Bush Plot to Bomb his Arab Ally

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

PRESIDENT Bush planned to bomb Arab TV station al-Jazeera in friendly Qatar, a "Top Secret" No 10 memo reveals.

But he was talked out of it at a White House summit by Tony Blair, who said it would provoke a worldwide backlash.

A source said: "There's no doubt what Bush wanted, and no doubt Blair didn't want him to do it." Al-Jazeera is accused by the US of fuelling the Iraqi insurgency.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16397937%26method=full%26siteid=94762%26headline=bush-plot-to-bomb-his-arab-ally--name_page.html

The source isn't totally fantastic ("The Mirror" is a tabloid, albeit a left-wing one), but hopefully secondary confirmation won't be too long coming.

[TomInTib]

1. Considering all the other stunts (bombing included) they pulled

against al-Jazeera this doesn't surprise me in the least.

[NYC]

5. And the high number of dead journalists.

[IChing]

9. why not just send anthrax or make them drive through a checkpoint?

Bombing is so Rumsfield,

[superconnected]

2. Look who we have in power

A nut who would bomb the mideast news because he doesn't like whats on it. Bet he'd do this countries if he had the chance.

[Ian David]

79. We almost bombed The Superbowl because they showed a titty. n/t

[reprobate]

80. Hell, he'd do it to us if he had the chance. IMHO he already did-9/11?

[IChing]

3. Kevin Maguire who is given credit for writing this, also writes for

The Guardian which I consider a very reliable source.
I await another source but this has all the implications of our government attacking
journalists or killing them on purpose,
oh wait, never-mind

[stillcool]

4. ooohhh...another Downing St. Memo?

those are my favorite!!

[evermind]

10. I wonder if this "memo" is the transcript of a Bush/Blair conversation

referred to in this Times story yesterday, where a researcher for an anti-war labour mp (now ex-mp) is charged under the Official Secrets Act for passing on the transcript to his boss, the mp.

Researcher on secrets charge

<snip>

The document is said to be the transcript of a conversation between Tony Blair and President George Bush in spring 2004. It is believed to show Blair disagreed with Bush over their strategy on Iraq.

The men also revealed sensitive information on the situation in Iraq, including intelligence sources and details of future military movements.

Last week several media organisations claimed the information had also been leaked to The Sunday Times. However, the Metropolitan police, Crown Prosecution Service and Clarke said this was not the case.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1880286,00.html

If the transcript is circulating among the press, it's bound to come out sooner or later, I'd guess. Could be interesting!

[IChing]

14. Interesting to say the least

Hope the transcript gets released
to see if it is connected to this story.

[lumpy]

59. It is the same document re. the Times

story.

[LuckyTheDog]

6. Bad, bad, bad

If Blair talked Bush out of that, then good for him. But it's scary to think we need the Brits to talk Bush "off the ledge." Couldn't Bush's own staff have seen what a monumentally bad idea that would be?

:wtf:

[Ouabache]

17. no, Bush's staff probably RECOMMENDED it !!

nt

[Wetzelbill]

33. oh yeah those guy's are batshit

no doubt about it.

[Aimah]

7. They don't realize that Al Jazeera isn't whats...

making Middle Easterners hate American policy it's the actual facts. Many people there have access to American news and they don't like what they see there either.

[RamboLiberal]

8. Sludge is supposed to be revealing some media story

on Faux at 9:45 tonight - wonder if this could be it?

Wow - if this is true - Bushie better pull those troops out now. Iraq is a lost cause for sure.

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. Bomb them in Qatar?

I'm amazed they would try to get away with that. They quite possibly did it in Iraq at the end of the invasion, but to do it in peaceful Qatar would seem very risky.

[IChing]

13. why not call it a terrorist attack? or

a misguided missile?

If *he* mention this to his lapdog blair,
I'm sure, (because he doesn't have an original thought anyway,)
that he thought that this was part of standard operating procedure
in the good old Bushworld of doing things.
(which leaves a lot to speculate on what they have done before)

I think if this story has any meat on it that it will be as damning as the DSM

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. Maybe, but you'd expect an investigation in Qatar

and the consequences, if caught, are very big for Bush. The advantages for him of bombing Al Jazeera would seem small to me. I'd also doubt that he'd tell Blair about it. Blair is even less likely to condone it than Bush - Al Jazeera has several British citizens that work for it, and is not demonised in the UK like it is on Fox etc.

