JUST IN: CONYERS SENDS URGENT MEMO TO RUMSFELD

[BigBearJohn]

Dear Secretary Rumsfeld:

I write with an urgent and important request that you respond to a report in the London Times on Sunday, May 29, indicating that British and U.S. aircraft increased their rates of bombing in 2002 in order to provoke an excuse for war in Iraq. Much of this information is provided by the British Ministry of Defense in response to questions posed by Liberal Democrat Sir Menzies Campbell.

As you may know, on May 6, I wrote to President Bush, along with 88 of my colleagues in the House of Representatives, asking him to respond to allegations first revealed in the London Times on May 1, that the U.S. and British government had a secret plan to invade Iraq by the summer of 2002, well before the Bush Administration requested authorization for military action, from the U.S. Congress. A response is still pending on that request.

The allegations and factual assertions made in the May 29 London Times are in many respects just as serious as those made in the earlier article. They include the following:

* "The RAF and U.S. aircraft doubled the rate at which they were dropping bombs in 2002 .... The attacks were intensified from May .... By the end of August the raids had become a full air offensive." Then British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon reportedly told a British Cabinet Meeting in July, 2002, that by this time "the U.S. had already begun `spikes of activity' to put pressure on the regime." The newly released information also appears to show that "the allies dropped twice as many bombs on Iraq in the second half of 2002 as they did during the whole of 2001."

SOURCE: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/5/29/121914/591

[lovuian]

1. Conyers is making a paper trail for a tribunal in the future

He is getting them on the cover up!!!

[mzmolly]

2. Ohhhhhhh, I hope so!

:toast:

[Vincardog]

4. Conyers for Pre. He and Boxer are the only reason I haven't fled the reich

[mzmolly]

8. They do give us hope.

:hi:

[burythehatchet]

7. that's correct

he's not asking any questions to which he does not already know the answer.

[EVDebs]

29. Dems in Congress in 2006 can make accountability chic again n/t

[chomskysright]

59. YES!!! Kick it!!

[FizzFuzz]

3. it feels good to have friends in high places

The more the better!!

I pray for more light in dark places and for Conyer's safety

[EFerrari]

5. I just love the way Mr. Conyers' works

Can we clone him?

Can we run him in '08?

I WUB you, John Conyers!

[aquart]

40. Can we keep him off small planes?

Sorry, but I'm both nervous and possibly paranoid.

[natrat]

44. can we have fair elections?

Sorry, but I'm both nervous and possibly paranoid

[EFerrari]

46. I don't think it's call "paranoia" when you're fearing something

that's real. Yes, he needs to be careful, for sure.

[medeak]

6. did everyone sign Conyers' petition?

on his website...

edited for link: www.johnconyers.com

[WillyT]

9. I Did !!!

:kick:

[darkism]

10. Just did it. Address and other fields are not required.

I just gave them my name.

[babsbunny]

11. I did and sent it out to everyone!!!

[guajira]

27. Sh*t, I didn't know that

And filled in all the requested info! Oh well, what's the worst that can happen?

Don't tell me!!

[peacetalksforall]

18. Is the e-mail response asking me to click to validate the vote legit?

[BigBearJohn]

23. Exactly

[medeak]

34. no

it's to validate if you want to be on Conyer's email list..

[TalkingDog]

45. it's not to validate the vote

it's asking if you want a newletter...at least that's what mine said.

[IndianaGreen]

12. The article has a link to the Downing Street memo

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1593607_1,00.html

[Hatalles]

13. Good to know someone in D.C. will not let this story disappear.

If only the corporate media would pick this up...

[bvar22]

15. If only the rest of the Democrats would pick it up....

...they could FORCE the Media to cover it.

It wouldn't even take ALL the Democrats, just SOME of the other Democrats with BIG names.

[mmonk]

19. some dems

love the dream of empire as much as the repubs.

[rodeodance]

42. where does Biden stand on this issue? anyone know?

