Home > Rep. Barbara Lee to introduce Resolution of Inquiry this week

Rep. Barbara Lee to introduce Resolution of Inquiry this week

by Open-Publishing - Wednesday 20 July 2005
18 comments

Wars and conflicts Parties International USA UK

Members of Congress - including Oakland’s representative - will mark the third anniversary of a British government meeting detailed in the "Downing Street memo" by taking criticism of the Iraq war to the masses.

Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, will host a town hall meeting from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at the Grand Lake Theatre, 3200 Grand Lake Ave. in Oakland. Eight other lawmakers from New York to Michigan to New Mexico to California will hold district meetings this weekend as well.

Lee will be joined by Berkeley’s Daniel Ellsberg, a former government worker famed for leaking the "Pentagon Papers" on U.S. decision-making in Vietnam in 1971; Steve Cobble, an activist and co-founder of afterdowningstreet.org; Bill Mitchell of Atascadero, a Gold Star Families for Peace co-founder whose son, U.S. Army Sgt. Michael Mitchell, 25, was killed in Baghdad; and Iraq Veterans Against the War members.

Lee intends to introduce a resolution of inquiry this week calling on the Bush administration to release all materials related to its meetings with British officials before the congressional vote authorizing use of force in Iraq.

Apparently penned by a foreign-policy aide to Prime Minister Tony Blair, the Downing Street memo contains minutes from a July 23, 2002, meeting of high-ranking officials. Sir Richard Dearlove, head of the British secret intelligence service MI6, had recently met with CIA officials in Washington and was quoted as saying "(m)ilitary action

was now seen as inevitable."

"Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD (weapons of mass destruction)," the memo says. "But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy. The NSC (National Security Council) 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."

The memo also said Foreign Secretary Jack Straw indicated he would discuss the issue with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell that week.

"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."

More than 130 members of Congress have written to President Bush. and more than 575,000 people have signed petitions in recent weeks demanding answers from the White House.

Contact Josh Richman at jrichman@angnewspapers.com.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/timesstar/localnews/ci_2872336

Forum posts

  • Isn’t it a waste of time going after the patsy? Soon the day will come when town hall meetings across the country will be discussing the Israeli occupation of Washington and how to go about cleansing our once honorable system of government of the zionist parasites. Everybody knows we went into Iraq on behalf of Israel, so blaming bush is ignoring the real problem. What these town hall meetings are about is trashing the Republican administration so AIPAC can put Hillary (you can practically see the strings on this one) into the Oval Office, and then bombs away on Iran, Syria, and whoever else the zionist masters have in mind at the time. And then we’ll have town hall meetings discussing the crimes of Hillary. How soon is now?

    • WITH 435 UPCOMING POSITIONS AVAILABLE ISNT IT TIME TO FORM A COMPLETELY NEW PARTY. MAYBE WE COULD CALL IT POP. PARTY OF THE PEOPLE.HAVE PRESIGNED PETITIONS THAT WILL TAKE AWAY THE DIEBOLD AND TRIAD FACTOR. IF SAY 100 MILLION PEOPLE SIGNED ON SAYING THEY WOULD VOTE NEITHER DEM NOR REPUB, WE COULD NOT BE IGNORED. WE COULD RUN ON SIMPLE PLATFORMS. 1- RETURN TO THE ORIGINAL CONSTITUTION, REPEAL ALL POST CIVIL WAR LAWS , 2 IMPEACH ALL POLITICIANS SERVING NOW. 3 MAKE LEGISLATION THAT ALLOWS THE PEOPLE TO VOTE ON LAWS INSTEAD OF LAWMAKERS. AND FORM GUIDELINES FOR FINDING THE BEST PEOPLE TO FILL NATIONAL NEEDS, AND TURN MOST OF THE CONTROL BACK TO INDIVIDUAL STATES WHO COULD FASHION THEIR LAWS IN A COMPETITVE MANNER THEN TO ATTRACT THE POPULATION SIZE THEY WANT. ITS SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT , BUT THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW . THE DEMS ARE COMPLICIT AND THESE NEOCONS OPENLY ARE PLANNING ON KILLING ALL OF US.SOMETHING MUST BE DONE. BUSH FAMILY OF MAFIA STYLE THUGS ARE OUT OF HAND

