BUSH Transcripts Leaked By Spanish Gov Official: EFFORTS FOR PEACE IN IRAQ WERE A SHAM

[kpete]

Spain Opens the Books on Bush?
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/054196.php

My ability to bring you the full details on this are, to put it charitably, limited by my inability to accurately translate Spanish. But it seems someone in the Spanish government has leaked to El Pais transcripts of conversations between President Bush and then Spanish Prime Minister Aznar just before the outbreak of the Iraq War. The gist seems to be that Bush was rather candid about the fact that the efforts to find a peaceful solution to the crisis were a sham and that the war was a done deal.

Not a surprise certainly, but interesting to see it revealed as it was discussed by the actors at the time.

If you read Spanish, take a look and tell us what you see.
Bush warned Aznar that it would be in Bagdad in March with or without resolution of the UN
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/internacional/Bush/aviso/Aznar/estaria/Bagdad/marzo/resolucion/ONU/elpepuintusa/20070925elpepuint_17/Tes

Late Update: El Pais has now posted the full transcript.

Four weeks before the invasion of Iraq, that took place at night from the 19 to the 20 of March of 2003, George W. Bush maintained in public its exigency to Sadam Hussein in the following terms: disarmament or war. Behind closed doors, Bush recognized that the war was inevitable. During one it releases conversation deprived with then Spanish president, Jose Maria Aznar, celebrated Saturday 22 of February of 2003 in the farm of Crawford, Roofing tiles, Bush made clear that the moment had arrived for undoing of Sadam. “They are left two weeks. In two weeks we will be militarily ready. We will be in Bagdad at the end of March ", said to him to Aznar.

Within this plan, Bush had finished accepting, the 31 of January of 2003 - after an interview with British prime minister, Tony Blair-, introducing a last diplomatic maneuver: the proposal of one second resolution of the Security Council of United Nations. Its objective: to open the legal door to the unilateral war that the U.S.A. was prepared to trigger with than 200,000 soldiers prepared more in the region to attack.


http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/054196.php

[hobbit709]

1. My, my, my!

[Roland99]

40. No kidding. How can anyone deny Downing Street Minutes now??

[KAZ]

2. I just read this on TPM. Hoping we get a really good ...

...translation. If Josh's "sham" statement is correct, then the Bush cabal should be declared an enemy of the state, and dealt with as such. Enough of this shit.

K&R for translation help.

[gateley]