[IChing]

16. They bomb them in Kabul so why not Qatar ..stories and links

Perhaps the administration has responded. Take a look at a series of interesting developments that have taken place recently:

November 19th, 2001 – The Guardian reported about the bomb that destroyed Al-Jazeera’s offices in Kabul, Afghanistan. The reports states, “Al-Jazeera certainly believes it was a target. Speaking on the telephone to News World from Qatar, its chief editor, Ibrahim Hilal, said he believed that it's Kabul office had been on the Pentagon's list of targets since the beginning of the conflict”.

The same report quotes spokesman, US Col. Brian Hoey as saying, "The US military does not and will not target media. We would not, as a policy, target news media organisations - it would not even begin to make sense."

February 7th, 2003 – The Washington Post reported,“President Bush has signed a secret directive ordering the government to develop, for the first time, national- level guidance for determining when and how the United States would launch cyber-attacks against enemy computer networks”.

February 12th, 2003 – USA Today reported, “If we attack Iraq, for instance, soldiers armed with PCs might fire hacker software bullets over the Net to shut down Iraq's electrical grid or overwhelm computers in Saddam's headquarters. The military might even get creative, sending code that launches a RealNetworks player on every Iraqi PC, then shows a digitally altered video of Saddam instructing everyone to surrender.”

March 10th, 2003 – The Guardian reported, “How the net will play a key role in this war”, and went on later to state, “The US government is getting in on the act as well. For the first time ever, the US military has engaged in an ‘information warfare campaign’ aimed at Iraqi email addresses with an onslaught of spam urging recipients to contact the United Nations if they want to defect.”The story also reported,“

April 2nd, 2003 – Newsday reported,“the Web site of Arab satellite news network Al-Jazeera was among the most sought-after on the Internet last week. The Web portal Lycos reported that ‘Al-Jazeera’ and variant spellings became its top search term last week, with three times more searches than ‘sex.’”, and Google stated, “’Al-Jazeera’ was the term that showed the greatest increase in the week ending March 31.”

March 23rd, 2003 – Newsfactor reports, “Someone made hacker history by knocking out Aljazeera.net, the Arabic satellite news channel's Web site, for most of last week. No one has ever sustained a crippling attack against a big Web site for so long.”The article further states, “The attack began Sunday morning, March 23, a few hours after Al-Jazeera broadcast graphic images of dead and captured U.S. soldiers.”

The same report states, “The FBI monitored the hack but could do little to trace or stop it.”

March 24th, 2003 – Al-Jazeera Launches Website in English

March 24th, 2003 – Newsfactor reports, that the hacking continues, “as Al-Jazeera introduced an English-language version of its Web pages, the barrage intensified.”

March 26th, 2003 – Reuters reports that Iraqi TV, was targeted and bombed. In addition it states, “The head of the world's biggest journalists' organization said a U.S. bomb and missile attack on Iraqi television on Wednesday was an attempt at censorship and may have breached the Geneva Conventions.”

’I think there should be a clear international investigation into whether or not this bombing violates the Geneva Conventions,’ Aidan White, general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), told Reuters. ‘We have every reason to believe this is an act of censorship against media that U.S. politicians and military strategists don't like,’ he said.”

“A U.S. official in Washington earlier said the raid had hit the main television station, a key telecommunications vault and Baghdad satellite communications, damaging the government's command and control capability. “

"Once again, we see military and political commanders from the democratic world targeting a television network simply because they don't like the message it gives out," Aidan White said.

March 28th, 2003 – The Guardian report, “Al-Jazeera tells the truth about war”, stated, “Last Tuesday, while western channels were celebrating a Basra ‘uprising’ which none of them could have witnessed since they don't have reporters in the city, our correspondent in the Sheraton there returned a rather flat verdict of ‘uneventful’ - a view confirmed shortly afterwards by a spokesman for the opposition Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. By reporting propaganda as fact, the mainstream media had simply mirrored the Blair/Bush fantasy that the people who have been starved by UN sanctions and deformed by depleted uranium since 1991 will greet them as saviours.”

