REVEALED: Bush and Blair went to war in Iraq despite South African intelligence proving no WMDs?

2015-11-30T15:50:10-05:00

"Tony Blair went to war in Iraq despite a report by South African experts with unique knowledge of the country that showed it did not possess weapons of mass destruction, according to a book published on Sunday.

God, Spies and Lies, by South African journalist John Matisonn , describes how then president Thabo Mbeki tried in vain to convince both Blair and President George W Bush that toppling Saddam Hussein in 2003 would be a terrible mistake.

Mbeki’s predecessor, Nelson Mandela, also tried to convince the American leader, but was left fuming that “President Bush doesn’t know how to think”.

The claim was this week supported by Mbeki’s office, which confirmed that he pleaded with both leaders to heed the WMD experts and even offered to become their intermediary with Saddam in a bid to maintain peace.

South Africa had a special insight into Iraq’s potential for WMD because the apartheid government’s own biological, chemical and nuclear weapons programme in the 1980s led the countries to collaborate. The programme was abandoned after the end of white minority rule in 1994 but the expert team, known as Project Coast , was put back together by Mbeki to investigate the US and UK assertion that Saddam had WMD – the central premise for mounting an invasion.

Mbeki, who enjoyed positive relations with both Blair and Saddam, asked for the team to be granted access.

“Saddam agreed, and gave the South African team the freedom to roam unfettered throughout Iraq,” writes Matisonn, who says he drew on sources in Whitehall and the South African cabinet. “They had access to UN intelligence on possible WMD sites. The US, UK and UN were kept informed of the mission and its progress.”

More at the link.

http://www.rawstory.com/2015/11/revealed-bush-and-blair-went-to-war-in-iraq-despite-south-african-intelligence-proving-no-wmds/

REVEALED: Bush and Blair went to war in Iraq despite South African intelligence proving no WMDs

Tony Blair went to war in Iraq despite a report by South African experts with unique knowledge of the country that showed it did not possess weapons of mass destruction, according to a book published on Sunday.

Response by SGT Jerrold Pesz made Nov 30 at 2015 4:00 PM

2015-11-30T16:00:52-05:00

And Russia, France, Israel, and many other intelligence agencies said that they did. Telling who was right is easy years later. American democrats believed the intel at the time and urged President Clinton to take action. Many voted for the Iraq war.

Response by COL Jean (John) F. B. made Nov 30 at 2015 4:01 PM

2015-11-30T16:01:14-05:00

Capt Walter Miller - Not sure this "reveals" anything, other than the assertion of someone trying top sell his book. I suppose you trust "South African intelligence" more than you do British and United States intelligence (although, it now looks like the Obama Administration has been "cooking the books"...

I think I will write a book claiming that I have "proof" that Obama was created by putting together body parts of Planned Parenthood aborted fetuses and see how long it takes for gullible people to post it as factual.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Nov 30 at 2015 4:13 PM

2015-11-30T16:13:29-05:00

Why would the USA and the UK rely on South African Intelligence about a nation thousands of miles north of their nation?
We already know Saddam used chemical agents in the southern marshes against the Shia and other agents in the north against the Kurds Capt Walter Miller.
Few have been killed in the past 50 years by nuclear WMDs but unfortunately many have been killed around the word by chemical WMDs. People dying as part of a mass destruction attempt most likely will not quibble about what type of WMD is causing their deaths :-)

Response by MSgt Erik Copp made Nov 30 at 2015 5:50 PM

2015-11-30T17:50:21-05:00

This guy is a trolling shitbag.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Nov 30 at 2015 7:03 PM

2015-11-30T19:03:11-05:00

No Surprise here. We Knew it. Did 2 tours patrolling off Iraq making sure not some much as a Fly Turd even came in via the Persian Gulf. Even had to escort a Dhow full of Sheep Shit back to Dubai and turn it over to the Gov't because that wasn't even allowed in. We Spent a lot of our time Watching Iran because they were a much more Viable Threat. 21 Years as a Navy Spook and Yes no matter which source you use the WMD's in Iraq was Pure Unadulterated Propaganda. It didn't exist. You are Spot On as always Walt!

Response by TSgt Kenneth Ellis made Nov 30 at 2015 10:36 PM

2015-11-30T22:36:27-05:00

You really hate Bush.

Response by SSG Audwin Scott made Dec 1 at 2015 1:51 PM

2015-12-01T13:51:39-05:00

Didn't former Secretary Colin Powell sit before Congress and admit no weapons of mass destruction were found?

Response by SPC David Hannaman made Dec 1 at 2015 2:56 PM

2015-12-01T14:56:55-05:00

This again?

1981 Israel strikes Iraqi nuclear reactor under construction preventing Saddam from getting a nuclear (or at least "dirty" bomb).
1988 Saddam used Chemical weapons
1990 Project Babylon Saddam was trying to build a gun big enough to strike Israel, it was halted when Gerald Bull was assassinated.
1991 Treaty that ends Desert Storm allows for UN Inspections.
1992 - 2002 Shiite Uprising & the Marsh Arabs, Genocide and environmental disaster
1992 - 2000 Defies the treaty, Kicks out UN inspectors, gets bombed, blames the United States, lets UN inspectors back in, repeats.

SO... In my humble opinion, the Bush administration made a huge error talking about WMD's because that seems to be what everyone now focuses on.

We had two choices, throw away the treaty signed after Desert Storm, normalize trade, and let Oil revenue fund a genocidal psychopath with a history of using weapons banned by the Geneva Convention and trying to develop more. OR we could do what we did. Attack and remove from power.

I personally think we did the right thing... but we did it 9 years late, and we paid the price for giving Saddam all those years of propaganda convincing the Arab nations that the USA was evil. The first Bush administration should have backed the Shiite uprising (does that sound like the "Bay of Pigs" incident to anyone else?!)

WMD's... he had them at one time, he wasn't allowing us to inspect for them, we needed to go in. IMO.