(Finally on Yahoo) Democrats Question U.S. Pre-War Actions

[Ian David]

Democrats Question U.S. Pre-War Actions

By PETE YOST, Associated Press Writer 56 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Some congressional Democrats are insisting that the White House provide more information about what led to the decision to go to war in Iraq, citing a British document known as the "Downing Street memo" as evidence intelligence was distorted.

Rep. John Conyers (news, bio, voting record) and other Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee conducted a public forum Thursday prompted by documents that have surfaced from inside the British government about prewar planning.

Former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, who advised the Bush administration in 2002 that Saddam Hussein had not tried to buy a certain kind of uranium from Africa, said Conyers' hearing was important.

"We are having this discussion today because we failed to have it three years ago when we went to war," Wilson said.

More:
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050616/ap_on_go_co/downing_street_memo_4

[AtLiberty]

1. RATE IT UP!!!

[Ian David]

5. Don't forget: Print and email from the Yahoo links, too. Email picture too

Keep it rated up.

[dArKeR]

32. I did NOT rate this story but yahoo says I have rated it! I swear to God!

I swear to God!

[Ian David]

2. From BBC: Congressmen probe Iraq war memo

Congressmen probe Iraq war memo

A group of US congressmen is holding a hearing into a leaked UK memo which suggests President Bush had decided on war with Iraq eight months in advance.

<snip>

The British Sunday Times newspaper published the so-called Downing Street memo, dated 23 July 2002, on 1 May, after it was leaked by a former UK foreign policy aide.

<snip>

Scant US coverage

<snip>

The affair has received scant coverage in the mainstream US media, although left-wing bloggers have had some success in bringing it to public attention.

"Our investigation is just commencing and I can tell you more and more people are getting disturbed, some outraged, by what these disclosures suggest has happened," Michigan Congressman John Conyers told the Associated Press news agency.

More:

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/4101420.stm

Published: 2005/06/16 18:51:16 GMT

© BBC MMV

[Booster]

3. Done & kick.

[Barrett808]

4. Gave it a 5 -- currently 4 stars with 282 votes n/t

[Eloriel]

6. Done -- rated! And Nominated. n/t

[tmooses]

7. I give it a "5" for story (343 votes), Pic still at 2 total votes!!

[dalloway]

8. done. 354 votes. still 4 stars.

[Ian David]

9. We also need to rate other nonsense DOWN to make room on the top 10

Daughter: Man killed by deputy fled for fear of going to jail CourtTV - Thu Jun 16,12:32 PM ET Avg. Rating: 4.6
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ct/daughtermankilledbydeputyfledforfearofgoingtojail
(News flash: another pretty white girl in trouble?)


NBC Signs Madden As 'Sunday Night' Analyst AP - Thu Jun 16, 8:28 AM ET Avg. Rating: 4.6
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/fbn_nbc_madden
(Who the fuck cares?)

Kenya reclaims famed game park from poachers Reuters - Thu Jun 16, 3:58 AM ET Avg. Rating: 4.4
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/kenya_tsavo_dc
(That's nice. But not front-page news)

Murphy the Dog Awaiting His Day in Court AP - Thu Jun 16, 9:30 AM ET Avg. Rating: 4.4
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/dogged_defendant

Early Glassmaking Site Uncovered in Egypt AP - Thu Jun 16, 2:17 PM ET Avg. Rating: 4.4
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ancient_glass
(Fascinating. NOT!)

Let's vote those stories above down to a 1

MAKE ROOM AT THE TOP!

[Senior citizen]

10. Done.

I don't understand why those stories with 50 or 80 votes get better billing than one with almost 400 votes.

[Ian David]

14. Why not rate and email this photo?

A supporter of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez holds a poster that portrays U.S. President George W. Bush as a devil during a march against terrorism in Caracas May 28, 2005. (Howard Yanes/Reuters)
http://news.yahoo.com/photo/050530/photos_pl/mdf571691

[dalloway]

11. done--smart thinking!

[Fluffdaddy]

12. Done

[Coexist]

13. lotsa news now! Quick Yahoo news search:

'Downing Street memo'
CNN.com - 25 minutes ago
Nearly three years after it was written, the "Downing Street memo" on pre-war intelligence on Iraq is spotlighted in the U.S. Congress, with one man leading the charge.

Democratic forum focuses on 'Downing Street memo'
CNN.com - Jun 16 10:17 AM
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Some congressional Democrats, brandishing a document known as the "Downing Street memo," are insisting that the White House provide more information about what led to the decision to go to war in Iraq.
Democrats want more 'Downing Street memo' data

USA Today - Jun 16 12:05 PM
Some congressional Democrats, brandishing a document known as the "Downing Street Memo," are insisting that the White House provide ...
What's in the Downing Street Memo?
AlertNet - Jun 16 11:09 AM

LONDON, June 16 (Reuters) - The Downing Street memo produced for British Prime Minister Tony Blair in July 2002 portrayed President George W. Bush as inevitably invading Iraq and said "intelligence and facts" were being fixed eight months before the March 2003 invasion. Bush and Blair dismissed this.
Dems 'Demand the Truth' on Downing Street 'Memo'

Crosswalk.com - Jun 15 9:04 PM
(CNSNews.com) - Congressional liberals and anti-war activists Thursday plan to "demand the truth" regarding the Downing Street "Memo," the British government document that the critics say proves the Bush administration's "efforts to cook the books on pre-war intelligence" from Iraq. However, defenders of the president point out several other documents or remarks that they say contradict the

Downing Street Minutes hearing Thursday
San Francisco Bay View - Jun 16 5:20 AM
I wanted to give you a brief update about the Downing Street Minutes activism we have been working on together, and to let you know that I am calling hearings on this issue.
Printer-Friendly Version Email This Story Hearing Set on Downing Street Memo

WSAV Savannah - Jun 16 7:15 AM
The so-called Downing Street Memo is getting a public hearing on Capitol Hill today. The memo reportedly sent to Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair three years ago said US intelligence was "being fixed" to back up President Bush's desire to overthrow Saddam Hussein.