April 2nd, 2003 – The Guardian reports, “A hotel in Basra being used as a base by al-Jazeera's team of correspondents in the city was shelled this morning, the Arabic TV news channel has claimed. The Basra Sheraton, whose only guests are al-Jazeera journalists, received four direct hits this morning during a heavy artillery bombardment, according to the Qatar-based broadcaster.”

http://www.independent-media.tv/item.cfm?fmedia_id=2589&fcategory_desc=Under%20Reported

[muriel_volestrangler]

20. It appears this bombing was to be in 2004

ie not when the city was under general attack, unlike the Al Jazeera offices in Baghdad and Kabul.

According to unnamed sources quoted in the Daily Mirror, the memo - stamped Top Secret - records Mr Bush suggesting that he might order the bombing of al Jazeera's studios in Qatar.

And it allegedly details how Mr Blair argued against an attack on the station's buildings in the business district of Doha, the capital city of Qatar, which is a key ally of the West in the Persian Gulf.

Al Jazeera had sparked the anger of the US administration by broadcasting video messages from al Qaeda head Osama bin Laden and leaders of the insurgency in Iraq.

According to the Mirror's source, the transcript records a conversation during Mr Blair's visit to the White House on April 16 last year.

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-13466894,00.html

[IChing]

50. ATF and Yahoo have continued the story..HE DID WANT TO BOMB!!!!

A source told the Mirror: "The memo is explosive and hugely damaging to Bush.

"He made clear he wanted to bomb al-Jazeera in Qatar and elsewhere. Blair replied that would cause a big problem.

"There's no doubt what Bush wanted to do -- and no doubt Blair didn't want him to do it."

Another source said: "Bush was deadly serious, as was Blair. That much is absolutely clear from the language used by both men."

A spokesman for Blair's Downing Street office said: "We have got nothing to say about this story. We don't comment on leaked documents."

The Mirror said the memo turned up in the office of then British lawmaker Tony Clarke, a member of Blair's Labour Party, in May 2004.

The newspaper said that the memo "casts fresh doubt on claims that other attacks on al-Jazeera were accidents". It cited the 2001 direct hit on the channel's Kabul office.

Blair's former defence minister Peter Kilfoyle challenged Downing Street to publish the transcript.

"I hope the prime minister insists this memo be published," he told the Mirror.

"It gives an insight into the mindset of those whe were architects of the war."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20051122/wl_uk_afp/qatarusbritainmediajazeera_051122073919

[IChing]

54. Attention..... VOTE THIS STORY UP AT YAHOO

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20051122/wl_uk_afp/qatarusbritainmediajazeera_051122073919

[muriel_volestrangler]

61. If true, then it shows what a dumb tosser Bush really is, as well as evil

because it's almost on the level of "before you die, Mr. Bond, I just want to show off how diabolically evil I am by explaining all my plans to you!"

What use was there in telling Blair he was thinking about it? Blair wouldn't need to be part of the plan. As well as Blair (who he might at least trust not to tell the world what an evil fuck-up we was), there was whoever was taking the notes.

I don't know - the Mirror did get burnt with the faked photos of British troops torturing Iraqis. It's still possible someone's fed them a fake this time.

[IChing]

64. the author of the story also writes for the Guardian sometimes

So yes, they could get burnt but it is looking like this story is putting more meat on the original bone of the story.

[SpiralHawk]

12. As long as BushCo is bombing propaganda outlets, they might as well do Fox

Cut the propaganda.

[wordpix2]

63. good point, LOL

[mirandapriestly]

18. They did "accidentally" bomb al-Jazeera, I thought.

It was in that documentary Control Room. So, I bet that was Bush, hmm...

[toymachines]

21. ya I thought a reporter died because of US fire

dont remember if it was a bomb though.

[Stephanie]

26. they did in Baghdad

they had their exact location but went ahead and bombed them, right?