3. Translation using Babel Fish -- Have no idea how accurate it is. nt

ACT OF the CONVERSATION BETWEEN BUSH and AZNAR - CRAWFORD, ROOFING TILES, 22 OF SEPTEMBER OF 2003 Bush warned Aznar that it would be in Bagdad in March with or without resolution of the UN the president of the Government requested aid to surpass the opposition of the Spanish public opinion Four weeks before the invasion of Iraq, that took place at night from the 19 to the 20 of March of 2003, George W. Bush maintained in public their exigency to Sadam Hussein in the following terms: disarmament or war. Behind closed doors, Bush recognized that the war was inevitable. During one it releases conversation deprived with then Spanish president, Jose Maria Aznar, celebrated Saturday 22 of February of 2003 in the farm of Crawford, Roofing tiles, Bush made clear that the moment had arrived for undoing of Sadam. "They are left two weeks. In two weeks we will be militarily ready. We will be in Bagdad at the end of March ", said to him to Aznar. Within this plan, Bush had finished accepting, the 31 of January of 2003 - after an interview with British prime minister, Tony Blair -, to introduce a last diplomatic maneuver: the proposal of one second resolution of the Security Council of United Nations. Its objective: to open the legal door to the unilateral war that the U.S.A. was prepared to trigger with than 200,000 soldiers prepared more in the region to attack. Bush was conscious of the internal difficulties of Blair and it did not know those of Aznar. Only seven days before that meeting in the farm of Crawford, three million people were pronounced in several cities of Spain against the imminent war. "We needed that you help us with our public opinion", requests Aznar. Bush explains the reach to him of the new resolution that thinks to present/display: "the resolution will be done to the measurement of which ayudarte can. It gives a little the content the same me ". To which Aznar responds: "that text would help Us to be able to cosponsor it and to be its coauthors and to obtain that much people sponsor it". Aznar, then, is offered to give European political cover to Bush, in union with Blair. The dream of Aznar to lay the foundations a relation with the U.S.A., following the example of the United Kingdom, was on the verge of becoming reality. Aznar had traveled the 20 of February with its wife, Ana Bottle, to the U.S.A. having done a scale in Mexico to persuade (unfruitfully) president Vicente Fox of the necessity to support to Bush. The 21, the pair, accompanied by the collaborators of the president, arrived at Roofing tiles. Aznar and its wife lodged in the house of guests of the farm. In the meeting of the following day, Saturday, president Bush, his then adviser of National Security, Condoleezza Rice, and the person in charge of European subjects of the National Security Council participated, Daniel Fried. On the other hand, they accompany to Aznar its adviser by international policy, Alberto Sheep, and the ambassador of Spain in Washington, Javier Rupérez. Bush and Aznar maintained, as it leaves from the encounter, a telephone conversation to four bands with British prime minister, Tony Blair, and the president of the Italian Government, Silvio Berlusconi. Rupérez ambassador also translated of the English for Aznar and of the Italian for Condoleezza Rice; other two interpreters made their work for Bush and its collaborators. It was Rupérez that was in charge to elaborate the act-summary of the conversation in a memorandum that has remained secret until today. The conversation makes an impression by its direct, friendly tone and until threatening, when, for example, it talks about the necessity that countries like Mexico, Chile, Angola, Cameroun and Russia, members of the Security Council of the UN, vote the new resolution as a sample of friendship towards the U.S.A. or relies on the consequences. The null expectation in the work of the inspectors, whose head is noticed, Hans Blix, it had disassembled only one week ago, the 14 of February, the arguments exposed by the North American Secretary of State, Colin Powell, before the Security Council the 5 of February of 2003, with "supported solid data" warmly by the Spanish Secretary of State, Ana Palace. Data that the own Powell described, later, like a set of falsifications. The report of Blix According to Blix, Iraq was taking steps towards an active cooperation to solve the pending subjects of disarmament. Its tone had been less critical than the one of its report of the 27 of January of 2003. "Since we arrived at Iraq three ago months we have made more than 400 inspection without previous warning in about 300 places. Until now, the inspectors have not found any of the prohibited arms... If Iraq is decided to cooperate still more closely the period of disarmament through them inspection can still be brief ", it indicated the head of inspectors. The chief of a main directorate of the Organism the International of Energi'a Ato'mica (OIEA), Mohamed the Baradei, informed the 14 into February of that still they were to clarify some technical questions; but, he added, "are not left disarmament problems already to solve". According to he said, one had not been proves some of which in Iraq activities nuclear or relative to the nuclear energy were being carried out, another clear one you lie of which affirmed Powell on the Iraqian nuclear program. As much the first fruits of the inspection work as the conclusion of the preparations of the U.S.A. took to Bush to fix the beginning of the combat operation towards the date of the 10 of March of 2003, to which nine days were added to obtain the second resolution. The process of moral persuasion to which to Aznar and Palace were led telephone call and bilateral meeting did not manage to reunite more than four votes: the three promoters and Bulgaria. 9 votes were necessary. The failure of this legal cover of the imminent war took to Bush to decide with Blair and Aznar the celebration, the 16 of March of 2003, of a summit in the Islands You embarrass, place suggested by Aznar like alternative to the Bermuda islands for a reason that he himself explained to Bush: "the single name of those islands goes associate to an article to dress that indeed it is not adapted for the gravity of the moment at which we were". There, that 16 of March, Bush, Blair and Aznar decided to replace al Security Council of United Nations and usurped their functions to declare by their account and risk the war against Iraq. In the morning of the 17 of March, the ambassador of the United Kingdom before the UN announced in New York the retirement of the second resolution. A defeat in the voting had complicated plus the race towards the war. The COUNTRY offers to its readers in exclusive right the act-summary of the conversation.

[gateley]

8. For some amusing reason Tejas -- Texas -- translates to "roofing tiles". nt

[BornagainDUer]

73. Its over my head too.

:evilgrin:

[peacetalksforall]

11. Well, now we know - if the world is still sane - we will see Cheney,

Bush, Blair, and Aznar before at the 21st Century version of the Nuremburg Trials.

I feel sorry for the people of Spain and for their soldiers and families and all the victims of the bombing of the trains.

[mod mom]

36. & don't forget Spain's Terrorist attack-March 11, 2004 was the day after ASHCROFT HOSPITAL VISIT.

I guess it's just another weird coincidence, but Abu Gonzo & Card aren't able to get an ok to their illegal program, so intense fear is needed to convince lawmakers that illegal efforts are needed and POOF-more death and destruction.

I hope you are corrrect about trials, because the only way our country will regain legitimacy is to bring to justice the thugs who have grossly profitted from the torture and death of others.

