In February 2003, Tony Blair’s Labour Government issued it’s ‘proof’ of Iraq’s “Weapons of Mass Destruction” capability, to UK journalists. These documents were used to justify its involvement in the invasion of Iraq. The documents became known as “The Dodgy Dossier”. The reason for this label became clear when numerous journalists and researchers quickly discovered that much of it’s content had been plagiarised from various, less than authoritative sources. “The most notable source was an article by Ibrahim al-Marashi entitled Iraq's Security & Intelligence Network: A Guide & Analysis, which was published in the September 2002 issue of the Middle East Review of International Affairs” (Wikipedia). Aspects were repeated verbatim (including typographical errors), certain amendments were made to strengthen the alleged findings and no reference was made to the origins of the information, other than "a number of sources, including intelligence reports".
This dossier became the exclusive argument for the Iraq invasion and used by George Bush in his “State Of The Union” address. An address signalling the forthcoming war. It became extremely important that this dossier be taken at face value, considering that in July 21, 2002, British Cabinet Office briefing papers warned officials that any war, executed on the basis of regime change, was illegal. Also relevant is the (July 23, 2002) secret British Downing Street memo warning officials that Saddam Hussein was not a threat, that President Bush was determined to invade Iraq and U.S. officials were fixing their intelligence and facts around their policy to go to war. In September 2002, one of Tony Blair's most senior aides told intelligence chiefs their draft dossier failed to demonstrate "an imminent threat" and that Saddam Hussain “does not demonstrate the motive to attack his neighbours, let alone the West". The UK government knew the risks, yet proceeded anyway.
With Bush‘s claims that "Saddam Hussein still has chemical and biological weapons and is increasing his capabilities to make more" and daily news articles telling the public that such weapons were capable of hitting the west within “45 minutes”, those behind the war plans felt secure in the knowledge that an uninformed public would support the war unquestioningly. Whilst a few people could already see the true agenda at play, most were still in the dark. However, it was (ironically) the BBC that was about to change this situation.
 |
| Andrew Gilligan |
Andrew Gilligan wrote a report for the BBC, claiming that the Dossiers had been deliberately exaggerated. His research led him to an unauthorised, off the record interview with Dr David Kelly, a British scientist and expert on biological warfare (employed by the Ministry Of Defence) and formerly a United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq. Kelly was asked by the British Government to proof-read all aspects of the Iraq Dossiers and was very concerned about many aspects of the documents, specifically the “45 minute” claim. In his interview with Gilligan, Kelly told him of his concerns over the 45-minute claim and allegedly ascribed its inclusion in the dossier to Alastair Campbell, the director of communications for Prime Minister Tony Blair, in order to “sex up” the Dossiers. He also asked Gilligan not to reveal his identity in these articles. The report was broadcast on 29 May 2003 on the Today programme, stating that the 45-minute claim had been placed in the dossier by the government, even though it knew the claim was dubious.
In June 2003, Kelly visited Iraq to inspect (what was claimed to be) some mobile WMD production labs. Kelly was unhappy with the description of the trailers and spoke off the record to The Observer on 15 June 2003. He said, “They are not mobile germ warfare laboratories. You could not use them for making biological weapons. They do not even look like them. They are exactly what the Iraqis said they were - facilities for the production of hydrogen gas to fill balloons”.
Andrew Gilligan wrote a follow up to the original item on The Today Show, in The Mail newspaper. Here, he directly identified Alastair Campbell as the person responsible for adding the 45 minute claim. The UK Government immediately denied any involvement in the intelligence content of the dossier and lambasted the BBC, calling them liars and pushing them to reveal the name of the source. Kelly subsequently contacted his superiors saying, "I am convinced that I am not his primary source of information". The MOD publicly admitted that “an employee had come forward who might be the source”. When pushed, they confirmed it was Dr David Kelly.
