Bush 'plotted' to bomb al-Jazeera
From correspondents in London
22nov05
US President George W. Bush planned to bomb pan-Arab television broadcaster al-Jazeera, British newspaper the Daily Mirror said today, citing a Downing Street memo marked "Top Secret".
The five-page transcript of a conversation between Mr Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair reveals that Mr Blair talked Mr Bush out of launching a military strike on the station, unnamed sources told the anti-war-in-Iraq daily.
The transcript of the pair's talks during Mr Blair's April 16, 2004, visit to Washington allegedly shows Mr Bush wanted to attack the satellite channel's headquarters.
Mr Blair allegedly feared such a strike, in the business district of Doha, the capital of Qatar, a key western ally in the Persian Gulf, would spark revenge attacks.
The Mirror quoted an unnamed British government official as saying Mr Bush's threat was "humorous, not serious".
Al-Jazeera's perspectives on the war in Iraq have drawn criticism from Washington since the US-led March 2003 invasion.
The station has broadcast messages from al-Qaeda terror network chief Osama bin Laden and the beheadings of Western hostages by insurgents in Iraq, as well as footage of dead coalition servicemen and Iraqi civilians killed in fighting.
A source told the Mirror: "The memo is explosive and hugely damaging to Bush.
"He made clear he wanted to bomb al-Jazeera in Qatar and elsewhere. Blair replied that would cause a big problem.
"There's no doubt what Bush wanted to do - and no doubt Blair didn't want him to do it."
Another source said: "Bush was deadly serious, as was Blair. That much is absolutely clear from the language used by both men."
A spokesman for Mr Blair's Downing Street office said: "We have got nothing to say about this story. We don't comment on leaked documents."
The Mirrorsaid the memo turned up in the office of then British MP Tony Clarke, a member of Mr Blair's Labour Party, in May 2004.
Civil servant David Keogh, 49, is accused under the Official Secrets Act of handing it it to Mr Clarke's former researcher Leo O'Connor, 42. Both are bailed to appear at Bow Street Magistrates Court in central London next week.
Mr Clarke returned the memo to Downing Street. He said Mr O'Connor had behaved "perfectly correctly".
He told Britain's domestic Press Association news agency that Mr O'Connor had done "exactly the right thing" in bringing it to his attention.
The Mirror said such a strike would have been "the most spectacular foreign policy disaster since the Iraq war itself".
The newspaper said that the memo "casts fresh doubt on claims that other attacks on al-Jazeera were accidents". It cited the 2001 direct hit on the channel's Kabul office.
Mr Blair's former defence minister Peter Kilfoyle challenged Downing Street to publish the transcript.
"I hope the Prime Minister insists this memo be published," he told the Mirror.
"It gives an insight into the mindset of those who were architects of the war."
Please visit our sponsors
Results 1 to 10 of 13
-
22-11-2005, 05:30 AM #1
- Join Date
- Jun 2005
- Posts
- 88
- Feedback Score
- 0
- Thanks
- 0
- Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Bush 'plotted' to bomb al-Jazeera
-
Sponsored Links
-
06-12-2005, 07:20 AM #2
- Join Date
- Jul 2005
- Location
- Ft. Worth Tx
- Posts
- 86
- Feedback Score
- 0
- Thanks
- 0
- Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
The bu$heviks targeted al Jazeera even before the illegal, immoral invasion of Iraq.
Achieving a dream is worth a thousand failures
-
10-12-2005, 10:33 PM #3
- Join Date
- Aug 2005
- Location
- United States
- Posts
- 780
- Feedback Score
- 0
- Thanks
- 0
- Thanked 43 Times in 3 Posts
Originally Posted by catmando
As far as bombing al Jazeera? Go for it...
-
18-12-2005, 03:33 AM #4
- Join Date
- Aug 2005
- Location
- gold coast
- Posts
- 72
- Feedback Score
- 0
- Thanks
- 0
- Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
and allow people to die just bcos they want to show the other side of the coin? ur statements have justified 9/11. let's bomb and kill people who don't agree with us. it's ok for anglo saxons to bomb arabs but it's not ok for arabs to attack anglo-saxons. are u for real?
why don't u ask the people that matter- the iraqis as to which circumstance was better? ur own media is stating that iraqis say they were better off under the person your own government's supported and funded - ie saddam.
and then u wonder why "they" hate you. i truly feel sorry for those supporting this war against humanity disguised as terrorism. just remember that what goes around comes around. history demonstrates all empires come to an end. the only question is how badly will the house of cards aka USA will crumble.
fair go.
Originally Posted by everwiserLast edited by yhlc; 18-12-2005 at 03:39 AM.
-
22-12-2005, 04:22 PM #5
- Join Date
- Jun 2005
- Posts
- 10
- Feedback Score
- 0
- Thanks
- 0
- Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
ROFLMAO! You take what comes from the hard-left bias US media as some measure of truth? You think that because the major media in the US says that Iraqis think they were better off with Saddam that it is true?
If you see actual reports and footage of the majority of Iraqis are thankful to be rid of Saddam. Only the loyalists and insurgents are sorry he is gone.
I believe that the US needs to help the Iraqis become self sufficient as soon as possible and get out. Only those who want tyrany back want the the US out before the Iraqis can fend for themselves!
-
22-12-2005, 10:41 PM #6
- Join Date
- Jun 2005
- Posts
- 88
- Feedback Score
- 0
- Thanks
- 0
- Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
LOL - the article was from a UK publication
-
23-12-2005, 01:05 AM #7
- Join Date
- Jun 2005
- Posts
- 56
- Feedback Score
- 0
- Thanks
- 0
- Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
That's even worse
Is it April 1?
-
23-12-2005, 02:24 AM #8
- Join Date
- Jun 2005
- Posts
- 10
- Feedback Score
- 0
- Thanks
- 0
- Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Same reports all over US media as well. Does not matter whether it is ABC or BBC it's basicly the same reporting, misreporting, agenda driven propoganda.
-
23-12-2005, 03:02 AM #9
- Join Date
- Jun 2005
- Posts
- 88
- Feedback Score
- 0
- Thanks
- 0
- Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
So where do you get your information from?
-
23-12-2005, 05:09 AM #10
- Join Date
- Aug 2005
- Location
- United States
- Posts
- 780
- Feedback Score
- 0
- Thanks
- 0
- Thanked 43 Times in 3 Posts
Originally Posted by Hoop
If you're a liberal, any kind of liberal except Joe Lieberman, you get glowing press. If you're a conservative absolutely every single move of yours will be scrutinized and always looked at as evil or suspicious regardless of how much good you do. Any press that will categorize Christians as "radicals" and muslim fundamentalist terrorists as "freedom fighters" is not one to be trusted.
(Before you bust my chops, yhlc, I am not saying that "all" muslim fundamentalists are terrorists. That would be like saying all blond-haired, blue-eyed white people are neo-nazis. It doesn't apply to every person in either comparison but actually a very small minority in either group.)Last edited by everwiser; 23-12-2005 at 05:13 AM.
-
Sponsored Links
Thread Information
Users Browsing this Thread
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
24 Hour Gold
Advertising
- Over 20.000 UNIQUE Daily!
- Get Maximum Exposure For Your Site!
- Get QUALITY Converting Traffic!
- Advertise Here Today!
Out Of Billions Of Website's Online.
Members Are Online From.
- Get Maximum Exposure For Your Site!
- Get QUALITY Converting Traffic!
- Advertise Here Today!
Out Of Billions Of Website's Online.
Members Are Online From.