AP Probe suggests Bolton manipulated Iraq inspections to favor War
{{date|June 5, 2005}}
[[Image:John R. Bolton.png|left]]

A deputy acting for [[w:John R. Bolton|John Bolton]] told the ''[[w:Associated Press|Associated Press]]'' that Mr. Bolton orchestrated the firing of the head of a global arms-control agency in 2002. Jose Bustani, a [[w:Brazil|Brazilian]] diplomat for the agency, was trying to send chemical weapons inspectors into [[w:Baghdad|Baghdad]].  The former deputy told the ''AP'' that Mr. Bolton did not want that to happen because it might help defuse the crisis over [[w:Iraq disarmament crisis|alleged Iraqi weapons]] and thereby undermine a U.S. rationale for war.  A spokeswoman told ''AP'' that Bolton has no comment.

This new information comes in the wake of what is purported to be the [[w:Downing Street memo|leaked minutes]] of a 2002 meeting between top [[w:United States|US]] and [[w:United Kingdom|UK]] government officials, in which [[w:Matthew Rycroft|Matthew Rycroft]] reported "''Bush wanted to remove [[w:Saddam Hussein|Saddam]], through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and [[w:Weapons of mass destruction|WMD]].  But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy.''"  Neither the UK nor the US government is disputing the accuracy of the memo.

According to multiple reports, during a 2002 meeting between National Security Advisor [[w:Condoleezza Rice|Condoleezza Rice]] and a group of US Senators, [[w:George W. Bush|President Bush]] interrupted and changed the subject to Iraq.  One of the people present told ''[[w:CNN|CNN's]]'' Daniel Eisenberg that Bush used a vulgar epithet to refer to Saddam and concluded by saying, "''We're taking him out.''"

Following the 2004 presidential election, Republican members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence refused to carry out plans to review how U.S. policymakers used pre-war Iraq intelligence.  The plans to review the intelligence after the election were reached as a compromise with the Democratic members of the committee, prior to elections.  According to a co-chair, the president's commission on intelligence is not authorized by its charter to look into the subject.  Proponents of an inquiry have been unsuccessful in getting an investigation of the matter.

==Sources==
*{{source|url=http://www.mediainfo.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000946569
|title=AP Probe on Bolton Finds Disturbing Links to Iraq War
|author=Charles J. Hanley, AP
|pub=Editor & Publisher
|date=June 5, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/05/06/time.out/
|title="We're taking him out"
|author=Daniel Eisenberg
|pub=CNN
|date=May 6, 2002}}

*{{source|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1593607,00.html
|title=The Secret Downing Street memo
|author=Matthew Rycroft
|pub=The Sunday Times
|date=May 1, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/12/AR2005051201857.html
|title=British Intelligence Warned of Iraq War
|author=Walter Pincer
|pub=The Washington Post
|date=May 13, 2005}}

{{PD-Article}}

{{archive}}
{{publish}}

[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:Baghdad]]
[[Category:Republican Party (United States)]]
[[Category:Democratic Party (United States)]]
[[Category:Iraq]]
[[Category:Middle East]]
[[Category:Chemical weapons]]
left

A deputy acting for John Bolton told the Associated Press that Mr. Bolton orchestrated the firing of the head of a global arms-control agency in 2002. Jose Bustani, a Brazilian diplomat for the agency, was trying to send chemical weapons inspectors into Baghdad.  The former deputy told the AP that Mr. Bolton did not want that to happen because it might help defuse the crisis over alleged Iraqi weapons and thereby undermine a U.S. rationale for war.  A spokeswoman told AP that Bolton has no comment.

This new information comes in the wake of what is purported to be the leaked minutes of a 2002 meeting between top US and UK government officials, in which Matthew Rycroft reported "Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD.  But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy."  Neither the UK nor the US government is disputing the accuracy of the memo.

According to multiple reports, during a 2002 meeting between National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice and a group of US Senators, President Bush interrupted and changed the subject to Iraq.  One of the people present told CNN's Daniel Eisenberg that Bush used a vulgar epithet to refer to Saddam and concluded by saying, "We're taking him out."

Following the 2004 presidential election, Republican members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence refused to carry out plans to review how U.S. policymakers used pre-war Iraq intelligence.  The plans to review the intelligence after the election were reached as a compromise with the Democratic members of the committee, prior to elections.  According to a co-chair, the president's commission on intelligence is not authorized by its charter to look into the subject.  Proponents of an inquiry have been unsuccessful in getting an investigation of the matter.

*

*

*
North America United States Baghdad Republican Party (United States) Democratic Party (United States) Iraq Middle East Chemical weapons