It is believed that this was strategic decision made by Tony Blair in order to discredit Kelly directly. Many individuals went to great pains to muddy his character, describing him as a “Walter Mitty like, fantasist. The Government also launched a huge operation (coincidently spearheaded by Alastair Campbell) to effectively destroy any remaining independent elements of journalism in the BBC. Initially targeting Andrew Gilligan, they also successfully managed to decapitate the BBC by forcing Director General Greg Dyke out of his job. It would be fair to say that, if any independence of reportage remained in the BBC, it probably ceased to exist that day… something that we are now truly feeling the repercussions of in all media aspects of Western society.
 |
| Dr David Kelly |
Dr Kelly was called to appear (on 15 July) before the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Select Committee (which was investigating the issues Gilligan had reported) where he was aggressively scrutinised about his actions. He denied meeting with Gilligan. On July 18, Dr Kelly was found dead in some woods near his home in Oxfordshire. The ‘official’ account states that he committed suicide through an overdose of painkillers and significant blood loss caused by slashes to the wrists. ‘Depression and Stress’ was related as the reason.
Independent investigations and research into his death has discovered some curious aspects. It appears Dr Kelly’s body was moved from it’s original resting place, to a spot that became known as the ‘official’ site of his death. It appears that both the drug intake and degree of arterial injury weren’t substantial enough to cause death. There was a strong police presence near his home just before his disappearance. Also huge aerials were reported as being erected in his garden! A few months before his death, British Diplomat David Boucher asked Kelly what would happen if the West were to invade Iraq. Kelly answered by claiming that he “would probably be found dead in the woods”.
Whatever subsequent inquiries say and despite the protestations of politicians, medical examiners and journalists, it seems likely that Dr David Kelly was murdered. Was it to silence him because he didn’t exactly tow the party line? We may never know…
 |
| Robin Cook |
The following awakening was astonishing. In politics, MPs and cabinet minister alike, showed their disapproval of the Iraq War and the intelligence that led to it. Politicians like Norman Baker and Clare Short raised their heads (even if briefly) above the parapet to join the growing chorus of dissent. Some like Robin Cook, who died as a result of a ‘heart attack’ on a mountain in Wales , possibly met the same fate as Dr Kelly. Hundreds of thousands of people marched through the streets in peaceful protest against the wars, carrying placards and banners with slogans like “Not In My Name”, “No War For Oil”, “No WMDs” and “Bliar” (Blair the Liar). The powers that be had been caught, well and truly, with their pants down.
The likes of George Bush and Tony Blair would never be looked at in the same way again. Of course, all of this is compounded by the fact that, in the end, no Weapons Of Mass Destruction were ever found anywhere in Iraq… even to this day. In January 2004, ex-US arms hunter, David Kay, stated on record that there were no WMDs in Iraq. In December of the same year, a US report from the Iraq Survey Group stated on record that there were no WMDs in Iraq. The very next day, the CIA made the same statement. In December, an ex-CIA agent claimed he was sacked for not faking intelligence reports on Iraq’s WMD capability. By the end of the year, The White House decided that it was no longer looking for WMDs.
In 2005, George Bush made a staggering comment: That the US was in Iraq because of 9/11. The statement is misleading, 9/11 actually allowed the circumstances in order to get away with Iraq… at least initially. Today, on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Western governments and mainstream media has an edict that runs scared of connecting Al-Qaeda and 9/11 to Iraq. Whether illegal or not, the instigators of the war have gone unpunished for a crime they now call “regime change”. This buzz phrase is now the tactic they have latched onto as a means to commit unspeakable acts across the world. The most important factor, though, is that with Iraq, we finally saw the truth exposed for what it was. These events proved that governments cannot always successfully hide the truth from the people. This scares them to death. In the UK, more people believe they were lied to over Iraq, than those that believe the government propaganda. This is truly a victory for the truth.
