Following up on the Sunday Times last month, and a BBC online article, http://www.Downingstreetmemo.com.

Which is more disturbing - that this actually happened or that many people seem to think it's alright? (telling the public and parliament an outrageous pack of lies to get badly needed support for a needless war)

edit--
Jack Straw, Foreign Minister March 25, 2002 - Memo to the Prime Minister

...I judge that there is at present no majority inside the PLP for any military action against Iraq, (alongside a greater readiness in the PLP to surface their concerns). Colleagues know that Saddam and the Iraqi regime are bad. Making that case is easy. But we have a long way to go to convince them
...
(i) regime change per se is no justification for military action; it could form part of the method of any strategy, but not a goal. Of course, we may want credibly to assert that regime change is an essential part of the strategy by which we have to achieve our ends - that of the elimination of Iraq's WMD capacity; but the latter has to be the goal;

(ii) on whether any military action would require a fresh UNSC mandate (Desert Fox did not). The US are likely to oppose any idea of a fresh mandate. On the other side, the weight of legal advice here is that a fresh mandate may well be required. There is no doubt that a new UNSCR would transform the climate in the PLP. Whilst that (anew mandate) is very unlikely, given the US's position, a draft resolution against military action with 13 in favour (or handsitting) and two vetoes against could play very badly here.

Just popping my head into the thread. I've nothing to contribute, but I just wanted to compliment you on a hilarious title. It caught my eye, anyway.

Off I go...

Thanks Ant. Eye Catching maybe, but clearly the matter of Iraq is water under the bridge now.

No matter that we had a cabinet and a Prime Minister that lied constantly for eight months about Iraq, knowing that they would be committing forces to any US led effort.

The extent of duplicity is staggering. The media will wake up to this soon....in the USA if not here,

...
SECRET AND STRICTLY PERSONAL - UK EYES ONLY

DAVID MANNING
From: Matthew Rycroft
Date: 23 July 2002
S 195 /02

cc: Defence Secretary, Foreign Secretary, Attorney-General, Sir Richard Wilson, John Scarlett, Francis Richards, CDS, C, Jonathan Powell, Sally Morgan, Alastair Campbell

IRAQ: PRIME MINISTER'S MEETING, 23 JULY
...
C reported on his recent talks in Washington. There was a perceptible shift in attitude. Military action was now seen as inevitable. Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy. The NSC had no patience with the UN route, and no enthusiasm for publishing material on the Iraqi regime's record. There was little discussion in Washington of the aftermath after military action.
...

Originally posted by Phanerothyme

The extent of duplicity is staggering. The media will wake up to this soon....in the USA if not here,

I agree with everything posted by your good self (except that the media will wake up), and wish more people would take an interest.

The media is strictly controlled and quite deliberate in it's delivery.

It is the manufacture of consent that controls what the majority think.

The mainstream UK press is much more honest and informative than in the United States, but will only concentrate on what the populations are 'allowed' to be told.

Took a long time for the penny to drop Phanth....

Originally posted by Scat
Took a long time for the penny to drop Phanth....

Not at all.

As he posted, some of the issues are water under the bridge so to speak.

What he is saying is currently relevant and linked with the recent demonstrations that are being held all over the World.

The media issue is also linked.

Nothing wrong with raising awareness I say.

Originally posted by venger
Not at all.

As he posted, some of the issues are water under the bridge so to speak.

What he is saying is currently relevant and linked with the recent demonstrations that are being held all over the World.

The media issue is also linked.

Nothing wrong with raising awareness I say.

I can't see WHY the issues are now 'water under the bridge' as we are still in Iraq and the situation does not look like it's going to improve anytime soon. I suppose now he's won the election TB thinks he's pretty much untoucheable.

I totally agree in raising awareness and would like to see TB replaced by Gordon Brown ASAP (after all some of GBs ex cabinet allies like Clare Short actually did try to take a principled stand at the time)

Some of the issues are!

The reasons for us going in the first place.

It is old news, not suggesting that it was not a, criminal and historic move, or any less important.

But things have moved on.

I agree with what you are saying, just thought the penny dropping remark was a little insulting.

I am still fuming about all the coruption and lies surrounding surrounding 9/11.

That is years old now though.

Originally posted by venger
... just thought the penny dropping remark was a little insulting.

I was only teasing...

Originally posted by Scat
I was only teasing...

No Worries, I can be a little serious :P