    • TO THE CORE; RIGHT TO THE HEART;NOT TO THE RIGHT AND NOT TO LEFT;SURE TO BE PROCLAIMED "WHY THATS ANTI-SEMITISM" WHICH IS ORWELLIAN DOUBLESPEAK FOR" RIGHT ON TARGET"

    • First it is not a foregone conclusion that Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton would /could be the first choice of AIPAC/Israeli Government.
      Second, never count your chickens before they hatch... even if the present effort to condemn this present administration for treason proves fruitless... the damage will be irrepairable to the present and future iterations of the G.O.P. will be treated like a nation wide "third rail".
      However in it’s dieing throes... there may just be enough strength in the withering monster the G.O.P. has become to push foreward another pretty face to bring ruin to us on a much quicker pace... Ralph Reed anyone?

  • I strongly support your actions of trying to get at the truth of the real reasons for the Iraq war. If found guilty of any wrongs against the American people the entire government should be held accountable. The president should be tried as a war criminal and if found guilty,he should be punished to the fullest extent of the law which would include the death penalty. This would include his complete cabinet. New elections should be held and monitored by the United Nations. This time, honest elections should be closely monitored. The American people deserve as much.

  • Well put 162...........like the freakin elephant in the livingroom that no one wants to acknowledge...the fact remains..we are where we are because our socalled leaders have allowed themselves to be bought by a foreign govt.. We are all Palestinians !

  • This is to Josh Richmann and other folks---A little late ain’t it?
    Where were you guys and gals before the lies started?A person with grade 2 education could have figured out---Saddam’s weapons were only backyard projects.The reason that Bush got away was that the Democrat party is f-dull zionist jews.The ones in Bush’s camp are infiltrators.We have now a few senator women pretending to end the war—this is all Bull Shit!.
    America has only one cure—cause it USA is drowing in it-B.S.=GET RID OF ISRAEL-FAST CAUSE
    JEWS ONLY CATER TO JEWS
    Joshie honey-nice you’re coming around,I hope you read these posts-you may learn something other then what we really know.
    In 1915. Pres. Coward Wilson was blackmailed by a zionist jewish Washington thugs.They got the goods that Wilson was porking his best pal’s wife.What did the American Industrialist and government hacks wanted from him?
    -Bribe the Russians not to sign a peace treaty with Russia-$325 Million
    - enter the war, cause the Jews hated Germany and Russia
    - Wilson lied-no troops into Europe
    -Won 2nd term,after 3months became WWI and America’s Jews got their wish—oodlies of money for arms
    -Greedy Jews wanted more-or the Coward’s sex photos would be made public
    – They wanted a gurentee-homeland for the Jews in Palestine.
    Millions died since this capper-WWI, WWII, German/Eng blockade, Gulf wars. Even the shit kicking of Iraq-is for the Jews folks.
    I suggest everyone get to see the documentary-Hidden War of Desert Strom, hway of death. 182.000 Iraqies slaughtered in 48 hours-massive graves litter the highway.Colin Powell-you no good black shit-just on of the lackies for the zionists.After doing his killings—this bastard poor Jamican acccumulates$26million before intering bush’s gang.
    So Josah—how about writing about this and USS Liberty? Seems to me Israel is our enemy and ever Fukken zionist in Media and government.And the gooks want $3bils and $2.5 to pull out of Gaza.The scums will get it and back in—stupid Americans—fools don’t know cause of blight.

  • Think of it this way.

    If someone went after your family and killed a few of them. You would be outraged. And if there was that fear that it would happen again, you would have to take matters into your hands or call the police. Either way drastic measures would have to be taken in order for you to live a safe and quiet life again.