It is here that we should remember the road travelled. Iraq came from 9/11, even though it had nothing to do with 9/11. There is a legacy to 9/11 that should be discussed. It is disrespectful to NOT ask the questions. We need to expose the lies. Those who were TRULY responsible for 9/11 should be called to account. This is how we can respect and honour the victims. All of them. People like Dr David Kelly, anybody who has been innocently accused of crimes and tortured to death as a result of the destruction of civil liberties, anybody who has spoken up and disappeared, the hundreds and hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians killed in illegal wars, the oppressed and all those who died on September 11, 2001.
For all this, we should continue to remember 9/11.
Not for trite reasons… but for the right reasons.
The Truth Seeker’s Guide.
Books available from Carl James:
Science Fiction and the Hidden Global Agenda - Volume One - http://www.lulu.com/shop/carl-james/science-fiction-and-the-hidden-global-agenda-2016-edition-volume-one/paperback/product-23209429.html
Science Fiction and the Hidden Global Agenda - Volume Two - http://www.lulu.com/shop/carl-james/science-fiction-and-the-hidden-global-agenda-2016-edition-volume-two/paperback/product-23209433.html
What Really Happened at the London 2012 Olympics - http://www.lulu.com/shop/carl-james/what-really-happened-at-the-london-2012-olympics/paperback/product-23221527.html
History shows us that part of the legacy of 9/11 was the “War On Terror”. Although this war began in Afghanistan, it was obvious that it was never going to be confined to this country alone. The eventual scope of this endeavour appeared disproportionate with the implications of the ‘official’ account of 9/11. Documented accounts show that the Bush administration (with the support of several other western powers) had considered both extensive military incursions in Syria and Pakistan, whilst an invasion of Iran was discussed on a weekly basis. With this, the public began to hear the alarm bells and questioned the true nature of these events. What was the real agenda behind the “War On Terror”? Tens years after 9/11, it is hindsight and information leaks and disclosures that have shown why questioning the real agenda was justified. The next stage of the “War On Terror” began “officially” in 2003 with the invasion of Iraq. However, like Afghanistan, evidence shows that this target was on the cards long before 9/11.
It has always seemed strange that the turn of the millennium showed such obvious aggressive intentions toward Iraq. Strange given the historical context of Iraq’s (and by association, Saddam Hussein) relationship with the US. There is a tangible history of business deals between the two countries and more importantly, an arms deal. The US armed Iraq to the teeth many times throughout the latter part of the twentieth century (see: Iran / Iraq War) and the extent of this arming was fully realised when US troops discovered that most of the small arms, ammunition, rockets and many vehicles (seized from fighters, post invasion), were US-made.
Many have theorised about “what went wrong”, in order to change the nature of this relationship. Some have speculated about Saddam’s plans to sell oil via a system other than the petro-dollar, some have talked about Global Agenda plans and others have simply pointed to financial reasons. It is difficult to truly know. As with Afghanistan, the usual suspects of business and military contractors profited hugely from the Iraq War and on a much larger scale than Afghanistan. Recently, it has been revealed that billions of dollars were wasted on black hole projects that certainly never benefited the people of Iraq, improved the infrastructure or helped to rebuild the country. This is simply nothing more than a crime of greed and corruption, but I’m digressing here…
Although it was perhaps the first Gulf War that set the precedent for Iraq always being an eventual target of the “War On Terror”, it seems that the first credible evidence appeared in late January of 2001... A full 7 months before 9/11 and 2 years before the actual invasion. This evidence relates to a Treasury Department memo received by former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill on January 24 2001 which contained a summary of a "military plan" for a "post-Saddam Iraq" which was marked “secret“. O’Neill later admitted that, within days of George Bush entering the White House, the Bush administration had drawn up plans to use U.S. troops to invade Iraq. Even former White House anti-terrorism advisor Richard Clarke later revealed, "They were talking about Iraq on 9/11. They were talking about it on 9/12. Rumsfeld was saying we needed to bomb Iraq". He also said that Rumsfeld said, “There aren't any good targets in Afghanistan and there are lots of good targets in Iraq".
