Smoking Gun, Pt. 2

There is a web site dedicated to raising awareness of the Downing Street Memo, which almost cost Tony Blair his job. The memo's authenticity has not been disputed by British officials AND a Senior American official has described the memo as "absolutely accurate."

Here is the key excerpt:

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.

[...]

It seemed clear that Bush had made up his mind to take military action, even if the timing was not yet decided. But the case was thin. Saddam was not threatening his neighbours, and his WMD capability was less than that of Libya, North Korea or Iran. We should work up a plan for an ultimatum to Saddam to allow back in the UN weapons inspectors. This would also help with the legal justification for the use of force.

Intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy. Saddam's WMD capability was less than that of Libya, North Korea, or Iran. Hello, American Media? American kids are dying in Iraq for a policy based on deliberately fixed intelligence. And all you are doing is trotting out Nixon's band of criminals to call Deep Throat a traitor and blame him for the Cambodian genocide, or reliably, more 'pervert of the day' coverage?

WTF?!

Smoking Gun, Pt. 2