloney
Ed Markey
Carolyn McCarthy
Jim McDermott
James McGovern
Cynthia McKinney
Martin Meehan
Kendrick Meek
Gregory Meeks
Michael Michaud
George Miller
Gwen S. Moore
James Moran
Jerrold Nadler
Grace Napolitano
James Oberstar
John Olver
Major Owens
Frank Pallone
Donald Payne
Charles Rangel
Bobby Rush
Bernie Sanders
Linda Sanchez
Jan Schakowsky
Jose Serrano
Ike Skelton
Louise Slaughter
Hilda Solis
Pete Stark
Ellen Tauscher
Bennie Thompson
Edolphus Towns
Stephanie Tubbs Jones
Chris Van Hollen
Nydia Velazquez
Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Maxine Waters
Diane Watson
Melvin Watt
Robert Wexler
Lynn Woolsey
David Wu
Albert R. Wynn

The list doesn't show party affiliation

Raw Story didn't list affiliation. I'm really hoping there are at least a few Repukes so maybe we can actually get something done.

considering how centrist he is, that is definitely somewhat of a pleasant suprise. I doubt any repugs will sign this. The only ones who voted against the IWR (that I know of) are Jim Leach(IA),John Duncan(TN) and Ron Paul(TX).

HELL! Even compared to Facist Chirac, he would be to the right of said ....
Wake up America, we have no 'centrist'. We have 2 rightwings.

not that it'll help him: the conservative Ds'll blame those wicked libruls again

A little taken back!

There are 435 members in the House of Representatives.
207 Democrats. That means less than half the Democrats care enough about this.

British memo indicates Bush made intelligence fit Iraq policy
By Warren P. Strobel and John Walcott
Knight Ridder Newspapers

WASHINGTON - A highly classified British memo, leaked in the midst of Britain's just-concluded election campaign, indicates that President Bush decided to overthrow Iraqi President Saddam Hussein by summer 2002 and was determined to ensure that U.S. intelligence data supported his policy.

The document, which summarizes a July 23, 2002, meeting of British Prime Minister Tony Blair with his top security advisers, reports on a visit to Washington by the head of Britain's MI-6 intelligence service.
snip----
"There was a perceptible shift in attitude. Military action was now seen as inevitable," the MI-6 chief said at the meeting, according to the memo. "Bush wanted to remove Saddam through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD," weapons of mass destruction.

The memo said "the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy."

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/11574296.htm
:applause:

Has AP or Reuters published a similar piece? Major newspapers and other major media outlets in the US seem to have buried this story in little mini-blurbs hidden in other stories, or have not mentioned it at all.

Imagine that. US newspapers, TV, and radio not even mentioning one of the most significant revelations about blatant corruption in the WH since Watergate.

Bush and Cheney must have threatened to cut off WH access to any MSM outlet that publishes or broadcasts this, what the WH terms, "Hostile Information".

A towel and a cigarette please...

And this might explain why the Dems didn't back Conyers on Gannon!

:smoke:
rocknation

"And this might explain why the Dems didn't back Conyers on Gannon!" What do mean? (Forgive me if I'm being thick.) :)

And the rest of the Dems don't seem to be interested. Maybe they were "laying low" so that backing this issue would be more effective.

:headbang:
rocknation

There is a certain amount of "not wasting your ammo" thinking among the Dems. I suppose that's smart, but it sure can be frustrating...

signed the letter? That is truly pitiful. Nevertheless, the "elite 88" should be applauded for their courage!

Keep putting pressure on your Reps and Senators. Make calls, etc.

That sure was a very slow trip.

Illegally. Not to mention the deaths and suffering of the Iraqi people. I hope * burns.


:mad:

To the Hague!

Or are they all Representatives no Senators?


Keith’s Barbeque Central

get to work, folks--are good Republicans going to let Shrub turn their party into a joke? They should get up his ass like they did Nixon, and pronto while we still have a country !! Chertoff is on the move to take it all away!!

Call your Republican representatives, citizens!

Like..

"They're just playin' politics." and watch the Minitsry of Truth swarm all over that.