The pretence could be seen on September 10 2001, when Rumsfeld warned of Iraq’s pursuit of WMDs. In 2002, CNN reported that mid afternoon of 9/11, Rumsfeld began planning strike plans against Saddam Hussein in Iraq. On September 12, Rumsfeld insisted (at a Cabinet meeting) that Iraq “should be a principal target of the first round of terrorism". In October of 2001, former CIA Director James Woolsey said Iraq was likely involved in 9/11 and the ‘alleged’ anthrax attacks of the time, and that “the US will probably confront Saddam Hussein as part of its war on terrorism“.
From this period onwards, Iraq was inextricably connected to 9/11, despite there being no evidence to prove it. The West began to build a case for the invasion of Iraq. In February 2002, US military intelligence warned the Bush administration that a captured Al Qaeda operative had given fabricated information that Iraq was training Al Qaeda members in how to make chemical and biological weapons. Despite this information being totally unreliable and despite being warned by intelligence agencies that the information “may be faulty”, President Bush used this information in a (October 2002) speech to try to link Iraq to 9/11. On February 5, 2003, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell addressed the UN Security Council about alleged WMDs in Iraq and alleged connections with Al Qaeda.
Despite the continued search for, and lack of, credible evidence to connect Iraq, the West appeared unfettered and unconcerned. The rhetoric was that it was always ‘inevitable’. The true arrogance of the ‘Agenda’ players was witnessed in January 2003 in a war memo showing that George Bush was determined to go to war with Iraq, regardless of whether or not they had the backing of the UN. The memo also quoted him as “discussing ways they could provoke Saddam Hussein into a confrontation“. By March 2003, Iraq had been invaded.
The most damning proof of a cover up began to unfold in George Bush’s State Of The Union address on January 28, 2003. It was here that Bush uttered those now infamous 16 words: "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa". This intelligence became mired in controversy when columnist Robert Novak exposed CIA operative Valerie Plame, the wife of retired diplomat Joseph C. Wilson. This is key because Wilson was sent to Niger, Africa in February 2002 to investigate the possible purchase of Uranium Yellowcake by Iraq. His conclusion that this was “highly unlikely” was considered by the CIA to be “less than definitive”. With the onset of the ‘British Intelligence Reports’ and Bush’s statement of evidence in his address, many in US and British politics began to accuse the Bush administration of ignoring prior intelligence and eventually added to the notion that the President “lied the country to war”.
The involvement of the British Government and Intelligence Agencies, at this point, is key to understanding why Iraq became known as an “illegal war”. As early as October 4, 2001, the U.K. Government released a 70 point dossier as evidence against Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda networks and their alleged involvement in 9/11. Both experts and media reports stated that their case against Osama was "thin on facts," "full of conjecture," and "still no smoking gun". It seems bizarre that when the Iraq scenario came around, the British Government continued, in part, to refer to this document. This is despite there being no real relationship between this 70 point dossier and the ‘Iraq Case’.
Throughout 2002, Tony Blair’s government began to work on building a case against Iraq as part of their commitment to a U.S.-led Iraq invasion. By early 2003, The UK released a document entitled “Iraq: Its Infrastructure of Concealment, Deception and Intimidation “, now known as “The Dodgy Dossier”.
Unbeknownst to anyone at the time, they had inadvertently opened Pandora’s Box…
To Be Continued…
Books available from Carl James:
Science Fiction and the Hidden Global Agenda - Volume One - http://www.lulu.com/shop/carl-james/science-fiction-and-the-hidden-global-agenda-2016-edition-volume-one/paperback/product-23209429.html
Science Fiction and the Hidden Global Agenda - Volume Two - http://www.lulu.com/shop/carl-james/science-fiction-and-the-hidden-global-agenda-2016-edition-volume-two/paperback/product-23209433.html
What Really Happened at the London 2012 Olympics - http://www.lulu.com/shop/carl-james/what-really-happened-at-the-london-2012-olympics/paperback/product-23221527.html
