Newsweek >> "I don't think Tony Blair thought it was a joke." (Al Jazeera)

[sabra]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10269701/site/newsweek/from/RSS/


The Case of the Secret Memo
The White House denies plans to bomb Al-Jazeera. But a warning sent out to British newspaper editors has given the controversy a fresh twist.


By Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball


<snip>

But a senior official at 10 Downing Street, Blair’s official residence, who insisted on anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject, recently seemed to give credence to the Al-Jazeera threat. The official told NEWSWEEK London Bureau chief Stryker McGuire: "I don't think Tony Blair thought it was a joke."

One of the few journalists to claim to have had a detailed briefing on the memo’s contents—the Daily Mirror’s Kevin Maguire—also says the document indicates that Blair took Bush’s threat so seriously he spent part of the meeting trying to dissuade Bush from attacking Al-Jazeera. The only significant leak so far of the document’s alleged content surfaced in the Daily Mirror, a tabloid known for its frequent criticism of the U.S. president. Last week, the Mirror reported that the memo detailed a discussion in which Bush told Blair he planned to bomb Al-Jazeera headquarters in Qatar. The satellite channel is celebrated in the Arab world for its popularity and influence but often reviled in Washington for its broadcasts of video messages by Osama bin Laden and other terrorist leaders.

This story isn't going away quite yet...

[sabra]

1. kicking for the truth

:kick:

[Pachamama]

22. I'm going to kick with you!

I want the truth on this to come out....

Let this, along with the rest of the Downing Street Minutes come to light...

:kick:

[brother waxwell]

2. must be a slow news cycle

This story is dumb. Bush made a tasteless joke - or- seriously considered it but didn't follow through and people are beside themselves. Which wouldn't amount to much but for the fact that in 98-99, Clinton, for the same reasons, took out a Serb TV station in Belgrade killing journalists and cleaning staff. Reaction then? The Serbs were pissed. thats about it though.
There are so many substantive issues that are worthy of critique that it boggles the mind why energy is wasted on this stuff. Especially when it has the potential of being counter productive due to the hypocrisy factor. Its kind of like the WP drama. All the outrage and indignation suddenly turns to embarrassment when we find out these "chemical weapons" are used by every police force in the country as a means to remove people from a building.
Whoops.. now who looks like an ass? Like someone once said - pick your battles wisely.
Save your energies for productive efforts.

BW

[sabra]

3. first off welcome to DU. However I respectfully disagree.

- The Al Jazeera memo story reveals that Bushco was ready to bomb an "ally" country, because he didn't like the way a media company was doing it's reporting.

- In regards to WP, have you seen the pictures of the bodies? If you haven't, I think you should, and then get back to me.

peace.

[me b zola]

4. george, is that you?

The story strongly suggests that it was not a joke. With over 60 journalist killed in Iraq I would think should raise some eyebrows by itself. In fact, Reuters is asking the UN to investigate the deaths of several of their reporters. Oh but wait---I would venture to guess that since you brought Clinton into this discussion you probably don't like the UN either--maybe I'm wrong :shrug:

Please, pray tell, what "battles" do you believe we should be fighting??

[BrotherBuzz]

5. LOL, you are woefully ill-informed if you think WP is used by police

to empty buildings. WP (Willy Pete) is not used by any police force in the United States. Cripes, if you want to empty a building, you might agents like tear gas( CS), mace, pepper spray, etc. You might even use concussion grenades and the like, but never ever White Phosphorus.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

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

[DistressedAmerican]

7. brother waxwell, I Was Hoping You Would Hang Around And Play.

Was this just a driveby? Not going to defend that post?

[sabra]

14. seems like BW went through all the trouble of registering, etc...

and then just disappeared? :-)

[DistressedAmerican]

17. Odd To Be Sure. Too Bad Really. I Wanted To Play.

Maybe he'll come back later. I'm sure he will look back at some point (if not reading this right now). Maybe our comments will intice him back in? We can hope!

[qanda]

9. Didn't follow through?

HELLLLLOOOOOOOO.......

Al-Jazeera reported one of its journalists was killed Tuesday when the satellite television network's Baghdad office was struck during a U.S. bombing campaign. Employees speculated that the station was targeted for its war coverage.


http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1859614

[Supersedeas]

29. both matters need to be seriously considered--are they War Crimes?

[Sydnie]

10. I would be interested in knowing just what battles you think ARE worthy

of our collective attention. It's hard to have a conversation and draw up a list of priorities if you are going to set the tone (just as blivet** does these days by making his statements and never answering questions from the "real" journalists) by telling us what we should NOT be looking at without filling the void with what we should be looking at.

Care to come back and clarify for us?

[qanda]

12. Care to come back and clarify for us?

Ah, probably not!

[drm604]

19. Brother Waxwell,

is this you?

[moc]

21. Oohh! Good catch!

Bravo!