Members who have already signed letter:
Neil Abercrombie
Brian Baird
Tammy Baldwin
Xavier Becerra
Shelley Berkley
Eddie Bernice Johnson
Sanford Bishop
Earl Blumenauer
Corrine Brown
Sherrod Brown
G.K. Butterfield
Emanuel Cleaver
James Clyburn
John Conyers
Jim Cooper
Elijah Cummings
Danny Davis
Peter DeFazio
Diana DeGette
Bill Delahunt
Rosa DeLauro
Lloyd Doggett
Sam Farr
Bob Filner
Harold Ford, Jr.
Barney Frank
Al Green
Raul Grijalva
Louis Gutierrez
Alcee Hastings
Maurice Hinchey
Rush Holt
Jay Inslee
Sheila Jackson Lee
Jessie Jackson Jr.
Marcy Kaptur
Patrick Kennedy
Dale Kildee
Carolyn Kilpatrick
Dennis Kucinich
William Lacy Clay
Barbara Lee
John Lewis
Zoe Lofgren
Donna M. Christensen
Carolyn Maloney
Ed Markey
Carolyn McCarthy
Jim McDermott
James McGovern
Cynthia McKinney
Martin Meehan
Kendrick Meek
Gregory Meeks
Michael Michaud
George Miller
Gwen S. Moore
James Moran
Jerrold Nadler
Grace Napolitano
James Oberstar
John Olver
Major Owens
Frank Pallone
Donald Payne
Charles Rangel
Bobby Rush
Bernie Sanders
Linda Sanchez
Jan Schakowsky
Jose Serrano
Ike Skelton
Louise Slaughter
Hilda Solis
Pete Stark
Ellen Tauscher
Bennie Thompson
Edolphus Towns
Stephanie Tubbs Jones
Chris Van Hollen
Nydia Velazquez
Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Maxine Waters
Diane Watson
Melvin Watt
Robert Wexler
Lynn Woolsey
David Wu
Albert R. Wynn

Sorry for the duplication.

All I care is that a list is there.

After all, they're the men who own the country. We already knew they committed crimes. Just like we know he was awol. Just like we knew he committed treason by outting Plame. Just like he let 9/11 happen. Just like he stifled the 9/11 commission. And illegally invading Iraq. But this really is a democracy. And if the people are too busy cutting down trees, and watching the 700 Club, then they won't be paying attention to this. From the first stolen election we've been waiting for this worm of a cheerleader, and his teammates to get their due. A hundred Senators, and half of the country who don't have power, can't drag the unwilling and guilty to their justice. I hope I'm wrong.

had sex with an American Idol contestant.

None of this other stuff matters. The lobbyists paying for trips, etc. Now, if we can find the lobbyists were paying for prostitutes for DeLay, etc. perhaps that would matter. Although, maybe not, see how quickly the Gannon story was dropped...

I don't know if any of you were listening to Springer this morning, but he is broadcasting from England this and next week and said that the secret memo is front page news in the UK. He also did a brilliant job of connecting this with the PNAC and their overall mission.

I mean, they'd RATHER not get in a situation like those guard memos. Ever occur to anyone this could be another set up? I mean, they want to make sure this "newly discovered document" from 2002 isn't a fake

(Personally, I think Conswervatives set CBS up on the guard memos)

Anthrax letters either, like Dan Rather and Brokaw got in 2001.

memo's but the MSM is burying this story which is front page on such papers as the London Times (a Rupert Murdoch paper?). To at least report this as front page news does not seem to warrant that type of caution.

Tony Blair has acknowledged the memo, it's contents:

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/3ec1ddd2-bc76-11d9-b1e3-00000e2511c8.html

Blair actually says he thinks people are taking the information out of context. We can disagree with him on that point, but the fact is Blair endorses the memo's authenticity. Obviously Blair would have said it was a fake if he felt like it was a fake.

The memo is of the minutes of a meeting that Blair himself chaired.

Case closed.
The memo is absolutely 100% completely verified.

