REVEALED: 'There was no Cabinet debate in run-up to war'

[kpete]

Source: Daily Mail

REVEALED: 'There was no Cabinet debate in run-up to war,' says Short as Government refuses to release minutes

By Simon Walters

The Government is refusing to release minutes of Cabinet meetings before the Iraq War because they would reveal there was no discussion on the issue.

Details surrounding two crucial meetings on the eve of the conflict were laid bare for the first time yesterday when former Cabinet Minister Clare Short, who was present at both, gave a full account of what happened.

She told The Mail on Sunday the main reason for the ‘scandalous’ decision not to publish the minutes was not to protect confidential discussions about the war, but to cover up the fact there was no such discussion.

At the last Cabinet meeting, no debate on the legality of the war was allowed and Tony Blair, then Prime Minister, said brusquely: ‘That’s it.’

The official records would also put an end to claims by Gordon Brown’s supporters that, in private, he had grave doubts about the war, said Ms Short. In fact, he led the Cabinet campaign to accuse France of sabotaging British and American attempts to win United Nations support for the attack on Saddam Hussein.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1158148/REVEALED-There-Cabinet-debate-run-war-says-Short-Government-refuses-release-minutes.html

[trthnd4jstc]

1. This is why the Republican Belief in the Imperial Presidency is Completely Wrong.

We need the Executive Branch to be less like a dictatorship, especially when a lessor mind is the President. We should have an Executive Council Government, with We the People electing the Several Cabinet Posts, and require a majority of these elected officials, to be in control of Executive Actions. End Tyranny. End the Murder and Killing of Innocents. Begin Love and Justice. Keep Liberty Alive. End the Rule by the Rich!

[No Elephants]

12. "Imperial Presidency" is not only a Republican belief. ANYone who thinks that

anything a President does is just great and must not be criticized, or even analzyed, is in that group, whether the President is Dummya or Obama.

[Gman]

14. or Richard Nixon

[trthnd4jstc]

20. It is true that loyalists from either party treat their president as a king, unfortunately.

I believe that is also true, that our whole system of government needs to be repaired: That the Executive Branch has too much power; that the Legislative Branch should be checked by the people-We would have investigated Dummya and his gang, if we the people had our way, but Pelosi, and Reid refused; and the Judicial Branch does not always protect the Constitution, and that Precedent and Common Law override Justice all too often, and that prosecutors may selectively enforce the laws!

[No Elephants]

26. In theory, the people can do almost anything because, unlike

corporations, the people actually vote for elected officials. However, that is only in theory. Since Raygun, the lobbyists, not the people, have ruled Congress. As someone put it, "Poor people don't make campaign contributions." Besides, the people are not sufficiently energized or organized to buck the status quo.

[crikkett]

24. Um, the Cabinet they're talking about is part of the British Govt - No President in the UK.

sorry.

[varkam]

2. Is there any other source than DM?

Not that I don't trust the Daily Mail...

Well, okay: it's that I don't trust the Daily Mail.

[BlueMTexpat]

5. Whether you trust the Daily Mail or not,

Clare Short, who is the source for this article, has always been very clear about her sentiments against the war in Iraq and has consistently maintained that there was no honest debate in the Cabinet.

Here's an op-ed from the Independent in July 2004:

Clare Short: There was never an honest debate in cabinet
Most ministers saw little intelligence and knew only what they read in the press
Monday, 19 July 2004"
<...>
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/clare-short-there-was-never-an-honest-debate-in-cabinet-553600.html

What little we do know about the minutes in question also bears her out.

Iraq ruling: only Robin Cook and Clare Short spoke against war, minutes show
I've just been skimming through the 41-page ruling from the information tribunal ordering the release of minutes of two cabinet meetings held just before the Iraq war. Of all the documents and reports that have come out relating to the cabinet decision to invade Iraq, I can't pretend that this is the most riveting. But it contains a few choice nuggets.
1. The minutes show that Robin Cook and Clare Short were the only cabinet ministers to speak out against the war. See paragraph 55: "The information commissioner argued that the convention of collective cabinet responsibility would not be harmed in this case because (without disclosing the detailed content of the material) it can be said that the minutes do not provide any evidence of dissent beyond that expressed publicly by Robin Cook and Ms Clare Short."
<...>
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2009/jan/27/iraq-cook-short

[Prometheus Bound]

6. This was an interview with direct quotes. Even her pic.

[varkam]

8. I have read articles in the DM before...

that had quotes where they just completely made shit up, including attributing the title "Dr." to the source when they had no such title.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Lint Head]

3. Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld were dictatorial.

:dem:

[tblue37]

23. Yes, but the article is about *England's* lack of debate before the

war, about Tony Blair's cabinet, not about the American president and his cabinet. The title of this post has misled many posters.

[bleever]

4. kpete

is still on this,

even when we're expected to forget all about it.

Good news: you're not the only one. And this is further proof. :hi:

[Joanne98]

9. It's all theater to them.

[tclambert]

10. I can imagine Blair having an intelligent debate. I cannot imagine Bush in one.

Oh, wait, yes, I can. Someone else says something intelligent (Powell, maybe), Cheney says something evil, and Bush says something stupid.

Powell: "Mr. President, with all due deference, there is no credible evidence linking Saddam to 9/11."

Cheney: "That's not what my people tell me. They have absolute proof that Atta visited Prague, and so did Saddam's chief of intelligence. We can use that as a linkage right there, and people will buy it."

Bush: "We gotta get these people. They hate us. They proved that on 9/11. So, let's move on."

[Vinca]

11. Good heavens - Tony really was Bush's poodle. nt

[blm]

15. Tony Blair's top American advisor was....Bill Clinton. Just like the DC Dems believed

Clinton.

BushInc tapped Clinton to help convince other world leaders, Dem lawmakers, and the general public.

Clinton performed.

[Demeter]

13. "If this were a dictatorship, it would be a heck of a lot easier; just so long as I'm the dictator.

George W. Bush - Washington D.C. December 18, 2000

[glitch]

21. "heh heh heh"

Just adding a bit of context - the self-appreciative snicker is integral to every Bush quote.

[Demeter]

25. But only when he's actually telling the truth for once

in the guise of "humor".

[yellerpup]

16. Who benefitted?

Were they able to rob the whole world using the Iraq War as a diversion? The fix was in, obviously, but who holds the payoff money? K&R

[antimatter98]

17. Will the UK citizens chase Blair into the sea over this?

Or will there bee the typical British millions of words of
outrage but nothing done, along with a BBC refusal to air the
story, and a total denial from Blair and Brown.

The British are every bit as captive as we are by government.

[whokilledthem]

18. The Downing Memos are proof of treason

On both Blair and Bushes part

[harmonicon]

19. REVEALED: Yesterday was the day before today.

[Quantess]

22. That comes as no surprise.

It was obvious that this war was going to happen, no matter what the voices of reason had to say.

[pacalo]

27. Does anyone really think this issue is going to go away quietly so that we can "move forward"?

[Captain Hilts]

28. Just like the US. nt

[rpannier]

29. There was a vigorous discussion and I have the transcripts

bLIAR: All in favor of Invading Iraq?

Everyone in the room: Aye