Lee Bill on “Fixed” Pre-War Intelligence Sparks Debate on Oversight
(Washington, DC) – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) emphasized the need for Congressional oversight and called on the Bush administration to respond to evidence that pre-war intelligence was “fixed” to justify the invasion of Iraq as the House International Relations Committee debated and voted on H.Res. 375, a Resolution of Inquiry introduced by Lee.
“The U.S. is currently at war in Iraq under an authority conferred to President Bush by the U.S. Congress,” said Lee. “It is not only Congress’ prerogative, it is our responsibility to make sure that the authority to use force was not granted under circumstances that were deliberately misleading.”
Lee’s Resolution, which had bipartisan support and 82 cosponsors, would have required the Bush administration to give Congress all information relating to communication with officials of the United Kingdom relating to U.S. policy in Iraq between January 1, 2002 and October 16, 2002, the date Congressional authority to use force in Iraq became law. The measure was a privileged resolution, meaning if it was not taken up by the International Relations Committee in a defined period of time, Representative Lee would have been entitled to request that it be brought to the House floor for a vote.
The resolution prompted heated debate about the role of Congressional oversight in relation to the war in Iraq, and while the committee voted against the resolution, the vote marked the first time all committee Democrats have agreed on a vote relating to Iraq, and even drew the support of Republican James Leach of Iowa (Ron Paul (R-TX) voted “Present”).
“The former Sec. of State of the United States Colin Powell stated that it was a blot on his record that he misused intelligence,” said Rep. Leach (R-IA), speaking in favor of the Resolution. “I don’t want a blot on the Congress’ record that we refused the most vigorous oversight of the most extraordinary foreign policy initiative of the last generation, an initiative that at this moment in time appears to have enormously consequential and frail implications for our national security, and I am just hard pressed to do anything except support this inquiry despite the rather powerful statement of the Chairman.”
On May 1, 2005, The Sunday London Times published the leaked minutes from a US-British meeting on July 23rd, 2002. The “Downing Street Memo,” as the minutes came to be known, as well as other documents that came to light subsequently, have raised serious questions as to whether the Bush administration manipulated intelligence data in order to justify the invasion of Iraq; the UN weapons inspection process was manipulated to provide a legal pretext for the war; and doubts as to whether the Bush administration had adequately considered the consequences of invading Iraq. The Bush administration has not disputed the authenticity of these documents.
Since the publication of the memo, 120 Members of Congress have written the President, asking for answers to the questions it raises. Rep. Lee and Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) delivered more than 575,000 petition signatures to the White House, demanding answers. To date the White House has refused to respond to these inquiries.
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Opening remarks by Rep. Tom Lantos on H. Res. 375, Resolution of Inquiry About the “Downing Street Memo”
“Mr. Chairman, while the attention of our nation has been riveted on nature’s fury and sickeningly tragic pictures from New Orleans, the war in Iraq continues unabated. Our courageous soldiers and those of Iraq are fighting shoulder-to-shoulder to stop fundamentalist terrorists and to provide stability for the fledgling Iraqi democracy.
“Mr. Chairman, the men and women carrying out the mission in Iraq are our constituents, and every member of this body fully supports them. We owe it to them – and to of all our constituents – to develop a complete picture of the decision-making that led the United States to go to war to bring down the regime of Saddam Hussein. And the Executive Branch owes it to the American people to make certain that their elected representatives are fully informed.
“For some of our members, reports of the so-called “Downing Street memo” have cast a cloud over the Executive Branch’s decision-making and public declarations regarding Iraq. At a time when public support for the war is in decline, the refusal of the Executive Branch to do all it can to put these questions to rest only further undermines support.
“This bill asserts an appropriate role for the Congress in the foreign policy process, and it provides the Executive Branch with the opportunity to put to rest doubts about its actions in taking our nation to war. That is why I support this resolution, and urge all of my colleagues to do likewise.”