I agree, I think the whole CBS blowup was a Karl Rove plant. But I've had it with the media being afraid. Remember CBS or some other network burying a controversial story on Bush because they felt it would be "inappropriate" just before the election? My jaw dropped on that one. I mean, come on! We heard ad nauseaum about Monica's stained blue dress and cigars and no-one seemed to think that was inappropriate!

But it is incomprehensible that the corporate media is able to simply ignore this.

Where on God's green earth are the rest of the Democrats?

Thumbs up to the 88.

Will show whether we still live in a democracy or under a dictatorship. I wonder if america (or rather, the average american) is ready for the answer?

it seems increasingly clear that the United States of America is a democracy no longer. Nor is it a Republic.

I think we are fast approaching the day when we will find out for certain.

Welcome to DU!

:hi:

That would be Grace Napolitano. I just called her office a little while ago and left a message on the legislative assistant's voice mail. So now I have the answer to my question, and I'll have to call them back and thank her.

His response to me about Plame: "Sometimes things are more complicated than they appear."

I can only imagine I'll get exactly the same response if I encourage him to investigate bush's manipulation and coercion for the invasion of Iraq. Rep. Walden has his nose waaaay up bush's butt.

Can you guess he's a Repub?

I've been waiting for this....

Wrote Lloyd Doggett the other day... I am so glad he signed and there is quite a sizeable number that are supporting Congressman (My Hero) Conyers!!!!

Wohoo... Lets wait for the deafening silence from Bush.

But here's a sobering number... there are a total of 202 Democrats in the house, that means that 43% of Democrats in the House signed the letter..... whats with the other 57%??????

But it still is a considerable number nontheless...

My boy, Jim Cooper is one of the 88! i knew i voted for him for a reason!

Since he "supposedly" represents me being in his district although he usually votes with repukes!

I am glad to see that the Representative bearing my exact name signed on to this action. It is almost like I am in Congress when I see his name there.

I know....stupid, but if you knew how rare my name was...

for making such a big deal out of this. It's everywhere you look! Non-stop 24/7 coverage of the bush/blair affair. Oh........wait........I haven't seen a thing about it in the MSM. It was that runaway bride thing I was thinking about.....never mind. :hi:

Liberal Media my ass. Again, members of Congress and private citizens doing the media's job. The media has been reduced to covering death watches and women with cold feet. How the hell can they live with themselves? Is getting that paltry paycheck so important that they'd give up the chance for the Pulitzer? Guess so. Our gelded media are a farce.

that Conyers in his letter wouldn't say Mainstream Media, but Corporate Media. We have to be Republican-like in our relentless use of that term, to jar the 'sheeple' into awareness.

~*

Well, thanks Moran. (Yes, that really is his name).

To every other Virginia Rep. (particularly my idiot Rep. Jo Ann Davis) - Please run off a bridge. Thank you.

He on the list.. Northern VA is blue, I can drive my Hybrid with the "bush cheated 04" bumper sticker... but not too far south!

... he called cheney the biggest asskisser of all! I'm calling him to thank him Monday!

I wish I felt that way. Everywhere I drive I see stupid "W" stickers and "Support Our Troops" yellow ribbons. How can I support them if I don't even think they ought to be there? Don't get me wrong. I feel very bad for all the guys and women over in Iraq. But I never agreed with this war.

I had a Kerry sign up in my yard before the election and my neighbor, not to be outdone, fixed a big spotlight on his Bush sign so you could see it even at night. These people don't think. They don't realize Bush has not the slightest thought for them. He only cares for his corporation buddies. I don't understand the appeal this guy has. He's a lot like Hitler from my point of view and I'm not joking.

I had many Kerry signs in my area.. in part because I brought dozens home and left them on the doorstep of people that had anything outside thier home that led me to think they leaned dem. Most of those signs went up the next day. But someone peels off my "bush cheated04" bumper stickers that I have put on posts!

..if you can get 1260AM you can get good radio.. in case you missed it :)

BTW.. did you vote with any paper?.. I didn't ... and I say loudly as I walked out... "this voting system is a joke.. we need a paper trail!" I got a few nods from the people waiting in line.

Why isn't my congressperson there?
As Democratic leader maybe she feels
this is too hot to handle but this
is exactly where the Democrats should
be taking the Administration to task.

