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For anyone interested... here's the reply I got from Senator Dayton on DSM.
Thank you for contacting me regarding the Downing Street memo.
Since October, 2002, when I voted against our use of military force in Iraq, I have remained critical of the Bush Administration's handling of this war. The classified Downing Street memo, which was produced by British Prime Minister Tony Blair's staff, gives minutes of his meeting with government defense and intelligence officials on July 23, 2002. The document alleges that the Bush Administration was already committed to going to war against Iraq in the summer of 2002, and suggests that the Administration manipulated intelligence to support their case to go to war.
This memo simply asserts what my colleagues and I have been saying for years–that the Administration was not adequately prepared, neither with evidence nor with a plan for peace, to take our servicemen and women into war. However, I strongly support our troops in the Middle East and around the world. These self-sacrificing men and women have left behind their families to serve their country, and it is my belief that Congress must do everything in its power to provide these servicemembers with the protection and benefits they need and deserve. As a strong supporter of an open and transparent government, I welcome Congressional investigations into the Downing Street memo and other pre-war intelligence. The American people deserve nothing less than the truth.
Again, thank you for taking the time to be in touch with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me again, if you have any other questions or concerns.
My best regards. Sincerely,
Mark Dayton United States Senator
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