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

49. Not in Qatar though

(which was also hosting the US/UK military propaganda - sorry information - teams)

They also hit the al-Jazeera office in Afghanistan with a few "accidental" missiles.

[cal04]

19. The Australian and Sky news now have the story

Bush 'plotted' to bomb al-Jazeera
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17327800%255E1702,00.html

Calls For Talks Transcript
http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-13466894,00.html

[cal04]

22. Calls For Talks Transcript Blair and George Bush

There have been calls for Downing Street to publish a transcript of a conversation between Tony Blair and US President George Bush. It comes amid claims the Prime Minister persuaded Mr Bush not to launch a military strike on a TV station in a friendly Arab state. According to unnamed sources quoted in the Daily Mirror, the memo - stamped Top Secret - records Mr Bush suggesting that he might order the bombing of al Jazeera's studios in Qatar.

And it allegedly details how Mr Blair argued against an attack on the station's buildings in the business district of Doha, the capital city of Qatar, which is a key ally of the West in the Persian Gulf. Al Jazeera had sparked the anger of the US administration by broadcasting video messages from al Qaeda head Osama bin Laden and leaders of the insurgency in Iraq. According to the Mirror's source, the transcript records a conversation during Mr Blair's visit to the White House on April 16 last year. A spokesman for 10 Downing Street refused to discuss the leaked memo.

But former defence minister Peter Kilfoyle - a leading Labour opponent of the Iraq War - has called for the document to be made public. "I believe that Downing Street ought to publish this memo in the interests of transparency, given that much of the detail appears to be in the public domain," he said.

"I think they ought to clarify what exactly happened on this occasion.
"If it was the case that President Bush wanted to bomb al Jazeera in what is after all a friendly country, it speaks volumes and it raises questions about subsequent attacks that took place on the press that wasn't embedded with coalition forces." Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Sir Menzies Campbell said: "If true, then this underlines the desperation of the Bush administration as events in Iraq began to spiral out of control."

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-13466894,00.html

[joeybee12]

23. How low can Bush go??

I kinow, I know...there is apparently no limit. But still I never am amazed at what filth he is.

[DeepModem Mom]

24. I started to post, IS HE NUTS??? But I know the answer. nt

[Tight_rope]

25. All I can do is shake my head and say what a fool...what an idiot!

:spank:

[IndianaGreen]

27. US bombed Al-Jazeera's offices in Kabul and in Baghdad

and American troops have targeted journalists, so why would we be surprised that Bush wanted to bomb Qatar?

[Briar]

42. Here's Al Jazeera's own account

of another licensed murder in Iraq:

Aljazeera crew member killed in Iraq


Saturday 22 May 2004, 10:20 Makka Time, 7:20 GMT

An Aljazeera television worker, Rashid Hamid Wali, has been killed while filming clashes in the flashpoint Iraqi city of Karbala.


Wali, 44, was standing next to an Aljazeera cameraman on the fourth floor of the hotel housing the crew. They were filming fierce clashes early on Friday morning between US occupation forces and followers of Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr, reported journalist Abd al-Adhim Muhammad.

"He looked up to try to locate the place of the US military vehicles, but he was shot in the head by machine guns," said Muhammad. He died instantly.

...

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/B826A0B2-9FC4-42E3-AD05-76E84744A630.htm

This earlier article lists 13 journalists killed up till March 2004 including Tariq Ayoub.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/75461FFE-8C82-4379-AABD-5809006DC49A.htm

Al Jazeera's crime, as far as I can see, is to tell the truth from the Middle Eastern point of view, just as the BBC etc tell it from ours. It's still the truth, and it's a useful exercise to try to read accounts without that filter of partiality, from whichever side they come.

The Bush administration has an obvious intolerance for any unembedded journalism that might just acknowledge that other points of view are equally valid.

(Edited to complete the post since I pressed the wrong button too early! Must have my coffee...)

[sofa king]

28. Dear Queen Elizabeth,

Will you take us back, please?

[Wetzelbill]

35. Tea at high noon!!!!!

:)

[julianer]

38. Afternoon tea, please

With a nice biscuit.