[TacticalPeek]

14. OPERATION DESERT BADGER - scrubbed from the public memory bank

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3748066&mesg_id=3750724

[Roland99]

20. Found these two articles...

http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/oil/2003/2003companiesiniraq.htm

The new Bush administration came into office in January 2001 at this critical juncture. Revelations by former Secretary of the Treasury Paul O’Neill inform us that the new administration started planning for an invasion of Iraq almost immediately. According to O’Neill, Iraq was “Topic A” at the very first meeting of the Bush National Security Council, just ten days after the inauguration. “It was about finding a way to do it,” reports O’Neill, “That was the tone of the President, saying ‘Go find me a way to do this.’”49 Meanwhile, the President ordered stepped-up overflights and provocative attacks on Iraqi targets under a plan, evidently known as Operation Desert Badger. On February 16, US aircraft bombed Iraqi radar installations north of the no-fly zone and very close to southern limits of Baghdad. Readily audible from the Iraqi capital, this attack drew wide media comment.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A11272-2004Jan12

"I appreciate former secretary O'Neill's service to our country," Bush said, rejecting O'Neill's description of the Iraq chronology. "In the initial stages of the administration, as you might remember, we were dealing with Desert Badger or flyovers and fly-betweens and looks, and so we were fashioning policy along those lines. And then all of a sudden September the 11th hit."

White House press secretary Scott McClellan, briefing reporters on Air Force One en route to Mexico, said the O'Neill matter "appears to be more about trying to justify personal views and opinions than it does about looking at the results that we are achieving on behalf of the American people."

Asked specifically about O'Neill's assertion that Bush and his top aides sought from the earliest days to remove Hussein, McClellan said: "The president exhausted all possible means to resolve this, resolve the situation in Iraq peacefully."

In his "60 Minutes" appearance, O'Neill said, "From the very beginning, there was a conviction that Saddam Hussein was a bad person and that he needed to go."

[Sydnie]

22. That is a revealing and frightening post

Why WOULD they censor his statement like that? If they were going to censor like that, why bother to cover it at all?

On Topic- Go John Conyers Go!

[Roland99]

16. Another thing about Conyers' efforts is it keeps this administration...

busy spinning on the defensive and creating more and more lies.

The house of cards cannot stand forever.

[Ikonoklast]

17. Amazing

Look, look, everybody, a true rarity! A Democrat actually acting like a Democrat! There is hope for the uprising after all!

[Rex_Goodheart]

21. Hmmm...

Why were we bombing Iraq? I thought our mission was to enforce a no-fly zone... what's with the bombs?

[peacetalksforall]

24. Can I point out a problem with media coverage and make a request?

We need to know when this letter from Conyers hits a newspaper or tv so that we can alert Washington Journal in advance of any callers referencing it and WJ saying they know nothing about it.

There are two fronts....to prevent WJ from playing dumb:

1. According to the above...this latest revelation was in The London Times on May 29. Remember that.

2. The letter from Conyers to the President was also on May 29 AND REPORTED WHERE? We will need the 'official coverage as accepted by the Washington Journal' which is more exclusive and limited than you can imagine. They only seem to read from east coast biggies and the little biggie, Washington TImes, plus the LA Times. In addition to CNN FOX ABC CBS and the NBCs. So be on the lookout and share it with us.

We need to be prepared when calling or writing WJ. Way too many right wing guests get off the hook because everyone plays dumg and way too dem guests are up-to-date, unless it is someone in Conyers group.

We should also ask WJ to request the presence of Conyers or Lee or Move On or someone.

Then stay in the straight arrow and stick to facts if you get to be a caller or the author of an e-mail.

Truth on WJ is the only way to get more truth on corporate propaganda networks.

[Gregorian]

26. You must have seen Conyer's media discussion group last week.

The ten panelists included Franken, Rhodes, and a bunch of brilliant journalists. It was so fantastic, I had to watch it twice.

Basically, Conyers was advised to march members down to media outlets and literally demand coverage.

If you missed it, go find it in the c-span archives. Not to be missed.

The cracks are forming. We've been ignored and beaten down, but we're coming back. From 1987 until now is a long long time (Fairness Doctrine).

[0007]

31. It was excellent, I recommend it to everyone.

n/t

[peacetalksforall]

32. I finally got to see it last night and I was thankful. However, there

were quite a few threads in the last couple of days about WJ playing dumb and dismissing the calls (my words).

[Gloria]

37. Joe Madison was AMAZING! He's on XM but his DC AM station doesn't

stream!!! I'm putting it up on my Radio page anyway....the man is AWESOME!!!! He was the gutsiest of all in demanding action by the Democrats against the media...

[Swamp Rat]

52. He's on "The Power"

:)

http://xmradio.com/programming/channel_page.jsp?ch=169

http://www.joemadison.com/

[ailsagirl]

25. Chimpo ignored the first request submitted over three weeks ago...

by Conyers (and 88 dems). I expect this request will also be ignored.

Then what? I hope there's a Plan B in place!!

