Is this the British government memo suggesting that Bush is insane?

[NNN0LHI]

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/legal/article2530738.ece

Freedom Of Information: Government could be forced to publish secrets of Iraq memo

What did Tony Blair tell George Bush when they discussed Iraq? Robert Verkaik, Law Editor, considers how the Freedom of Information Act might provide the answer

Published: 11 May 2007

A civil servant and an MP's researcher were yesterday sentenced by an Old Bailey judge for being involved in the disclosure of the contents of a top-secret Iraq memo which recorded conversations between Tony Blair and George Bush during a 2004 meeting in Washington. The same memo has been the subject of an 18-month inquiry under the Freedom of Information Act.

A request made to the Government for the memo's formal disclosure under the right-to-know legislation is now with the Information Commissioner, Richard Thomas, who has the power to order release of the four-page document. Such a move would be extremely embarrassing for the Government and undermine the decision to prosecute the two men under the Official Secrets Act of 1989.

The trial judge has already imposed a court order preventing any further reference to the contents of the memo on the grounds that such publication would be a threat to national security. In such circumstances it seems very unlikely that Mr Thomas would be able to find an argument in favour of disclosure.

But a careful reading of the Downing Street response letter to the Liverpool academic who first made the request in December 2005 shows that national security is not one of the exemptions that its FOI team relied on to deny access to the document. Instead the Government said that the information would damage international relations between Britain and America. It reads: "The effective conduct of international relations depends on maintaining trust and confidence between governments."

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. It's the one about Bush wanting to bomb Al Jazeera

It's not that the British government itself explicitly says Bush is insane; it's just that's the impression any reasonable person would get from reading it (Bush's spin merchants just said he was 'joking').

Today's Daily Mirror report on this:

Details of the memo had already been revealed exclusively by the Daily Mirror and are therefore in the public domain.

But although our story was flashed around the world and is freely available on the internet, the judge ruled it could not be repeated in reports of the trial.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/tm_headline=bush-memo-pair-jailed&method=full&objectid=19083862&siteid=89520-name_page.html

It's a farce, since the Mirror's original story, including the names of the leakers, is still available on the internet, as well as all the stories referring to it at the time; but the judge thinks that stopping explicit references to the contents in stories about the court case will somehow preserve the dignity of British-American relations:

PRESIDENT Bush planned to bomb Arab TV station al-Jazeera in friendly Qatar, a "Top Secret" No 10 memo reveals.
...
Yesterday former Labour Defence Minister Peter Kilfoyle challenged Downing Street to publish the five-page transcript of the two leaders' conversation. He said: "It's frightening to think that such a powerful man as Bush can propose such cavalier actions.
...
The memo, which also included details of troop deployments, turned up in May last year at the Northampton constituency office of then Labour MP Tony Clarke.

Cabinet Office civil servant David Keogh, 49, is accused under the Official Secrets Act of passing it to Leo O'Connor, 42, who used to work for Mr Clarke. Both are bailed to appear at Bow Street court next week.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16397937&method=full&siteid=94762&headline=exclusive--bush-plot-to-bomb-his-arab-ally-name_page.html

[Rev. Mother Ramallo]

2. NO

It's about the British leaking private memos between Bush and Blair.

[NNN0LHI]

3. Must be a different one

Thanks for the info.

Don