[Usrename]

59. CIA involvement in the Madrid bombings - preposterous.

Although an airplane (Boeing 737, N313P) that was used by the CIA for extraordinary renditions was supposedly photographed leaving Madrid the following day, having arrived two days earlier.



http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0798841/M

"Spain- Certain parts of the CIA's operation in Spain have been interesting, as it has been
noted, and photographic evidence is available, that when a terrorist attack in Madrid took place
the following day N313P (now N4476S) was departing from Palma de Mallorca Airport."

http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=73871

[Rosa Luxemburg]

67. don't blame EVERYTHING on CIA

CIA may have some bad moustaches under direct influence from the neoconservatives but the real CIA wouldn't do such a thing.

[Usrename]

74. The real CIA?

You crack me up!

[JackRiddler]

18. Even better: summit at the Azores translates as...

"of a summit in the Islands You embarrass," which is exactly what the trio did.

[Pacifist Patriot]

41. Babelfish and other online translators are worth it for entertainment value alone.

[aquart]

4. And in some democracies, this would be an impeachable offense.

Sigh.

[Whoa_Nelly]

5. IMPEACH THE MOTHERFUCKER ALREADY!

CALL CONGRESS RIGHT FUCKING NOW!!!

(yeah...like they will do anything about this treasonous bastard :grr: )

[lateo]

30. Yep. There are no excuses.

[Tyler Durden]

38. Thanks for saying that for me!

Had to be said.

[indepat]

51. Could MF be too nice a moniker?

[Whoa_Nelly]

52. Have wondered the same, too!

Perhaps MF, in reference to Bush, could stand for "Mindless Fascist"

[Lilith Velkor]

57. Not with the mother he's got.

[deminks]

6. Downing Street Memos taught us this was true, and now this from Spain

The Rethugs knew it. The public now knows it. Stop the sham of a war now! Bring the troops home, now!


War Criminals! Liars! Mass Murderers!

[Greeby]

7. What about those audio samples on the page

It has Spanish dubbed over Aznar speaking in English

[killbotfactory]

9. When can we arrest these assholes?

[madrchsod]

10. looks like bush will be joining kissinger

on the no fly list to certain euro countries..that`s evidence of a war crime

[peacetalksforall]

12. Just so they open up their doors enough to let him in for the trials.

[Auntie Bush]

17. Wouldn't it be funny if Paraguay put bush* on their no fly list! LOL

He wouldn't be able to escape the hatred Americans have for him in our country and have our nearby military base protect him. Maybe they could confiscate his 100,000 acres and take control of all that fresh water. The bush* family would make more millions selling water to other thirsty countries and he should be deprived of that opportunity and banned to Crawford to chop brush for the rest of his miserable life. When he gets to hell he should have to chop burning brush for infinity!

[mod mom]

37. or perhaps sent to Iraq to assist in the re-building of the nation he destroyed without due cause.

[peacetalksforall]

13. We should caution each other to not go crazy over the details from

this translation - translation quite flawed. There is no nuance or accuracy that can be trusted - for the time being. But it is more than sufficient to get the gist.

That said, did you get that Bush was threatening the other countries?

[me b zola]

14. k&r

:wow:

[eppur_se_muova]

15. "D'OH! Did I say that out loud?"

"Y'all don't print that, OK? Thanks, guys."

[peacetalksforall]

16. kick - can't understand why people are not on this - already rec'ed

[emlev]

19. This sentence may make more sense this way

when translated by a human rather than a computer.

Computer translation:
During one it releases conversation deprived with then Spanish president, Jose Maria Aznar, celebrated Saturday 22 of February of 2003 in the farm of Crawford, Roofing tiles, Bush made clear that the moment had arrived for undoing of Sadam.

Spanish transcript:
Durante una larga conversación privada con el entonces presidente español, José María Aznar, celebrada el sábado 22 de febrero de 2003 en el rancho de Crawford, Tejas, Bush dejó claro que había llegado el momento de deshacerse de Sadam.

My translation:
During a long private conversation with then-President of Spain, José María Aznar, which took place Saturday, February 22, 2003 at his Crawford, Texas ranch, Bush made it clear that the moment had arrived for the undoing of Saddam.

That roofing tiles part was very funny. The situation, on the other hand, is not.

[Diclotican]

24. emlev

emlev

Spain is a modern Monarcy, not a republic... And Jose Maria Aznar vara PRIMEMINISTER of Spain, not President...

But that is to splitt hear I guess.. It is important to se that Mr Bush WANTED this war more than everyone... And that all talks about peace was just word...

Diclotican

Sorry about the engelish, not my native language

[blondie58]

26. good points, Diclotian

and my congratulations on such good use of our wacky language. I have studied German and Spanish and am always impressed by how logical they both are. English is one of the most illogical languages on the planet.
And willkommen to DU!