[Wetzelbill]

57. that'll work

:)

[Stephanie]

29. Bush is busy murdering journalists

meanwhile the Iraqi nuclear sites and munitions depots go unguarded and all of the contents go missing. this admin lives and dies by the press. they don't care about anything else. they don't give a shit about governing. but they would murder journalists to ensure good press.

[lumpy]

66. Bush is completely deranged.

Sooner or later we will have to deal with this loose cannon. And it should be sooner. The Congress should be investigating and acting on this new bombshell. Bush is playing with dynamite.

[Gronk Groks]

30. Let's be real; Bush would bomb American news outlets if...

...he thought he could get away with it. He tolerates no dissent in the WH and he would tolerate no dissent from ANYONE if he could do it.

The only surprise here is that he got caught red handed. However by this time he has created more enemies than Alaska has mosquitoes; and they all want to draw some blood....

[julianer]

39. perhaps he has already attacked

remember the anthrax?

[FightingIrish]

31. Blair only succeded when he persuaded * that

al-Jazeera is not a welathy Arab oil state.

[Wetzelbill]

36. hahaha

[Lochloosa]

32. Kick for the morning crew...

[Wetzelbill]

34. doesn't surprise me one bit

We'll have to see about some more confirmation, but this is about par for the course nowadays.

[HuffleClaw]

37. they DID target al jazeera

i guess they stopped short of attacking their main studios, but they bombed their tv station somewhere and a hotel with their guys in it iirc. i recall footage of a tank firing a shell.

[truthisfreedom]

40. this is bullsh*t designed to distract. ignore it.

don't give it a second thought.

[IChing]

51. Why? Are you reserving judgement on this too?

Or did you not read the thread?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

41. The Mirror has been MUCH more accurate than the U. S. MSM.

[allemand]

43. But wouldn't that be... terrorism?

Bombing a TV station in a peaceful country, killing journalists, civilians?

Does this mean that we have a potential terrorist sitting in the Oval Office?

:grr:

[KDLarsen]

44. "Bush threat had been "humorous, not serious"."

Excuse me? If I walked into central Manhatten and joked about how I would like to blow up the Empire State Building, do you think this excuse would work when I was attacked by a mob?

Talk about a serious dose of "Do as we say, not as we do".

[IndianaGreen]

45. Had you said what Bush said aboard a jetliner

you would have been taken into custody.

I find it amazing like you, KDLarsen, that the media and politicians are still excusing Bush's Hitlerian rants as "humorous, not serious" off the cuff remarks not to be concerned about.

[KDLarsen]

48. Incredible indeed

A few years ago, the Danish Minister for Internal Affairs (the equivalent of the US Secretary of State) mentioned that she would like to pick up all criminal immigrants and put them on a remote island in the middle of nowhere, and let them fend for themselves. Of course, it was a joke, but just about every media that could, absolutely grilled her for doing so, and she was forced to make a public apology etc.

[Wordie]

86. It's that "cowboy" mentality. heh heh

I knew we were in for trouble as soon as I heard that "wanted dead or alive" thing. Sheesh. The guy must have grown up watching just too many western movies. Even if he *was* "just kidding" it surely says something about the way his mind works.

In a related note, I wonder if this coming to light is one reason Bush seems to have dialed back his attacks on those who criticize his policies. Maybe he realizes that being seen as so rigid and unwilling to accept other points of view isn't going to do much for his efforts to revive his presidency.

Edited to correct typo.

[sabra]

46. The Scotsman has it up...

Blair 'convinced Bush' not to launch strike at Al-Jazeera

http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=2282672005

[Don Claybrook]

47. Doesn't this count as circumstancial evidence

That the bombings of the Jazeera offices in both Afghanistan and Iraq were ordered by George W Bush himself? Sure, I know it wouldn't stand up in court, but given this story, I'd say there's a better than 50 percent chance that Bush himself ordered the bombs dropped on al Jazeera.

I also remember the threat to journalists before the war began: if you're not embedded, we can't ensure your safety. This, by the way, is the same way that the Mafia sold protection: pay us, and we'll keep your business from burning to the ground.