:applause:

[drm604]

28. It wasn't too difficult.

His post smelled like astro-turf to me, so I Googled some of the phrases from it. That didn't get any hits, so I decided to try just Googling his name. I suspect that if I Google some of those phrases in a day or two I'll get a number of hits from posts by him, and probably by others as well.

[DistressedAmerican]

26. Funny! Has All This Blah Blah Out And Won't Even Chat With Us?

About Me
Name:Brother Waxwell
Location:Seattle (The Soviet Of), Peoples Republic of Puget Sound, Washington, United States
I am a twenty-year veteran of the entertainment industry. Which allows me an interesting perspective on many things. Not least of which being the so-called culture wars. Specifically having the ability to listen to what so called lefties really think about quite a few issues, seeing as they assume I’m family. I wouldn’t want to blow my cover so I wont go into any detail as to what I do specifically.



Come back Brother! I want to talk unless you are spineless.

[drm604]

30. I'm tempted

to try to blow his cover. Should I? Naaah...

[DistressedAmerican]

31. Sort Of A Piss Poor Cover To Begin With!

:rofl:

[drm604]

32. I was talking about his real world cover.

Reread the part you quoted. He seems to feel that people would recognize him if he gives up just a little too much info. Of course, I don't want to pry into peoples personal lives.

[drm604]

33. Cover Blown

I think I've found him. I know what he does and where he does it. I've found a picture of him, and I know some names he apparently goes by (but I don't know if any of them are his real name). Since he obviously doesn't want all of this known, and he hasn't done anything really wrong, I won't post it. But he should realize that he's not hidden all that well.

[Pachamama]

23. Slow News Cycle? Hmm...Lets see now....Here's atleast 6 "slow" items:

1) Plame-Wilson CIA Outing: Further investigations into the White House by a Grand Jury

2) Iraq War: Bush has fire under his ass and has to get up on stage with a back drop and "justify his war"...meanwhile 70%+ of Americans want the US out now and want a withdrawal plan

3) Investigation of Lobbyist Jack Abramoff: Continuing investigation with many many politicians to be revealed in the deep pockets of this slimebag.

4) Torture of prisoners and detainees by American Soldiers and Private Contractors hired by the US: You haven't seen nothin yet - wait till the video is released, meanwhile a Veep that runs around wanting to make sure we can torture.

5) Economy: Ya think its good, eh? :rofl: Just wait and see what's coming....

6) Corrupt Republican Politicians: As Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham pleads guilty to taking money and gifts from defense contractors (to the tune of over $2MM), continuing investigations into Tom Delay and Bill Frist (as well as others) continues (reference #3 Jack Abramoff).

PS: For your first post, I think its funny that you not only completely appear to have not been following how much is going on in the news, but that you choose to enter this board and dismiss a story which if it is proven to be true is another item to add to the growing list of international crimes this administration has perpetrated or attempted to perpetrate and helps put in another piece of the puzzle in their run-up to the illegal Iraq War.

And, if it is proven to be "false" (as you suggest), then so what? So what is the problem with citizens of a democracy wanting to know the truth behind a story? :eyes:

[sabra]

24. great post, but it seems like BW decided to "cut and run"

peace.

[Pachamama]

25. "They can't handle the Truth"....

Seriously....I think that many of the Bush Supporters are having their heads spinning lately and can't handle any more accusations of something their man George W. Bush may have done wrong....so they step in, throw some muck and run away in hopes that they "de-rail" the truth...

Funny thing is, that the more that they do that, the more attention it draws to the issue....

Namaste Sabra! :hi:

[newyawker99]

27. Hi brother waxwell!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[jsamuel]

8. Exactly, Blair going after the leakers so hard suggests the story is not

only true, but very serious.

[Neil Lisst]

11. sabra, I agree. This story is going to get legs in time.

I think more will come out and as it does, we'll see more of King George's madness. He was not joking.

THIS is a joke.

[sabra]

15. Excellent job, Neil Lisst! That was great.

peace.

[Neil Lisst]

18. So much for 'we DO NOT TORTURE!'

he tortures the language daily ...

[soleft]

13. If this is true what a condemnation of Blair

Knows the guy is certifiable and still keeps kissing his ass

[julianer]

20. Except it makes Blair look

good to an anti-Bush public. He needs to improve his image and he's probably noticed that Bush is in some trouble - he doesn't want to get dragged down with him.

Blair has been getting flack for being a poodle and never being able to influence Bush in his actions(people imagine that Blair is somehow less criminal than Bush). Whatshisface Meyer said that British govt officials were like simpering little girls with Bush's team - very, very damaging stuff.

So he is keen to show that even if he couldn't influence Bush in the big things, he did make some effort to stop the more casual murders.

This is almost certainly too little too late and if Bush falls Blair tumbles with him, IMO.

[Loonman]

16. Blair's a craven weasel

Hiding behind his country's fascist War Powers.