From the way back machine...

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/05/23/gen.war.on.terror/

BERLIN, Germany (CNN) -- President Bush reiterated Thursday that Iraq remains a significant threat, but he stopped short of saying the United States will go to war with the Middle Eastern country.

"I have no war plans on my desk," Bush said at a Berlin news conference during the first stop of his European tour. "We've got to use all means at our disposal to deal with Saddam Hussein."

<snip>

"He knows my position, and the world knows my position about Saddam Hussein," Bush said. "He is a dangerous man. He is a dictator who gassed his own people. He's had a history of incredible human rights violations.

"And it's dangerous to think of a scenario in which a country like Iraq would team up with an al Qaeda-type organization, particularly ... when they have the capacity to deliver weapons of mass destruction via a ballistic missile, and that's a threat." (Full story)

complicit with the Bush Junta crimes.

btw, reporters and TV telepromter readers take their orders from their bosses.

and let " Melissa" know that I expect him to sign on.

I just called mine, Nita Lowey, and a neighboring congresswoman, Sue Kelly: Republican. Yesssss!!!!!!!!!!! The woman answering the phone didn't seem to know about the 88 or the secret plans or the London Times.

After enough repubs claim "I didn't know" enough times, do we get to fire them?

TIME to bring him down.This is PROOF that he has MURDERED THOUSANDS!!!I'm e-mailing my local newspapers and tv stations; it won't die if I can help it!

gets away with it all the time and for the life of me, I cannot figure out WHY the press gives this nasty overgrown adolescent boy a free pass. Do they really fear this jerk?

A war planned and executed simply to remove a leader that foreign governments don't like, then occupy the country is the very definition of an illegal war. No different from what Hitler did when he invaded Poland.

Memo disputes Bush Iraq claims

PM, just in time for the evening news would the "press" cover it? Why is this not being blasted everywhere? My God this outdoes Watergate by a country mile...

media outlets and insist that they cover this story.

and history will show what Blair & Bush did!!!

http://www.pdamerica.org/field/Press-Release-Bush-Blair.php

In case you want to provide some context when you send the press release to someone requesting they cover it or distribute it, just send them this photo:



What you get from illegitimate president -- an illegal war and countless crimes against humanity


www.missionnotaccomplished.us - STOP THE ATROCITIES; INDICT AND PROSECUTE BU$H AND ALL THE OTHER WAR CRIMINALS

Commercial Appeal, Memphis.

Thank you and welcome to DU!

Peace.


www.missionnotaccomplished.us

IMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACH
IMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACH
IMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACH
IMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACH
IMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACHIMPEACH

the grave to confess their sins before Global TV.

Exactly then, and not before.

Good luck getting Totalitarian Scum like the Busheviks to behave like Leaders of Free Nations.

:rofl:

When Hitler and Stalin rise from the grave to confess, THAT'S when the Dems will get their answers from the Modern Kinder and Gentler Nazis.

Actually, Bush resembles Adolf Hitler in his takeover of Germany a LOT. The similarities are scary. There was the fire of some government building in Germany--our 9/11. A lot of people believed the Nazi's set the fire themselves to create a national crisis. Then, the government gave Hitler temporary total power in this time of crisis. Kind of like our Patriot Act which allows all kind of liberties to be violated. Fascist government also has one group of people that are vilified: their Jews, our Middle Eastern citizens and gays. They also believe in women in a traditional role. Notice Bush believes we all should be barefoot and pregnant (OK, maybe not literally but anyone who believes W is for Women is living on Mars.) A religious agenda is pushed often too. I have had enough of born again Christians to last me a lifetime.

this were a dictatorship, just as long as I get to be the dictator?" Ever think Adolf said that outloud on camera? Well, George did.

He's appointing all his buddies to all the important cabinet posts for one reason only: Total control. I call that Fascism.

Sich Heil!

I called my representative and she added her name after giving her the data
By Tuesday (according to Conyers) it will formally be presented some representatives are away and will sign up on this by Tuesday
be sure to call all democratic reps that are not on the list Monday.

Lacey Clay and Ike Skelton have signed it.