Now that Bush is soundly hated and some of the media is actually doing its job, they could stay busy for years just investigating all of the Bush crimes we know of here that have been ignored in the US mainstream press.

[soleft]

52. I sent this to a friend and she thought it was from the Onion

[librechik]

53. hilarious--considering they went ahead and did bomb Aljazeera

headquarters--twice, both in Kabul and in Baghdad. After demanding GPS info on the stations to "make sure they don't get hit during the bombing campaigns." Totally accidental they said. The attack was a major part of that great documentary about Al Jazeera, "Control Room." One of their journalists was killed.

Funny; none of the news reports on this memo incident are mentioning that!

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/nov2001/jaz-n21_prn.shtml (kabul)

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm?objectid=12825322&method=full&siteid=50143

(baghdad)

[Don Claybrook]

55. The Mirror article talks about the other bombings

"The No 10 memo now raises fresh doubts over US claims that previous attacks against al-Jazeera staff were military errors.

In 2001 the station's Kabul office was knocked out by two "smart" bombs. In 2003, al-Jazeera reporter Tareq Ayyoub was killed in a US missile strike on the station's Baghdad centre..."

[librechik]

56. I know--but MSNBC has studiously avoided mentioning that part

Haven't had time to scan the other nets, but I fear the worst.

We need to media blast his story like crazy!

[lumpy]

58. The document does exist.

David Keogh, a civil servant in the Cabinet office, is being charged with obtaining(?) the document that has been returned to Blair's office. Looks like this is for real. Where there is smoke there is fire.

[superconnected]

60. How much can one man embarass a country?

Only GW knows for sure.

[wordpix2]

65. endlessly and utterly

[lumpy]

70. Not only embarassing

it is criminal that a president of this country would advocate bombing a news enterprise in a friendly country.

[Oreo]

62. Go see Control Room...

If you haven't seen this movie, rent it tonight!

This is more of the same disgusting cowboy antics by our moron president

[leftchick]

67. BBC radio disgussed this morning

Said No. 10 refuses to confirm nor deny report. hmmmm

[Cults4Bush]

68. This calls into question ALL attacks on journos over the last 3 years!

All of them! Sgrena as well...

I can believe he was going to do this, I am thoroughly horrified at it but I can believe it.

Can we call the fucker Hitler yet?

[Ian David]

69. I now see that Fox News has a big target on it

If Al Qaeda wants to blow-up Fox News, go right ahead. And if al Qaeda comes in here and blows up Fox News, we're not going to do anything about it. We're going to say, 'Look, every other place in America is off limits to you except Fox News'. You want to blow up 1211 Avenue of the Americas, go ahead."

Also, why not DU this latest poll on Bill O'Reilly's website:

Should Americans who disagree with San Francisco's anti-military stance avoid traveling to the city?

http://www.billoreilly.com/site

Only paying premium members are allowed to see the results.

[progressivebydesign]

71. Report: Bush Talked of Bombing Al-Jazeera - (AP Headline)

LONDON - A civil servant has been charged under Britain's Official Secrets Act for allegedly leaking a government memo that a newspaper said Tuesday suggested that Prime Minister Tony Blair persuaded President Bush not to bomb the Arab satellite station Al-Jazeera. >>

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051122/ap_on_re_eu/britain_iraq


While some were trying to pass it off as humorous, the conversation between Blair and Bush was revealed as part of the secret memos and notes which were revealed by a Blair staffer who is now facing charges for leaking classified information. Anyone here still convinced we are not targeting journalists in Iraq and other areas?

[goclark]

72. And the beat goes on, when will the song end! nt

[medeak]

73. A friendly country..... Qatar

It's terrifying to think about.

[medeak]

74. MSNBC just covered it

WH spokesperson said "we support freedom of speech"

[IChing]

75. The WH responded? Do you have a link yet?

I curious on the context of the question and response.

[medeak]

77. It was Monica puke Crawly

asking question to WH female spokesperson

[superconnected]

76. The freepers want him to do it - no surprise

But someone suggested they do it to the american media who are helping al jazeera too. What extreme nut cases. :rofl:

They used to make me mad, now I just know it's a loony asluym. Not to mention they're idiots.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1526782/posts

"Al Jazeera is a legitimate target and should be neutralized... and so should their allies in the American media."

