Tag: Iraq War Inquiry

Brit War Inquiry EXPLODES with Damning Testimony! Will the Chilcot group take this and remove the somewhat gentlemanly gloves of questioning so far and get tougher, will it also bring about a re-questioning of earlier participants, like Blair and company, who might have thought they were through with their spinning of facts! Will documents not intended for public view suddenly become very public to answer what isn’t known but said only behind closed doors!

Britain’s Iraq War Inquiry: Petraeus

The Chilcot Inquiry restarts today, The second round of hearings will run from 29 June to 30 July 2010. Live streamed testimony once again when they do. No one knows if they’ll be releasing all or part of the transcripts etc. as to their visit here and talking to some of the previous administrations insiders, all lower level. Apparently they’re still talking to the Americans most close to the needs of the British Inquiry into Iraq.

Petraeus gives evidence to UK’s Iraq war inquiry

29 June 2010 The head of Britain’s inquiry into the Iraq war says his panel has held a private meeting with U.S. General David Petraeus.

John Chilcot leads a five-member panel appointed by the British government to examine the case made for the war and errors in planning for post-conflict reconstruction. Continued

I posted this at the beginning of the Inquiry as testimony brought it forth:

Drip, drip, drip, “”He recalled noting that: “the dog didn’t bark – it grizzled.” Don’t forget – this ‘grizzling’ for regime change was 6 months BEFORE 9/11.””. drip, drip, drip,  “”But there was a ‘sea change’ in attitude after the atrocities, with former national security adviser Condolezza Rice targeting Iraq on the very day of the outrage.””, drip, drip, drip, “”George Bush tried to make a connection between Iraq and al-Qaida in a conversation with Tony Blair three days after the 9/11 attacks, according to Blair’s foreign policy adviser of the time.””, drip, drip, drip, “”There was “a touching belief [in Washington] that we shouldn’t worry so much about the aftermath because it was all going to be sweetness and light”.””, drip, drip, drip, “”Boyce mentions the “dysfunctionalism” of Washington. He says that he would find himself briefing his American counterparts on what was happening in different parts of the US administration. Rumsfeld was not sharing information””, drip, drip, drip………..!

And more continuing reporting on the British Iraq War Inquiry in the lead up to Tony Blairs testimony, as well as many others.

Blair ‘should face war charges’

16 Jan 2010 Almost a quarter of voters (23%) believe Tony Blair deliberately misled MPs over the Iraq war and should face war crimes charges, an opinion poll has found.

Snip

The YouGov survey for the Sunday Times found less than a third (32%) accepted that Mr Blair “genuinely believed in the threat” which he used to publicly justify sending UK troops, while 52% thought he had “deliberately misled” the country.

And by a similar margin (49% to 31%), they also said they believed his former communications director Alastair Campbell was not truthful when he gave evidence to Sir John Chilcot’s inquiry this week….>>>>>

Spin Doctor or His Master’s Voice, how many times have you heard those used as to former office holders who hit the airways after their no longer in government here, a couple of names quickly pop up, one being a recently former Vice president who seemed to have led the charge into invading an innocent country, one Dick Cheney. Another has strong ties apparently to the previous, his daughter Liz Cheney, who frankly, unless Daddy is spilling top secret information so she doesn’t spin to much out of his reality, doesn’t have the expertise nor experience to be speaking up on much of anything, nor might I add the knowledge needed.

But back to the two phrases. Seems the Brit press don’t have any problem calling a spade a spade especially on “Spin Doctor”, there’s a number of reports on the Campbell testimony quickly coming out as this session of the Inquiry is still going on, that have readily posted that up before tearing into his testimony. By the way, he’s pretty good, especially for keeping on the talking points from back then with little deviation, pure politic, Blair should be a hoot.

There wasn’t much reporting on last weeks testimonies especially concerning any bits and pieces as to what counterparts here in the States were either saying or doing, except for this testimony from fridays session, as it seemed to follow what previously had already been testified too.:

Iraq military coup a possibility, ambassador tells Chilcot inquiry

The establishment of democracy in Iraq is “not a done deal”, Britain’s ambassador to the country warned today. A military coup was “a real possibility”, he said.

Snip

“There is clearly a balance to be drawn between using the professional competence and experience of former army officers under Saddam to provide the backbone of the modern Iraqi security forces, and dealing with the suspicions and fears of others that this is the reintroduction of irreconcilable elements of the Ba’ath party,” Jenkins said…..>>>>>

As noted the other day the British Iraq War Inquiry has resumed after their holiday break.

Below you will find some of the reports from the outlets of these past days testimonies and what’s coming up. These are more focused on the British with little mention, unlike before the holidays, of what was going on here in this country and our administration and military leaders.