Bush looked past Iraq on spread of weapons (Pakistan, Saudi Arabia)

[sabra]

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/13/news/weapons.php

Bush looked past Iraq on spread of weapons

WASHINGTON Two months before the invasion of Iraq, President George W. Bush told Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain that he "wanted to go beyond Iraq" in dealing with the spread of illicit weapons, and mentioned Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on a list of countries posing particular problems, according to a note taken by one of Blair's advisers that is cited in a new book.

Bush's comment, in a private telephone conversation on Jan. 30, 2003, could be significant because it appeared to add Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to a list that previously had included public mentions only of Iraq, Iran and North Korea, which the president had dubbed an "axis of evil."

The comment is reported in a new, American edition of "Lawless World," by Philippe Sands, a professor at University College, London, and a practicing barrister. An earlier edition of the book, published in Britain in February, included details from other prewar British government documents, but it did not include the detail from the Jan. 30 conversation. The British government has not questioned the authenticity of the documents described in Sands's book.

The New York Times was permitted to review the contents of the Jan. 30 document cited by Sands. It shows that the notes were taken by Matthew Rycroft, then the private secretary to Blair, and addressed to Simon McDonald, then the principal private secretary to the foreign secretary, Jack Straw. The contents show that the document was marked secret and personal, and said the letter "must only be shown to those with a real need to know."

[dubyaD40web]

1. PNAC

[leveymg]

2. So, this is Top Secret?

The only people fooled by such a "secret" are the idiots in the Bush and Blair Administrations who think the American and British people don't have any "real need to know."

Why bother with such charades - anyone with any interest in the subject of WMDs already knew that. As for the Saudis and Pakistanis, it's no secret that they are central to global proliferation in nuclear weapons technologies, both as financiers and as technologies peddlers.

Nothing in the censored 18-pages of the 9/11 Commission Report is going to come as any real shock. Spare us your efforts to avoid offending the sensibilities you try so desperately to spare. But, you might not feel comfortable discussing the obvious, that the US and UK made a deal a long time ago to permit the development of nuclear weapons in exchange for Saudi cooperation against the Russians and for continued flows of oil and money, much of which have ended up the coffers of elected officials and wealthy middle-men.

Your secrets are just red flags for investigation and prosecution. May Dubya and Tony soon find themselves together, sharing one cell.

[GeorgeGist]

3. In other non-news...

Bush overlooked Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Israel et al to look for nuclear weapons in Iraq.

edit for spelling.

[LynnTheDem]

4. PAKISTAN??! ROTFLMAO!!! GOOD LUCK!

Pakistan hates our guts; the only thing between their nukes and our asses is Mushie.

So yeah bush, go after Pakistan. Dunno with what army, but hey, you got kids and your own warrior training.

[Javaman]

5. This is such colossal crap...

The U.S. is one of, if not the largest arms dealers in the world. If there are illegal weapons out there, check their point of origin. Granted the AK-47 is the most popular weapon of choice in the world, but me thinks, that the U.S. has it's finger in that pie as well.

The utter and complete hypocrisy.

colossal racist paranoid failure*.

[Straight Shooter]

6. Has bush had a conference with cheney about Pakistan yet?

I would suggest that one is in order, pronto.

[donkeyotay]

7. Mommy, where do nuclear weapons come from?

Crickets chirping...

[lovuian]

8. Bush told Blair of 'going beyond Iraq'

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/foreignaffairs/story/0,11538,1592808,00.html

Bush told Blair of 'going beyond Iraq'

Richard Norton-Taylor
Saturday October 15, 2005
The Guardian


George Bush told Tony Blair shortly before the invasion of Iraq that he intended to target other countries, including Saudi Arabia, which, he implied, planned to acquire weapons of mass destruction.
Mr Bush said he "wanted to go beyond Iraq in dealing with WMD proliferation, mentioning in particular Saudi Arabia, Iran, North Korea, and Pakistan," according to a note of a telephone conversation between the two men on January 30 2003.

The note is quoted in the US edition, published next week, of Lawless World, America and the Making and Breaking of Global Rules, by the British international lawyer Philippe Sands. The memo was drawn up by one of the prime minister's foreign policy advisers in Downing Street and passed to the Foreign Office, according to Mr Sands.

more...

WhOAH when did Saudi Arabia get on the list???

[Fridays Child]

11. B*sh is such a treacherous lover.

[fujiyama]

9. This almost sounds like bullshit

I don't buy it, simply becausee Bush would nevere speak ill of these two countries.

