They hate our rights and freedoms etc. etc. etc.

From our How-do-they-weasel-out of this-one? department ...

Today began with a shocking-but-not-really-surprising Daily Mirror report that, last year, U.S. President George W. Bush wanted to bomb the Qatar headquarters of al-Jazeera, the Arabic-language satellite news network that claims some 50 million viewers.

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.

The White House called the report "outlandish'' - which doesn't exactly translate to untrue.

"We are not going to dignify something so outlandish with a response," a White House official told CNN. A Pentagon official called the Daily Mirror report "absolutely absurd."

And:

"We are not interested in dignifying something so outlandish and inconceivable with a response," White House spokesman Scott McClellan told The Associated Press in an e-mail.

Not much more at today's U.S. State department briefing.

QUESTION:  Yeah, just that report from the British Daily Mirror and the plot to bomb al-Jazeera, et cetera, et cetera.  Two people are going next week to court in Britain.  I wonder if the State Department had anything to add, other than this dismissal today by the White House and ...

SPOKESPERSON SEAN MCCORMACK:  Nope.

QUESTION:  Nothing really?

MCCORMACK:  Nope. Nothing, to add.  The White House addressed the issue.  It is a - you know, this was a report concerning an alleged - you know, alleged topic of conversation or content of conversation between the President and Prime Minister Blair.  I think the White House has responded to it.  I don't have anything to add.

But none of this seems all that ''outlandish'' when one thinks back to all those incidences in Afghanistan and Iraq when al-Jazeera offices were bombed, its employees killed, its journalists imprisoned and its operations shut down - all by the U.S.

And how come, as the Mirror reports, a British civil servant is being charged under Britain's Official Secrets Act for allegedly leaking the memo which reveals Bush's wish the destroy the channel?

If this turns out to be true, and there's nothing to indicate that it isn't, then it sure isn't going to help the U.S.'s reputation, or what's left of it, in the world. But then, the whole story is probably just a product of the vast left-wing conspiracy, right?

Comments

[Colby Cosh]

Naw--people are probably just confusing Bush with his predecessor, who actually did order the bombing of a civilian broadcasting facility in downtown Belgrade in 1999. Perhaps the current president felt that he could live with the trivial murmurs of unease that greeted Clinton's attempted destruction of RTS and the killing of 16 of its employees.

[Antonia Z.]

Ah yes, when ya don't have a comeback, blame Clinton. Like two wrongs make a right.
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1045
So I only partially agree with you Colby.
And if that doesn't scare you, I dunno what will.

[Dana]

Then there's this: Bush/Cheney were told on Sepet.21, 2001 that there was no demonstrable link between Hussein and Al Qaeda. Read http://nationaljournal.com/about/njweekly/stories/2005/1122nj1.htm

Then there's Richard Cohen writing in the WaPo that an exhaustive search of the records reveals no Democrat calling Bush a liar. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/21/AR2005112101233.html Cohen asserts that maybe Bush said things that were untrue because he was repeating the lies of others. He refers to Bush as their "useful idiot".

Why is that man naked?

[Eye Yore]

Antonia, if you read what Colby wrote, it's clear that he's at least
ready to entertain the possibility that, after a cost-benefit analysis
based on the 1999 Belgrade precedent, President Bush gave some
serious thought to slaughtering Al-Jazaeerah's employees while
demolishing its TV network infrastructure inside the territory of a
moderate Arab state and U.S. ally. If that was indeed Bush's train
of thought, and Colby is as comfortable with it as he seems, then
there's nothing more to say.

Note to Colby: Have yourself a nice Caribbean cruise. I understand
the Bahamas are included in the package.

[Dana]

The most important lesson the right is teaching is that taking responsibility for your actions is for the little people. For big ass Conservative know nothings it's always someone else's fault.

[miz g]

it seems that the poodle protests too much...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1648590,00.html

"Legal Gag on Bush-Blair Row"

The attorney general last night threatened newspapers with the Official Secrets Act if they revealed the contents of a document allegedly relating to a dispute between Tony Blair and George Bush over the conduct of military operations in Iraq.

It is believed to be the first time the Blair government has threatened newspapers in this way. Though it has obtained court injunctions against newspapers, the government has never prosecuted editors for publishing the contents of leaked documents, including highly sensitive ones about the run-up to the invasion of Iraq.

[mike kelly]

Nice come back Cosh... oh oh Clinton did this...... try to stay on topic ( can get you a picture book if it helps ) We adults are talking about Chimpy McFlightsuit and his wanting to bomb the headquarters of a TV station in an allied country, one that was not towing the state spoon fed propaganda line . Looks like Chimpy had to settle for "little happy accidents" to put them off reporting the truth .. don't worry Cosh your in no danger , with your Bu Bu But Clinton... remarks show you are still a useful idiot to them . Go back to you Fox news and sticking pins in your Democrat dolls and writing stuff about how the big bad liberals are trying to steal christmas . Maybe "Great Leader" will reward you for your hard work and give you the heads up when they bomb the CBC .

[Bill-Muskoka]

Mike,

"Chimpy McFlightsuit" Truly a CLASSIC!

The creative talent on this blog is an untapped Canadian treasure! That one is getting passed around the net! The UK Guardian cartoonist, Steve Bell, would have field day with such genius!