Pupil protest near Downing Street
EveningNews24 - Jun 16 3:42 AM
A city high school student was hoping to make a big impression in Downing Street today when he joined a delegation of youngsters calling for action to help children in Africa.
540,000 Petitions Delivered to President Bush Demanding Truth About Iraq War; Downing Street Memos Trigger Public
U.S. Newswire via Yahoo! News - Jun 16 8:30 AM
Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) today will hand-deliver to the White House a petition signed by 105 members of Congress and more than 540,000 Americans demanding that President Bush provide a detailed response to the smoking gun evidence in the Downing Street memos of deceptions about the war in Iraq.

The Downing Street Memo
Washington Post - Jun 16 7:19 AM
Sunday Times of London reporter Michael Smith discusses his reporting on the Downing Street Memo.

[bigwillq]

15. Better late than never

:)

[Greyskye]

16. Leaked British memo sparks fresh debate in Washington over Iraq war(Yahoo)

http://tinyurl.com/agjj4

WASHINGTON (AP) - Some congressional Democrats are insisting that the White House provide more information about what led to the decision to go to war in Iraq, citing a leaked British document known as the "Downing Street memo" as evidence intelligence was distorted.

Currently 4.8 rating w/22 votes. Rate it up!

[Daphne08]

17. Done!

[Cha]

18. Done!

"We are having this discussion today because we failed to have it three years ago when we went to war," Wilson said."

[Greyskye]

25. Freepers are rating this article down

Since the moderators combined threads pointing to different articles, this one is being overlooked. It's now down from where it was half an hour ago. Still at 4.6 with only 96 votes -

Rate it UP!

:bounce: ( http://tinyurl.com/agjj4 )

[BigBearJohn]

19. Yahoo! Democrat Urges Inquiry on Bush, Iraq (DU this please)

WASHINGTON - Congress should conduct an official inquiry to determine whether President Bush intentionally misled the nation about the reasons for toppling Saddam Hussein, a senior House Democrat suggested Thursday.

New York Rep. Charles Rangel (news, bio, voting record) was among Democratic House members who participated in a forum to air demands that the White House provide more information about what led to the decision to go to war in Iraq.

"Quite frankly, evidence that appears to be building up points to whether or not the president has deliberately misled Congress to make the most important decision a president has to make, going to war," said Rangel, senior Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. John Conyers (news, bio, voting record) and other Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee organized the forum to investigate implications in a British document known as the "Downing Street memo." The memo says the Bush administration believed that war was inevitable and was determined to use intelligence about weapons of mass destruction to justify the ouster of Saddam.

Conyers pointed to statements by Bush in the run-up to invasion that war would be a last resort. "The veracity of those statements has — to put it mildly — come into question," he said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050616/ap_on_go_co/downing_street_memo_6;_ylt=ApGBgnRVsjfEL8l9o4MygaNX6GMA;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

[Beaverhausen]

20. Yes Yes!!!

Kick this one.

[Sparkly]

21. Questions for those who know about these things...

What can the House/Senate Democrats (esp. House Judiciary Cmte) do?

References were made to an inquiry today. Can they force such an inquiry? It seems clear they're being thwarted by the GOP in every way possible at every turn.

Also, "we could use some subpoena power," Conyers said. How can they get that? Can they take the info to a grand jury? How much cooperation do they need from Republicans?

:dunce:

[seemslikeadream]

22. Remember what Andrea Mitchell said about DSM

You would have had to be brain dead not to know what the president was up too.

[rodeodance]

31. Average (1360 votes) 4.3 stars Average (1360 votes) 4.3 stars Average (1360 votes...

this for the second yahoo story--yappa dappa dooooooooo

[alfredo]

23. I have written my congressman.

[GetTheRightVote]

24. This is asolutely awesome !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

:kick:

[cyberpj]

26. Congress discusses secret Downing St memos

June 16, 2005

Congress discusses secret Downing St memos
By Jenny Booth, Times Online

Members of the US Congress were this afternoon hearing evidence about two secret Downing St memos written before the invasion of Iraq which seem to imply that President Bush systematically misled the American people.

The first of the two memos were leaked to the Sunday Times in May, but the potential scandal was ignored by the mainstream US media.

The memos were however forced onto the political agenda by bloggers, who have refused to let the scandal die down. Today their efforts were due to bear fruit, when anti-war Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee will hold an informal meeting to hear evidence on the top secret minutes as part of a hearing on intelligence issues before the Iraq war.

After the hearing, Congressman John Conyers Jr was due personally to deliver a letter to President Bush asking for answer about America's path to war. The petition has been signed by over 100 members of Congress and half a million ordinary US citizens.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-1657381,00.html

[proReality]

27. And where is the US media on this? n/t

[cyberpj]

28. Here -

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3878003

[cyberpj]

29. and here -

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1555699

[rodeodance]

30. 4/5 stars-first Yahoo posted here story--1418 votes--be sure to email it

Average (1418 votes)

[MadisonProgressive]

33. Scotty is a real pip!

White House press secretary Scott McClellan dismissed the memo on Thursday and indicated that no one in the White House plans to respond to the letter.

"This is simply rehashing old debates that have already been discussed," he said.