[Diclotican]

33. blondie58

blondie58

Wel, it can be becouse modern English are 1/3 latin 1/3 french and 1/3 anglo-saxion language;). It can be fonfusing hen;P

German is a verry logical language thats true;. My native langugage Norwigian have a lot of german in it.. And to some engelish and so on.. I dobt it is no modern langugage in Europe today who have not some from others either from verry old times, or from modern times;).

And for the record, Iam norwigian not german;). But I do understand your Wilcommen to DU;) Thank you from the friendly welcome;

Diclotican

Sorry my bad engelish, not my native language

[DFW]

61. Og du får snakka norsk med oss

Om det ikke går med engelska. Vi hittar alltid någon som øversjætter før dig.......

(jeg kan bettre svensk en norsk, førlåt......)

[Diclotican]

63. DFW

Thank you, I wil try to write in engelish, but if I fail I wil write in norwigian;). Dont know that it was so many scandinavian writing peopole here on DU:) Nice to know.

Swedish and norwigian are pretty close, and for the most part norwigian understand swedish verry good.. Maybee becouse we lisning and are in Sweden that often..

Non taken you are doing great, DFW

Diclotican

Sorry my bad engelish, not my native language

[emlev]

42. thanks, and welcome

to DU.

Please note that what I wrote was a translation. In the original it said "presidente," as posted.

[Diclotican]

54. emlev

The Primeminister can be President of the Parlament, but not the President of the STATE.. To diferent thing... But as we known the Bush familiy often dont get that diference (Jeb Bush)

Even in Norway we do have a "president of our parlament" but he is nr 3 or 4 in the line after our king, (Harald V) our crownprince (Haakon) and our Primeminister (Jens Stoltenberg).

Diclotican

Sorry my bad engelish, not my native language

[robinlynne]

49. your translation is right on.

[Bluerthanblue]

20. well, no duh-

was anyone seriously surprised? no one i knew and respected believed anything else was credible-

:shrug:

[Disturbed]

21. Congress knows this but will never do anything about. it.

I wish Nancy Pelosi would give "lovely George" a blow job so that Impeachment can be taken off her table.

[Cha]

22. I know they won't because bushits

staged a coup and congress has gone along with the sham all this time..they must be scared outta their fucking wits.

[snappyturtle]

43. This puts a new slant on how I feel about our

elected leaders who voted for the war! This is just another example of another lie to go along with all the other lies.....too many lies for me!

[Cha]

44. There will be an infinite number

of lies to unravel if any crew gets in the government that is not corrupt and wants the whole truth of this era to come out.

The reading will be fascinating to those who bought into the cnn /whitehouse/faux version in the bush/cheney reign of terror.

But, I'm still waiting to hear what really happened to John F Kennedy.

[Swamp Rat]

23. I suspect many in Congress knew Bushler was full of shit at that time.

Hell, I knew and I'm not connected to any governmental intelligence agency... and so did a boat load of DUers.

[Hissyspit]

27. The U.S. media uncritically reported it as attempts to avoid war.

I was flabbergasted at it at the time. It was clearly a sham. Blair and Bush were clearly just finalizing war plans.

[Autumn Colors]

25. Just forwarded this to someone who can translate

My boyfriend's parents have owned an English-Spanish translation company for 20+ years. They do translations of all kinds of industrial and government publications, novels, etc. His mom is American but lived in Panama and his dad is Panamanian, but has lived in the USA for 40+ years. They are very political-minded and will probably be more than happy to do an accurate translation for us.

Problem is that they are scrambling to finish a large project AND leaving for Panama for a month tomorrow (may end up taking work with them). So it may take up to a week or so to get something back from them. I gave them the link to the elpais.com webpage.

Has someone archived this in case it goes down the Memory Hole?

[tekisui]

28. Just saved it and will have my fluent Sis-in-law look....

[malaise]

29. Truth will out

K & R

[Hubert Flottz]

31. Just about everything Bush has ever said or done has been a

SHAM! Name something that wasn't...

[Beausoleil]

45. Tax cuts for the rich!

Not a sham.

[Hubert Flottz]

56. The sham was the way they were sold to the country.

[formercia]

32. Aznar has close connections to right-wing reactionaries.

Aznar was in on the deal from the beginning, as were the british, Italians and others. This was an international conspiracy.

[tekisui]

34. And he's been lying ever since.

We learned that peace wasn't in the plans from Richard Clarke, Blair's Downing Street Memo and now this along with others.

