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S U N D A Y , J U N E 1 2 , 2 0 0 5Downing Street Memo: The Best BreakdownOf What It Meansby Michael in New York on
6/12/2005 12:10:00 PM(Thanks to Sarah B. for directing us to this.) I'm not a big fanof just pointing people towards an article. I like to link two orthree articles together to make a larger point, or analyze why Ithink an article missed the important issue or otherwiseprovide value-added blogging. But some articles just have tobe read.So read Mark Danner's "The Secret Way To War" for the NewYork Review of Books. Unlike the Washington Post story on A-1linked to below (way to stay on the ball guys, with an articlethat could have been written a month ago), this is an excellentanalysis of what it means, why it's important and the realpurpose of going to the UN (which both Bush and Blair offeredup as "evidence" the DSM got it wrong). And though Bushimplied the timing of the DSM's release was political, neither henor Blair questioned its authenticity. One of many highlights:At this point in the meeting Prime Minister Tony Blairweighed in. He had heard his foreign minister's suggestionabout drafting an ultimatum demanding that Saddam letback in the United Nations inspectors. Such an ultimatumcould be politically critical, said Blair—but only if the Iraqileader turned it down:The Prime Minister said that it would make a bigdifference politically and legally if Saddam refusedto allow in the UN inspectors. Regime change andWMD were linked in the sense that it was theregime that was producing the WMD.... If thepolitical context were right, people would supportregime change. The two key issues were whetherthe military plan worked and whether we had thepolitical strategy to give the military plan thespace to work.Here the inspectors were introduced, but as a meansto create the missing casus belli. If the UN could bemade to agree on an ultimatum that Saddam acceptinspectors, and if Saddam then refused to acceptthem, the Americans and the British would be well ontheir way to having a legal justification to go to war(the attorney general's third alternative of UN SecurityCouncil authorization).Thus, the idea of UN inspectors was introduced not asa means to avoid war, as President Bush repeatedlyassured Americans, but as a means to make warpossible.
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© 2009 - John Aravosis | Design maintenance by Jason RosenbaumSend me your tips: americablog@starpower.netAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Downi...http://www.americablog.com/2005/06/downing-street-memo-be...
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6/12/2005 12:10:00 PM(Thanks to Sarah B. for directing us to this.) I'm not a big fanof just pointing people towards an article. I like to link two orthree articles together to make a larger point, or analyze why Ithink an article missed the important issue or otherwiseprovide value-added blogging. But some articles just have tobe read.So read Mark Danner's "The Secret Way To War" for the NewYork Review of Books. Unlike the Washington Post story on A-1linked to below (way to stay on the ball guys, with an articlethat could have been written a month ago), this is an excellentanalysis of what it means, why it's important and the realpurpose of going to the UN (which both Bush and Blair offeredup as "evidence" the DSM got it wrong). And though Bushimplied the timing of the DSM's release was political, neither henor Blair questioned its authenticity. One of many highlights:At this point in the meeting Prime Minister Tony Blairweighed in. He had heard his foreign minister's suggestionabout drafting an ultimatum demanding that Saddam letback in the United Nations inspectors. Such an ultimatumcould be politically critical, said Blair—but only if the Iraqileader turned it down:The Prime Minister said that it would make a bigdifference politically and legally if Saddam refusedto allow in the UN inspectors. Regime change andWMD were linked in the sense that it was theregime that was producing the WMD.... If thepolitical context were right, people would supportregime change. The two key issues were whetherthe military plan worked and whether we had thepolitical strategy to give the military plan thespace to work.Here the inspectors were introduced, but as a meansto create the missing casus belli. If the UN could bemade to agree on an ultimatum that Saddam acceptinspectors, and if Saddam then refused to acceptthem, the Americans and the British would be well ontheir way to having a legal justification to go to war(the attorney general's third alternative of UN SecurityCouncil authorization).Thus, the idea of UN inspectors was introduced not asa means to avoid war, as President Bush repeatedlyassured Americans, but as a means to make warpossible.
