British memo: U.S. data manipulated for Iraq war

Chicago Tribune | May 10 2005

Comment: The only American newspaper to carry a story that was all over the front pages of British newspapers more than a week ago.

WASHINGTON -- A Michigan congressman is seeking more information from President Bush about a classified British memo, leaked during Britain's recent election campaign, that claims the president decided by summer 2002 to overthrow Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and was determined to ensure that U.S. intelligence data supported his policy.

The memo, in which British foreign policy aide Matthew Rycroft summarized a July 23, 2002, meeting of Prime Minister Tony Blair with top security advisers, reports on a U.S. visit by Richard Dearlove, then head of Britain's MI-6 intelligence service.

The memo does not specify which Bush administration officials met with Dearlove.

The visit took place while the Bush administration was saying publicly that no decision had been made to go to war.

Rep. John Conyers, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, is circulating a letter asking Bush for an explanation, an aide said.

The MI-6 chief's account of his U.S. visit was paraphrased by the memo: "There was a perceptible shift in attitude. Military action was now seen as inevitable. Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and [weapons of mass destruction]. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy. ... There was little discussion in Washington of the aftermath after military action."

No weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq since the March 2003 invasion.

The White House repeatedly has denied accusations that intelligence estimates were manipulated.

The memo, first disclosed in full by the Sunday Times of London, hasn't been disavowed by the British government.

A White House official said the administration wouldn't comment on the document.