So much for freedom of the press.

[Ian David]

81. If Al Qaeda wants to blow-up Fox News, go right ahead

If Al Qaeda wants to blow-up Fox News, go right ahead. And if al Qaeda comes in here and blows up Fox News, we're not going to do anything about it. We're going to say, 'Look, every other place in America is off limits to you except Fox News'. You want to blow up 1211 Avenue of the Americas, go ahead.

That's just a satirical riff.

They're not man enough to attack The Factor.

[Roland99]

78. UK civil servant arrested and charged for leaking that document!! >>>>>

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10153489/

LONDON - A civil servant has been charged under Britain’s Official Secrets Act for allegedly leaking a government memo that a newspaper said Tuesday suggested that Prime Minister Tony Blair persuaded President Bush not to bomb the Arab satellite station Al-Jazeera.

The Daily Mirror reported that Bush spoke of targeting Al-Jazeera’s headquarters in Doha, Qatar, when he met Blair at the White House on April 16, 2004. The Bush administration has regularly accused Al-Jazeera of being nothing more than a mouthpiece for anti-American sentiments.

The Daily Mirror attributed its information to unidentified sources. One source, said to be in the government, was quoted as saying that the alleged threat was “humorous, not serious,” but the newspaper quoted another source as saying that “Bush was deadly serious, as was Blair.”

[robbedvoter]

82. Looks like someone was "Dan Ratherised" - so who cares there's

another source? Nothing to see here, folks.

[Tommy_J]

83. Kick - This should be BIG

[Bigmack]

84. Story pulled???

My wife yelled about this story 10 minutes ago.... said it was on the Earthlink homepage in the news. I can't find it there now.

Did I miss something, or was this story pulled?

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

85. The Mirror link still works for me

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16397937%26method=full%26siteid=94762%26headline=bush-plot-to-bomb-his-arab-ally--name_page.html

[eardoc]

87. BUSH PLOT TO BOMB HIS ARAB ALLY (Qatar)

Daily Mirror, London
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16397937%26method=full%26siteid=94762%26headline=exclusive%2d%2dbush%2dplot%2dto%2dbomb%2dhis%2darab%2dally-name_page.html

PRESIDENT Bush planned to bomb Arab TV station al-Jazeera in friendly Qatar, a "Top Secret" No 10 memo reveals.

But he was talked out of it at a White House summit by Tony Blair, who said it would provoke a worldwide backlash.

A source said: "There's no doubt what Bush wanted, and no doubt Blair didn't want him to do it." Al-Jazeera is accused by the US of fuelling the Iraqi insurgency.

The attack would have led to a massacre of innocents on the territory of a key ally, enraged the Middle East and almost certainly have sparked bloody retaliation.

[DoYouEverWonder]

88. Dupe

BTW: Welcome to DU.

[eek]

89. this was actually reported on blitzer's show.

shocked, shocked.

they weren't even snottily dismissive! rather, they reminded us of the 2 other al jazeera locations we *did* bomb in Afgh and Iraq a couple of years ago.

Yeah - don't dignify the outlandish story with a response, arsenutz.

[Tom Joad]

90. This officer said no...

Read the post here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5435195&mesg_id=5435195

[ecstatic]

91. maybe he got confused and really meant to say Al Quida

Either way, Bush is a jackass.

[Caretha]

92. Impeach the Son of a Bitch!!

He is insane. This is the President of the US? My God! We couldn't be in more danger with this man at the helm. No country is safe as long as he remains. Plotting and planning to bomb the media in Qatar is a terrorist act. This man needs to be prosecuted in the US under the existing laws of the Patriot Act.

[PatGund]

93. This is *big* local news.....

I'm a US expat working in Doha, Qatar at the moment. BBC World Service has been carrying this report, and people are *not* happy about it.

Even if the memo is false, the damage has been done here - because Bush is seen as so unstable that many people here believe that he would have done just what the article claims.

Wondering if I should take another route back to my flat tonight, usually I drive by the US Embassy, but I suspect it's quite full of police vehicles at the moment