Their silence speaks volumes... those bastards
:mad: :nuke: :grr:

[Gregorian]

28. It's time to force the media into it's rightful place.

It's mandated by the Constitution that the Fourth Estate be there for the people.

We're going to make them cover it. Period. If Conyers, et al have to break down the media doors and take over the cameras. They can't stop us now.

edit- Oh, and remember, Watergate started with a three sentence story on the back pages of a single newspaper.

[ailsagirl]

39. Good, fighting words, Gregorian!!

We-simply-cannot-let-this-Downing-Street-memo-story-die!!!
Like so many other stories that chronicled the outrageous deeds perpetrated by these insane neocons.

Those people must be psychotic-- truly. They have no souls, they have no hearts-- they're monsters, bent upon destroying the planet.

And I just don't get it.

:rant:

[otohara]

30. Will One of Crack Pentagon Reporters Ask About This Letter

probably not!

[Donailin]

33. kickin this

gotta keep putting the pressure on these lying thieving murdering bastards.

[nightfox02]

35. Conyers is the Man!

Conyers is actually doing work! Holy Shit... If half of our party cared even a fraction as much we wouldnt be in the mess we are now...Where is John Kerry on this issue? and half of the dem leadership?

[BigBearJohn]

36. Nightfox has a good point. Would it do any good for us to write our DEMS?

[MellowOne]

38. Is Conyers the only Democrate with a backbone?

It's amazing the lack of outrage around the Democratic party over the secret memo. If this were Clinton, every Republican would insist on an investigation. Again, we will see one more scandal ignored, one more scandal quiety sweep under the carpet to die a nice death.

[rodeodance]

43. I am waiting to hear Scotty's response when the WH press

core asks him about it again. I think one will ask (they did last time).

[rawstory]

41. DUPE

This was posted at Raw Story earlier this afernoon -- already a thread in here...

[symbolman]

51. I think that's up to the mods

Personally I find that DailyKos is a great resource.

I like going there because at some sites you get 3 or 4 popups and it's really annoying, and if I'm going to give someone some hits that they'll be paid for KOS certainly deserves them, he's earned it, great community there, just like here.

Did they use Raw Story as a link at Daily Kos? Just wondering. If I were you I'd find out if they took your "scoop" over there,

[NashVegas]

53. It Is Up to the Mods

If someone thinks its a dupe, they need to alert on it, and include a link to the thread that first had the info.

[jazzjunkysue]

47. GO, Go, GO! Go, Johnny, Go! Go! Go!

Keep backing up the dumptruck to the white house and keep dumping their own pollution on them. As the little emporer said: "Bring It On!!!!!":toast:

[bush_is_wacko]

48. You go Conyers!

Damn this man is good! President Conyers does sound oh so good, right now, but how much you want to bet he would never even consider it? He has the power to change the system right where he's at. Probably more so there than he would as president. He is a TRUTH and JUSTICE seeker.

What a man!

[Theduckno2]

49. Bush could deflect some of the aspects of the .....

Downing Street Memo by saying that the Senate voted to allow him to take the country to war. The increased attacks on Iraq were all his doing though and all the spin won't cover up that fact. Yes, fixing the intel around going to war and increasingly attacking Iraq to provoke war would look pretty bad at a tribunal. I hope the media starts to run this story frequently.

[DesEtoiles]

50. use the National Media List pinned at top of the Media forum-or Campaigns

to (attempt to) get the media clued in

[paineinthearse]

54. JC amazes me every day.

I am so proud of John Conyers.

[paineinthearse]

55. DU group for John Conyers

If you would support and, more importantly participate in a John Conyers group, please express your thoughts at http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3749262&mesg_id=3749262

We have more than enough people, need ideas for the mission statement.

thanks

[autorank]

56. Thank God for Rep. Conyers...he is one leader who learns, listens, & acts.

When the history of our times is written, Conyers will stand with the very few legislators who took the right actions, asked the right questions, fought the tyranny. Isn't it interesting that Conyers and Byrd, two of our oldest, are our most active and courageous representatives.

I signed his petition, I support him, I thank him.

[Hissyspit]

57. Anyone know when he plans to deliver the letter to the White House?

Did I miss that? Just want to keep on top of it.

[radio4progressives]

58. Please Send these letters to the Media Demanding Coverage and Publication.

I just sent both letters to my local newspaper the Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Ca). I'll be sending to the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Jose Mercury News as well as KGO, ABC World News.

Please do the same in your local areas and if any have the time to send to CALL CNN (and send letters)as well as MSNBC and PBS.