    Now when people die in a country the president is responsible (Like a father for his family) he goes to the army and sends them out to sort out the problem and eliminate the threat so that all you Americans can live a safe life.

    Dont you understand or grasp the fact that if they did not make a point of attacking back there would have been a hell of a lot more attacks on your country.

    The Arabs hate (strong words but it is what it is) you Americans because your way of life is really not theres at all. And if they can blow up their own people without any thought or emotion let me tell you - to blow up a bunch of westernised people who are into worldly ideas and not the Arab’s holy book will be like taking a stroll in the park.

    You all scream oil but I wonder if any of you really realise just how much danger you would have been in if this war did not start. And make no mistake you are not that safe but at least a little safer than you would have been if the war did not start.

    Your President Bush is doing the best he can and instead of always bringing him down.....how about a little support. People are so strange - if you were not getting that support from your work place or your family (while you are trying to protect them the way any other country would have done it if they were personnally hit) you would not handle it - in fact you would proberly fly of the handle. Gat with it people. you stand by your president as ONE. and then a lot can be accomplished otherwise the time is very near when you will not be a powerfull country anymore.

    • Grow up you moron. You must have a third grade education and watch Fox News for your information. Go troll GOP.usa.org or Rush Limbaugh and stop wasting our time here you idiot.

    • To hell with the crooked Republicans. To hell with the crooked Democrats. And to hell with the war in Iraq......I NEED A FREAKIN JOB !!!!!

    • LOL ! Do feel for you mate. Been there as well. Thing is, when I haven’t a job I want one and when I have one it’s boring as fuckand I want out. Catch 22 situation

    • Bush is bringing down this Country the same way HE brought down the twin towers to start his war. Out sourcing the better jobs and cheaper labor for his big business buddies. Every 6th birth in this country is now Mexican offspring. Being born here make them American and now the parents can’t be deported.

    • I see the traitors in congress voted to stay in Iraq. The majority of the problems in this country are due to the Illuminati fascists who run congress. The other half is the Nazi’s in the white house and their stooge enforcers which are made up of the DOD and the police state. Much like PNAC and the Iraq war, all of this was planned years in advance by the Illuminati shadow government and their minions.

      It’s up to us..WE THE PEOPLE, to rid these criminal thugs and traitors to our bill of rights out of government. Every little bit that we do helps. Writing a letter to the editor, attending a peace rally or just the fact that we envision with the power of our minds a better world.

      Keep up the good work brothers and sisters. We are making a difference!

    • Hello, I have to point out the logical error in a certain argument I hear repeated constantly, namely the belief that the war in Iraq has made the west safer.

      Anyone who studies logic will recognize this phallacy, expressed in Latin as: "Post hoc, ergo propter hoc", or in English: because one event followed or did not follow another in time, there is therefore a causal relationship between the two.

      There may or may not be a causal relationship between the Iraq war and terrorist acts in the West, but to assume there is one is a logical error.

      If anything, preliminary anecdotal evidence would seem to indicate that the war has not made the West safer, but has fueled anti-Western sentiment among Arab populations. To assume that there would have been even more terrorist acts against the west absent military action against Iraq is to abdicate all logical reasoning and indulge in pure speculation.

      Thank you for your attention.

      A Citizen

    • illuminati facists huh? appearently your parents didn’t chase that boogie man out from under your bed yet.

  • knowledge is the antidote to fear - emerson

    the missing link, is this the knowledge you seek?

    What do Bush (USA), Blair (UK), Schroeder (Germany), the Clintons (USA), Sharon (Israel), Gorbachev (USSR), Zemin (China), The Pope (Vatican), Prince Charles (England), Queen Beatrix (The Hague), Etzioni (Israel-USA) and Kofi Annan (United Nations) have in common? They’re all political communitarians. Political communitarianism is the synthesis in the Hegelian dialectic, and because it’s so perfect it gives rise to no antithesis, this page cannot exist.

    http://nord.twu.net/acl/dialectic.html

  • okay... how many of you out there are baked and fried and have no bearing on reality? lemmie see those hands now.