WASHINGTON (AFP) - The White House denied a New York Times report that President George W. Bush was determined to invade Iraq by late January 2003, two months before he did so.
Bush told British Prime Minister Tony Blair on January 31, 2003 that he was determined to invade Iraq without a second UN resolution and even if UN arms inspectors failed to find weapons of mass destruction in the country, according to the Times report.
It cited a top secret memo about the private White House meeting by David Manning, Blair's chief foreign policy adviser at the time.
Asked Monday if the memo showed Bush was determined to go to war, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said, "that's not an accurate assessment," although he did not deny the existence of the memo.
"The use of force was the last option," said McClellan, adding that the option had to be planned for.
In his memo, Manning paraphrased Bush as saying "'The start date for the military campaign was now penciled in for 10 March,'" according to the Times report. 'This was when the bombing would begin'."
"We were continuing to pursue a diplomatic solution, but we recognized that is was necessary to prepare and plan accordingly in the event we would need to use force," McClellan said.
"The president pursed a diplomatic solution, that's why we went to the United Nation, that's why we passed a 17th resolution that called on the regime to disclose or face serious consequences," he said.
Asked about the contradiction between his statements and the memo cited by the Times, McClellan said: "I think that our public and private comments are fully consistent."
<BR> <BR> Today I had this huge argument with some supposedly educated "academically level" low life, stupid Racist bunch of idiots (mostly WOMAN type) about the 3rd world and particularly female's position in 3rd word?.<BR> <BR> Starting with the "way of
You are a <BR><B>Social Moderate</B> <BR>(50% permissive)<BR><BR>and an... <BR><B>Economic Liberal</B> <BR>(35% permissive)<BR><BR>You are best described as a:<BR><BR><U> <B>Centrist</B></U><br> <IMG src="http://is2.okcupid.com/graphics/
What would you change from the current political state? This is for all of you armchair presidents out there. Which is pretty much everyone lol. I would especially like to hear primegen's and branh's responses. But I certainly want everyone to reply to th
<BR> I always liked that ol' bulldog but could never put my finger on the reason why, until now.<BR> <BR> :)<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> The celebrated American author Christopher Morley has written, "It's all very easy to become a legend. The difficult thing
is it just me , or does anyone else find it amazing that the U.S. government can track a cow born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she sleeps in the state of washington And they tracked her calves to their stalls. But they can no
A few of my favourite Dubya monikers: <BR> <BR> ? Boy Emperor <BR> ? Bubble Boy <BR> ? Bush Leaguer <BR> ? Chimperor <BR> ? Chimpy <BR> ? Commander-in-Thief <BR> ? Deserter-in-Chief <BR> ? Dubyanocchio <BR> ? Idiot Son of a Buffoon <BR> ? Incurious George
Who's the stupid..??<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> While our media is filled with stories on the Bush administration and Iran, they almost invariably focus on the Iranian nuclear program (or European negotiations and U.S. non-negotiations about the same). You could
Lmao?. <BR> <BR> Why am I not surprised on this..??<BR> <BR> Question:<BR> How long Americans are willing to support this idiot president (commander in thief) and the co..?? <BR> <BR> <BR> source:<BR> <BR> http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005/3/2
50 hilarious quotes of President Bush Said in His First Term:<BR> <BR> 50. "I promise you I will listen to what has been said here, even though I wasn't here." ?at the President's Economic Forum in Waco, Texas, Aug. 13, 2002 <BR> <BR> 49. "We spent a lot
"You work three jobs? ? Uniquely American, isn't it? I mean, that is fantastic that you're doing that."<BR> <BR> ?George W. Bush, to a divorced mother of three, Omaha, Nebraska, Feb. 4, 2005 <BR> <BR> "I'm also mindful that man should never try to put wo
President George W. Bush was determined to invade
Iraq by late January 2003, two months before he did so.
Bush told British Prime Minister
Tony Blair on January 31, 2003 that he was determined to invade Iraq without a second UN resolution and even if UN arms inspectors failed to find weapons of mass destruction in the country, according to the Times report.
It cited a top secret memo about the private White House meeting by David Manning, Blair's chief foreign policy adviser at the time.
Asked Monday if the memo showed Bush was determined to go to war, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said, "that's not an accurate assessment," although he did not deny the existence of the memo.
"The use of force was the last option," said McClellan, adding that the option had to be planned for.
In his memo, Manning paraphrased Bush as saying "'The start date for the military campaign was now penciled in for 10 March,'" according to the Times report. 'This was when the bombing would begin'."
"We were continuing to pursue a diplomatic solution, but we recognized that is was necessary to prepare and plan accordingly in the event we would need to use force," McClellan said.
"The president pursed a diplomatic solution, that's why we went to the United Nation, that's why we passed a 17th resolution that called on the regime to disclose or face serious consequences," he said.
Asked about the contradiction between his statements and the memo cited by the Times, McClellan said: "I think that our public and private comments are fully consistent."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060327/pl_afp/usbritainbushiraq