After all, Bush acted quicker in providing releif to the Pakistani earthquake than he did to NO.

This is almost like more propaganda meant to remind RWers of Bush acting tough on the WoT.

Even if he did say it, it means nothing because he has done nothing to crack down on Pakistani nuclear proliferation and terrorism, and Saudi Arabia's financial and ideaeological support of terrorism.

[powwowdancer]

10. Mm Hmm.

Shit yeah, bwana, the saudis know where all the bush bodies are buried. They could land chimpula in boilin' water with diced onions, carrots, celery, basil, tomatoes, new potatoes, a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper. chimpula knows on which end of that political dick to blow. (pardon the metaphor, but if the fellatio fits... ) The "saudi" thing sent my warning bells off as well.

:dem:
powwowdancer out

[goodboy]

12. Bush* can't look past his own stupid nose...(nt)

[G_j]

13. Bush told Blair of 'going beyond Iraq'

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/foreignaffairs/story/0,11538,1592808,00.html

Bush told Blair of 'going beyond Iraq'

Richard Norton-Taylor
Saturday October 15, 2005
The Guardian

George Bush told Tony Blair shortly before the invasion of Iraq that he intended to target other countries, including Saudi Arabia, which, he implied, planned to acquire weapons of mass destruction.
Mr Bush said he "wanted to go beyond Iraq in dealing with WMD proliferation, mentioning in particular Saudi Arabia, Iran, North Korea, and Pakistan," according to a note of a telephone conversation between the two men on January 30 2003.

The note is quoted in the US edition, published next week, of Lawless World, America and the Making and Breaking of Global Rules, by the British international lawyer Philippe Sands. The memo was drawn up by one of the prime minister's foreign policy advisers in Downing Street and passed to the Foreign Office, according to Mr Sands.

It is not surprising that Mr Bush referred to Iran and North Korea, or even Pakistan - at the time suspected of spreading nuclear know-how, but now one of America's closest allies in the "war on terror". What is significant is the mention of Saudi Arabia.
..more..

[Moderator]

14. kick

[callady]

15. Bush to Blair: First Iraq, then Saudi

Bush to Blair: First Iraq, then Saudi

By Marie Woolf, Political Editor

Published: 16 October 2005

George Bush told the Prime Minister two months before the invasion of Iraq that Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran and North Korea may also be dealt with over weapons of mass destruction, a top secret Downing Street memo shows.

The US President told Tony Blair, in a secret telephone conversation in January 2003 that he "wanted to go beyond Iraq".

He implied that the military action against Saddam Hussein was only a first step in the battle against WMD proliferation in a series of countries.

Mr Bush said he "wanted to go beyond Iraq in dealing with WMD proliferation", says the letter on Downing Street paper, marked secret and personal.

No 10 said yesterday it would "not comment on leaked documents". But the revelation that Mr Bush was considering tackling other countries over WMD before the Iraq war has shocked MPs. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have been close allies of the US in the war against terror and have not been considered targets in relation to WMD.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/article319993.ece

[antonialee839]

16. Guess that's the end of kisses amongst the Texas bluebells.

[serryjw]

17. As we say "Nothing is off the table"

Since the death of King Fahd I think Arabia is prime for a take over but could not be done before 2008 election.

[NMDemDist2]

18. geez, what was he planning on using for an Army? What a dick.n/t

[aquart]

19. We're going to attack Bush's best buds?

This is hysterical.

[cliss]

22. All I can say about this is -

The world is going nuclear, and we have a lunatic at the helm. As drunken Bush laughs, he holds his finger over the button. Hesitates, thinks about it for a while.

If humanity survives another 10 years, it will be an absolute miracle.

[thebigidea]

20. a shame Bandar Bush is off having a nervous breakdown

well, instead we can look forward to hearing that bug-eyed little greasy shit the Saudis send out to spin on teevee spin his way out of this one.

"Of course we're working hand in hand with the Bush Administration on the global war on terror and we are blah blah blah blah blah..."

[CHIMO]

21. Fog Facts

We now know that WMD was only a reason, that was used because it would be most readily accepted.

So now we are supposed to believe that there was some basis to this proposition?

http://www.will.uiuc.edu/am/mediamatters/
This week our guest is Larry Beinhart, author of Fog Facts. Fog Facts are the important things that nobody seems able to focus on anymore than they can focus on a single droplet in the mist. They are known, but not known; the sort of things that journalists and political junkies know, but somehow the world does not.