QUOTE
WMD just a convenient excuse for war, admits Wolfowitz
By David Usborne
30 May 2003
The Bush administration focused on alleged weapons of mass destruction as the primary justification for toppling Saddam Hussein by force because it was politically convenient, a top-level official at the Pentagon has acknowledged.
The extraordinary admission, which is bound to stir the controversy in Washington and London about the murky motivations for war, comes in an interview with Paul Wolfowitz, the Deputy Defence Secretary, in the July issue of the magazine Vanity Fair.
Edited to add:By David Usborne
30 May 2003
The Bush administration focused on alleged weapons of mass destruction as the primary justification for toppling Saddam Hussein by force because it was politically convenient, a top-level official at the Pentagon has acknowledged.
The extraordinary admission, which is bound to stir the controversy in Washington and London about the murky motivations for war, comes in an interview with Paul Wolfowitz, the Deputy Defence Secretary, in the July issue of the magazine Vanity Fair.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politi...sp?story=410741
QUOTE
Government blames spies over war
By Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor
30 May 2003
A senior minister warned yesterday that the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq would constitute \"Britain's biggest ever intelligence failure\" and would trigger an overhaul of the security services.
The minister told The Independent that the security services were responsible for Downing Street's uncompromising stance on Saddam Hussein's weapons. He spoke after a row erupted between politicians and the intelligence community over the Government's justification for going to war.
With the Whitehall blame game gathering pace, a senior intelligence official told the BBC that Downing Street had wanted the Government dossier outlining Saddam's capability \"sexed up\". He also said Downing Street included information against security service advice.
Washington dealt another devastating blow to Tony Blair, who was visiting troops in Iraq yesterday, fuelling anger on Labour's back benches.
Paul Wolfowitz, the US Deputy Defence Secretary, said in an interview that disarming Saddam of illegal weapons was nothing more than a \"bureaucratic reason\" for war.
He told Vanity Fair magazine that members of the divided White House cabinet pushed the issue because it was the only way they could present a united front.
I don't believe Colin Powell will want to stay on the job much longer after this disgrace.By Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor
30 May 2003
A senior minister warned yesterday that the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq would constitute \"Britain's biggest ever intelligence failure\" and would trigger an overhaul of the security services.
The minister told The Independent that the security services were responsible for Downing Street's uncompromising stance on Saddam Hussein's weapons. He spoke after a row erupted between politicians and the intelligence community over the Government's justification for going to war.
With the Whitehall blame game gathering pace, a senior intelligence official told the BBC that Downing Street had wanted the Government dossier outlining Saddam's capability \"sexed up\". He also said Downing Street included information against security service advice.
Washington dealt another devastating blow to Tony Blair, who was visiting troops in Iraq yesterday, fuelling anger on Labour's back benches.
Paul Wolfowitz, the US Deputy Defence Secretary, said in an interview that disarming Saddam of illegal weapons was nothing more than a \"bureaucratic reason\" for war.
He told Vanity Fair magazine that members of the divided White House cabinet pushed the issue because it was the only way they could present a united front.
[ May 29, 2003, 05:41 PM: Message edited by: twin58 ]