Daily KosOpen Thread and Diary Rescue - *Today, srkp23(pulling a double shift), ybruti, taylormattd,ItsJessMe and vcmvo2 combed through hundredsof diaries to find this powerful list. Today's...16 minutes ago
EschatonOvernight - Folk On. Newish.33 minutes ago
HuffPost PoliticsMichael Likosky: Ed Rendell: Hardest Working Manin Infrastructure - At this year's National GovernorsAssociation (NGA) meeting, Governor Ed Rendell'stenure as Chair fittingly came to a close with aplenary session on infras...35 minutes ago
Crooks and LiarsOpen Thread - Open Thread below...1 hour ago
FiredoglakeLate Night: Livin’ the Dolce Vita with TheLovernator - Who's got time to govern? Certainlynot Mark Sanford.1 hour agoJ O H N ' S P H OT O S
Show AllA M E R I C A B L O G T V
Next 6AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Downi...http://www.americablog.com/2005/06/downing-street-memo-be...
1 of 57/23/09 12:42 AM
Visit ourAMERICAblog TV site.see all 322 videos >I collect with
vodpod
For the GOPers, healthcare is politics. They just
Traditional media has todebunk the birthers
One small step...
The right-wing media, thevoices of the GOP, in
REM - Orange CrushAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Downi...http://www.americablog.com/2005/06/downing-street-memo-be...
2 of 57/23/09 12:42 AM
The TreatmentObama Has a Grown-UpTalk With America(Gulp)45 minutes agoEzra KleinTab Dump5 hours agoWonk RoomSen. Byron Dorgan:The ‘Trade’ InCap-And-Trade ‘MakesNo Sense To Me’6 hours agoHealth BeatTruth Squad: WallStreet Journal HealthCare Editorial Wrong onthe Facts . . .7 hours agoDaily DoseProviders Endorse 'Payfor Value' ProposalsG AY P O L I T I C S
Visit our new gay politicssection, AMERICAblog Gay.F E E D S
Blog RSS
AMERICAblog TV RSS
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Get the blog by email:
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Top AdAdvertise in this spot.H E A LT H C A R ER E F O R MAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Downi...http://www.americablog.com/2005/06/downing-street-memo-be...
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S E A R C H
AMERICAblog
Web
SearchS E N D U S T I P S &C O M M E N T Samericablog@starpower.netB L O G A R C H I V E
Blog ArchiveS I T E S W E L I K EAir America RadioAlan Colmes' blogAri Melber (The Nation)Ben SmithBicycleMark's blog &podcastBilericoBradBlogBring It OnCarrie FisherCrooks and LiarsDailyKosDan Savage's "Slog"Daou ReportDemocratic UndergroundEschatonEzra KleinFire Dog LakeFiveThirtyEight.comFreeway BloggerThe Gavel (SpeakerPelosi's blog)Good As YouGlenn GreenwaldHoly Bullies and HeadlessMonstersHuffington PostHullabaloo (Digby)Jack and Jill PoliticsJed ReportJesus' GeneralKenneth in the 212Margaret and HelenMatthew GrossMedia MattersMike Signorile's "The Gist"MudflatsMyDDOpen LeftPlum LinePolitical Punch (JakeTapper)Political WirePolitics 1Pop SurfingProgressive Blog DigestQueers UnitedRawStoryRex WocknerRude PunditSmirking ChimpTalk LeftTappedTaylor MarshThink ProgressTowleRoadVetVoice.comWashington NoteWayneBesen.comWonketteWorth Repeating
N E W S L I N K SUSWashington PostNYTAP PoliticsReuters PoliticsRasmussen PollsTimeNewsweekRoll CallThe HillABCNews
P L E A S E S U P P O RTA M E R I C A B L O GOne-time donation$
Recurring monthlydonation$
Donations are nottax-deductible.L A B E L S
Select a labelL A S T 1 0 0 V I S I T O R SRecent Visitors
A B O U TA M E R I C A B L O GWhy AMERICAblog?Because a great nationdeserves the truth.What issues do youcover?US politics overall with aparticular focus on theObama Administration, theradical right, and civilrights.Who are you?John AravosisEditorWashington, DCJoe SudbayDeputy EditorWashington, DCChris RyanAssociate EditorParis, FranceRobert ArenaContributing EditorBaltimore, MarylandJacki SchechnerContributing EditorWashington, DCAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Downi...http://www.americablog.com/2005/06/downing-street-memo-be...
4 of 57/23/09 12:42 AM
© 2009 - John Aravosis | Design maintenance by Jason RosenbaumSend me your tips: americablog@starpower.netAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Downi...http://www.americablog.com/2005/06/downing-street-memo-be...
5 of 57/23/09 12:42 AM