THey have always been hellbent on war. Illegal war.
And, they still are. Even as we are told publicly that we're working hard to ensure a stable Iraq, it's clear * and others still want the war option.

Continued war, continued instability, continued profits and war criminals continue to be free.

What are the steps to formally charge one with War Crimes?

Impeachment seems lost, CONVICT FOR WAR CRIMES!!!!!

[formercia]

35. Offensive War is a War Crime.

Attacking another country for material gain.

[rateyes]

39. OMG!! You mean Bush lied us into the Iraq War?

Why, if he had done that, the Congress would have impeached him already! :sarcasm:

[anachro1]

46. Of course...

9/11 changed everything (NOT).

[liberal N proud]

47. But impeachment is STILL off the table

Madam Speaker, where are your morals?

[Baby Snooks]

48. Where are her morals?

Probably under the table. Grabbing whatever she can.

[Dora]

50. How many closed-door conversations must surface before WE tar and feather this crew?

Aside from some notable exceptions, nobody in DC is going to make a move at removing these criminals from their seat of power.

IT IS UP TO US.

[paparush]

53. HERE HERE!!! Its gonna be up to US. Cause the RepubliDems aren't gonna do sh*t!

[C_U_L8R]

55. what spiteful thing will Bush do to Spain now?

what a petty tyrant

[Rocknrule]

79. Rename "Spanish Fly" "Freedom Fly"

[babsbunny]

58. Can someone send this to Keith Olbermann?

Or all of us?

[dicknbush]

60. This is the basis for a wars crime trial.......

It was an unprovoked attack on a soverign country for the sole purpose of overthrowing that government. I would love to see a group or oganisation set up that would have as its sole purpose the pursit and prosecution even if in abstentia of all those involved with this criminal activity. That would be Cheney, Bush Powell Rice Wolfowitz Blair Aznar Chalabi Tenat and any other groups or people who perpetrated this crime on the people of Iraq. The end result could be an imposition of at least a monetary settlement which I would say could easily be in the trillions of dollars agaist those governments who allowed and participated in this fraud and crime. I truly believ that we should pursue these guys and by pursue I mean hound thme so that they are in a constant stae of litigation defending themselves so that when they die they a bankrupt and enjoy no financial security that could have been gained by the illegal activity of an illegal war!

[DFW]

62. I used to live and go to school in Spain, majored in Spanish in college, etc.

If I can find the time, I'll do a translation if it's still warranted, but
it looks like some DUers have got the main points covered.

[antonialee839]

64. Who here is surprised by this?

Anybody?

[McCamy Taylor]

65. The invasion of Iraq was timed to obscure the Enron price gouged California

report that was due to come from the FERC. There was no way that Bush Co. was not going to be in Iraq on schedule.

[Mr. Ected]

66. Come On, DU, Give Bush Some Credit For A Change...

...he learned his lesson from all of this, and as he and his war-bent cronies plan to attack Iran, he has completely dropped all pretense of settlement and negotiation.

Sarcasm intended.

[Faygo Kid]

68. Shocked, shocked I tell you.

Captain Renault: I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here.

Casino Worker: Your winnings, sir.
_________________________________________________________________

Captain Renaud: What in heaven's name brought you to Casablanca?

Rick: My health; I came to Casablanca for the waters.

Captain Renaud: The waters? What waters? We're in the desert.

Rick: I was misinformed.

[Arugula Latte]

69. This is sure to be plastered all over the front pages of newspapers.

Not. :sheesh:

[Richard Steele]

70. K&R

[Martin Eden]

71. Once given the authority, Bush was going to invade NO MATTER WHAT

Who here didn't realize that in October 2002?

Did our Democratic senators & congressional representatives realize that?

I still cannot forgive those who voted for the IWR.

[Kurovski]

72. K&R. (nt)

[Sarah Ibarruri]

75. I think it says that to obtain the transcript you have to be a member of El Pais? nt

[malaise]

77. Translations here

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.elpais.com%2Farticulo%2Fespana%2FLlego%2Fmomento%2Fdeshacerse%2FSadam%2Felpepunac%2F20070926elpepinac_1%2FTes

[Sarah Ibarruri]

78. Yes, the translation of the article you can get, but where's the transcript?

What's accessible on El Pais is the article explaining the transcript, not the transcript itself. I think in order to have access to the full transcript itself you have to be a member of El Pais.

[malaise]

76. Bush also threatened Chile re that vote

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.elpais.com%2Farticulo%2Fespana%2FLlego%2Fmomento%2Fdeshacerse%2FSadam%2Felpepunac%2F20070926elpepinac_1%2FTes

[Initech]

80. Can we get this fucking asshole out of office already?