June 16, 2005
(Washington, DC) – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) joined Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, John Conyers (D-MI) in delivering to the White House a letter signed by more than 100 Representatives and more than 540,000 US citizens, calling on President Bush to answer questions raised by the “Downing Street Memo” as to whether the administration deliberately misled the nation into war with Iraq.
“This memo poses a serious question that remains unanswered: did the Bush administration deliberately mislead our nation and manipulate the intelligence data to justify a war they had already decided to wage?” said Lee.
Earlier in the afternoon, Lee participated in a hearing, called by Conyers, on the “Downing Street Memo” that featured former US Ambassador, Joseph Wilson, former CIA analyst Ray McGovern, Cindy Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq; and John Bonifaz, a renowned Constitutional attorney. After the hearing Lee and Conyers delivered the letter to the White House. The letter contained the following questions:
Do you or anyone in your administration dispute the accuracy of the leaked document?
Were arrangements being made, including the recruitment of allies, before you sought Congressional authorization to go to war? Did you or anyone in your administration obtain Britain’s commitment ot invade prior to this time?
Was there an effort to create an ultimatum about weapons inspectors in order to help with the justification for the war, as the minutes indicate?
At what point in time did you and Prime Minister Blair first agree it was necessary to invade Iraq?
Was there a coordinated effort with the US intelligence community and/or British officials to “fix” the intelligence and facts around the policy, as the leaked document states?
“Given the gravity of the questions raised, I think the Bush administration’s silence speaks volumes. Our nation deserves answers,” said Lee.
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Barbara Lee Demands Answers on Downing Street Memo
Joins Rep. Conyers in Delivering Letter to White House Asking for Answers
(Washington, DC) – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) joined Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, John Conyers (D-MI) in delivering to the White House a letter signed by more than 100 Representatives and more than 540,000 US citizens, calling on President Bush to answer questions raised by the “Downing Street Memo” as to whether the administration deliberately misled the nation into war with Iraq.
“This memo poses a serious question that remains unanswered: did the Bush administration deliberately mislead our nation and manipulate the intelligence data to justify a war they had already decided to wage?” said Lee.
Earlier in the afternoon, Lee participated in a hearing, called by Conyers, on the “Downing Street Memo” that featured former US Ambassador, Joseph Wilson, former CIA analyst Ray McGovern, Cindy Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq; and John Bonifaz, a renowned Constitutional attorney. After the hearing Lee and Conyers delivered the letter to the White House. The letter contained the following questions:
Do you or anyone in your administration dispute the accuracy of the leaked document?
Were arrangements being made, including the recruitment of allies, before you sought Congressional authorization to go to war? Did you or anyone in your administration obtain Britain’s commitment ot invade prior to this time?
Was there an effort to create an ultimatum about weapons inspectors in order to help with the justification for the war, as the minutes indicate?
At what point in time did you and Prime Minister Blair first agree it was necessary to invade Iraq?
Was there a coordinated effort with the US intelligence community and/or British officials to “fix” the intelligence and facts around the policy, as the leaked document states?
“Given the gravity of the questions raised, I think the Bush administration’s silence speaks volumes. Our nation deserves answers,” said Lee.
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