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Lawless World: Bush Considered Flying US Spy Planes Painted
With UN Colors Over Iraq In 2003 to Provoke War
Former UK Soldier Urges Others to Refuse To Fight in Iraq
New Video Broadcast Showing Three of the Four Christian Peacemaker
Teams Members Abducted in Iraq
Lawless World: Bush Considered Flying US Spy Planes
Painted With UN Colors Over Iraq In 2003 to Provoke War
British international law professor Philippe Sands, author
of “Lawless World,” reveals President Bush and
Prime Minister Tony Blair secretly agreed in January 2003
to invade Iraq in mid-March 2003 regardless of the outcome
of diplomatic efforts. [includes rush
transcript]
New evidence has emerged that President Bush and British
Prime Minister Tony Blair agreed in January 2003 to attack
Iraq regardless of whether diplomatic efforts succeeded. The
revelation comes in a newly updated version of the book “Lawless
World” by British international law professor Philippe
Sands. According to the book, Blair offered Bush his full
support of the war during a meeting at the White House in
January 2003. Sands says his account is based on a summary
of the meeting prepared by one of the participants. According
to the book, Bush is recorded as saying that "the start
date for the military campaign was now penciled in for 10
March. That was when the bombing would begin. The military
timetable meant that an early resolution was needed."
Bush also reportedly said the "diplomatic strategy had
to be arranged around the military planning". In addition
the book reveals President Bush told Blair that the United
Stated was considering flying U2 spy planes disguised as United
Nations planes over Iraq in an attempt to provoke Saddam Hussein.
If Iraq fired on the planes, it would help justify a U.S.-led
invasion.
- Philippe Sands, the author of “Lawless World.”
He is a professor of international law at University College
London.
Former UK Soldier Urges Others to Refuse To Fight
in Iraq
Here in the U.S, at least 8,000 men and women have now deserted
the military since the United States invaded Iraq three years
ago. Meanwhile in Britain, soldiers are also refusing to fight
in the war. Lance Corporal George Solomou speaks from London
on why he resigned last year from the London regiment of the
Territorial Army. [includes rush
transcript]
USA Today is reporting at least 8,000 men and women have
now deserted the U.S. military since the United States invaded
Iraq three years ago. And many observers believe the actual
number may be even higher. The GI Rights Hotline reports that
it now receives up to 4,000 calls per month from soldiers
seeking a way out of the military. Before the war, the hotline
received about a thousand calls per year. Here in Britain,
soldiers are also refusing to fight in the war.
Today we are joined here in London by Lance Corporal George
Solomou. Last January he resigned from the London regiment
of the Territorial Army. At the time he said, "I want
to act as a beacon, a rallying point for other soldiers. We
don’t have to go quietly. This war is wrong. I call
upon other soldiers to conscientiously object to this war."
- George Solomou, former soldier in the UK Territorial
Army, resigned January 2005 in protest of the Iraq war.
- Lindsey German, organizer with one of Britain’s
leading anti-war groups, the Stop
the War Coalition. She is co-editor of the book "Stop
the War: The Story of Britain’s Biggest Mass Movement."
The Stop the War Coalition is organizing a major demonstration
in London on March 18 to mark the third anniversary of the
start of the Iraq war.
New Video Broadcast Showing Three of the Four Christian
Peacemaker Teams Members Abducted in Iraq
Al Jazeera has broadcast new video of three of the four
abducted members of the Christian Peacemaker Teams in Iraq.
The silent, 25-second footage carried a superimposed date
of February 28th – one week ago today. We speak with
a Christian Peacemaker Teams member in London. [includes rush
transcript]
British citizen Norman Kember and Canadians James Loney and
Harmeet Singh Sooden were shown. U.S. citizen Tom Fox, of
Virginia, was not on the tape. According to Al Jazeera, the
men asked their governments to work for their release. The
hostages were last seen all together in a video released January
28th dated one week earlier. This past weekend, the 100-day
anniversary of their abduction was marked with vigils around
the world. The Peacemakers’ kidnappers initially threatened
to kill them unless all prisoners in US and Iraqi detention
centers were released.
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
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