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Memo: Bush Planned to Bomb Al-Jazeera TV Network

By Jeralyn, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Tue Nov 22, 2005 at 12:00:08 PM EST
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This is pretty amazing. A memo has been uncovered that shows Bush planned to bomb an al Jazeera tv network and Tony Blair talked him out of it.

A source told the Mirror: "The memo is explosive and hugely damaging to Bush. "He made clear he wanted to bomb al-Jazeera in Qatar and elsewhere. Blair replied that would cause a big problem.

"There's no doubt what Bush wanted to do -- and no doubt Blair didn't want him to do it." Another source said: "Bush was deadly serious, as was Blair. That much is absolutely clear from the language used by both men." A spokesman for Blair's Downing Street office said: "We have got nothing to say about this story. We don't comment on leaked documents."

Bush calls the claim "outlandish."

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    • Memo: Bush Planned to Bomb Al-Jazeera TV Network | 11 comments (11 topical)
    Re: Memo: Bush Planned to Bomb Al-Jazeera TV Netwo (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:21 PM EST
    That Bush planned to bomb the Al-Jazeera TV Network is not surprising to learn. Too bad he didn't plan to bomb FOX News, though . . .

    Re: Memo: Bush Planned to Bomb Al-Jazeera TV Netwo (none / 0) (#2)
    by Quaker in a Basement on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:21 PM EST
    Eason Jordan, please phone home.

    Re: Memo: Bush Planned to Bomb Al-Jazeera TV Netwo (none / 0) (#3)
    by Andreas on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:21 PM EST
    A selection of relevant WSWS-articles: Documentary on Al-Jazeera and Iraq war Rather timid considering the circumstances By Joanne Laurier, 5 July 2004 US menaces Al Jazeera over Iraq reportage By Richard Phillips, 27 August 2003 "A rapacious colonial war": Interview with Arab journalist Said Dudin on US bombing of Al Jazeera By Stefan Steinberg, 15 April 2003 Journalists’ organizations demand inquiry US bombs Al-Jazeera center in Baghdad By Henry Michaels, 9 April 2003 Al-Jazeera web site under attack from pro-war hackers By Mick Ingram, 1 April 2003 White House dictates war coverage to a pliant media Office of Global Communications oversees press censorship By Henry Michaels, 26 March 2003 Why the US bombed al-Jazeera’s TV station in Kabul By Steve James, 21 November 2001

    Re: Memo: Bush Planned to Bomb Al-Jazeera TV Netwo (none / 0) (#4)
    by scarshapedstar on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:22 PM EST
    Please tell me this is a joke. Bombing Al-Jazeera is sheer barking mad suicide.

    Re: Memo: Bush Planned to Bomb Al-Jazeera TV Netwo (none / 0) (#5)
    by rilkefan on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:22 PM EST
    The Daily Mirror is not a highly reliable source of info. And however low my estimate of the virtues of Bush, I have to think this was a joke at worst.

    Re: Memo: Bush Planned to Bomb Al-Jazeera TV Netwo (none / 0) (#6)
    by Sailor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:22 PM EST
    The Daily Mirror is not a highly reliable source of info.
    No argument, but the UK gov has started a leak investigation about the comments which seems to support them.

    Re: Memo: Bush Planned to Bomb Al-Jazeera TV Netwo (none / 0) (#7)
    by Sailor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:22 PM EST
    scarshapedstar - they've already bombed offices of Al-Jazeera ... twice.

    Re: Memo: Bush Planned to Bomb Al-Jazeera TV Netwo (none / 0) (#8)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:22 PM EST
    Yeah this is another dog bites man story. In fact the Bushies probably don't even feel it worthy to launch a smear and deny attack against the source...although their minions will probably reflexively do it anyway.

    Re: Memo: Bush Planned to Bomb Al-Jazeera TV Netwo (none / 0) (#9)
    by jimcee on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:24 PM EST
    Too bad, it would have been a good thing. Funny how Al Jeezera photographers show up just as a bomb or attack happens.But I'm sure it is just a coincicidence. And if you believe that you are an idiot. Sheesh, is it just boneheadedness on the anti-war side or possibly gullibility? No, just bone stupidity. Bag O'hammers stupidity at that.

    Re: Memo: Bush Planned to Bomb Al-Jazeera TV Netwo (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:25 PM EST
    Have any links to back up your claim, or are you using your rusty 'common sense' JC?

    Re: Memo: Bush Planned to Bomb Al-Jazeera TV Netwo (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:27 PM EST
    Frankly, this reminds me of situations where I was treated like a whiny bleeding-heart mollycoddle, because I seemed to be taking someone's destructive words too literally. It looks to me like Bush, in an angry mood, said to his confidante Blair, "I should attack those people!". Judging from what I keep hearing from those who think that I should be more tough, when people in angry moods say such things to their confidantes, they shouldn't be taken literally. The person is likely just letting of steam, especially since some people are very impulsive, so they could angrily say all sorts of things.

    Memo: Bush Planned to Bomb Al-Jazeera TV Network | 11 comments (11 topical)