Video proves AP account of Downing Street memo question wrong

Raw Story | June 9 2005

The Associated Press errantly revised a question asked by a Reuters reporter about the Downing Street minutes, RAW STORY has discovered.

The AP transcript says the reporter asked a question which included the phrase, "intelligence and facts remain fixed" around the policy of removing Saddam Hussein. The official White House transcript and audio file confirmed by RAW STORY found that the reporter in fact had said "intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy of removing Saddam through military action."

Remarkably, the Washington Post's full transcript disagreed with an article by its own reporter, Dana Milbank. Milbank's version included the correct quotation.

Milbank said in an email that he used copy provided by the Federal News Service, the leading transcription provider in the Washington circuit.

AP's transcript was taken by CQ transcripts.

The difference, while semantic, entirely changed the question the reporter asked. Neither the Associated Press or Reuters reporter Steve Holland were immediately available for comment.

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The AP copy distributed to the papers was:

Q: Thank you, sir. On Iraq, the so-called "Downing Street Memo" from July 2002, says, "Intelligence and facts remain fixed around the policy of removing Saddam through military actions." Is this an accurate reflection of what happened? Could both of you respond?

BLAIR: Well, I can respond to that very easily. No, the facts were not being fixed in any shape or form at all. And let me remind you that that memorandum was written before we then went to the United Nations.

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The official White House / Milbank account stated:

Q Thank you, sir. On Iraq, the so-called Downing Street memo from July 2002 says intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy of removing Saddam through military action. Is this an accurate reflection of what happened? Could both of you respond?

PRIME MINISTER BLAIR: Well, I can respond to that very easily. No, the facts were not being fixed in any shape or form at all. And let me remind you that that memorandum was written before we then went to the United Nations.

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You can read the Downing Street minutes here.