On January 26, 1998, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Elliott Abrams, Richard Perle, Richard Armitage, and John Bolton (among others) signed a letter to President Clinton issued by the Project for a New American Century (PNAC) urging an attack on Iraq to remove Saddam Hussein from power. All of the aforementioned signators were elevated into the Bush Administration hierarchy immediately after the 2000 Election.
http://www.newamericancentury.org/iraqclintonletter.htm It is obvious that the PNAC-populated White House intended to attack Iraq years before the actual event.
Why isn't the PNAC policy being connected with the Downing Street Minutes?
For further details on the PNAC see:
demopedia.democraticunderground.com/index.php/PNAC_101