On Third Anniversary of Infamous Downing Street Meetings, Serrano Calls For Investigation, Bringing Troops Home

Washington, DC, July 23, 2005—Marking the third anniversary of the controversial Downing Street meetings, during which it was revealed that the Bush administration was determined to push ahead against Iraq regardless of its “thin case” for war, Congressman José E. Serrano (D-NY) criticized the U.S.’s continuing military involvement in Iraq and called for an investigation into the events that brought us to war. 

“How many more of our young people will have to die for George Bush and Karl Rove’s war of choice?” asked Serrano.  “The Downing Street Memos clearly document what little regard the administration had for the truth in their march toward war; they were determined to go into no matter what the facts.  The memos also show how little they cared about planning for the war’s aftermath, and our troops continue to suffer the consequences.  On this third anniversary of the
Downing Street
meetings, the time has come for us to re-evaluate both our role in this war and the judgment of those who pushed us into it.  As we have seen with Karl Rove’s outing of an undercover CIA operative, the administration knew no limits in its push toward war.  I want to see some subpoenas handed out.”

The
Downing Street
meetings, held July 23, 2002, almost a year before the start of the war in , involved senior British officials, including Richard Dearlove, then head of MI6, British intelligence, who had just returned from consultations in
Washington
.  According to classified minutes of the meeting, recently released, Dearlove reported that “Military action was now seen as inevitable in
Washington
and that Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD [weapons of mass destruction].  But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy.  The NSC [National Security Council] had no patience with the UN route, and no enthusiasm for publishing material on the Iraqi regime's record. There was little discussion in
Washington
of the aftermath after military action.”

“The case was thin,” summarized the notes taken by a British national security aide at the meeting. “Saddam was not threatening his neighbours and his WMD capability was less than that of , or .”

“These meeting minutes really spell out the depth of the Bush administration’s penchant for deception when it came to pushing us toward war,” said Serrano.  “Facts and evidence were unimportant.  Bush and his people wanted war, period.  That they have not been held accountable for their repeated lies is outrageous.

“And as we reflect on the events that led us to war, we must also look toward bringing an end to this national tragedy.  Our continued presence there is making many Iraqis more sympathetic to our enemies.  The time has come to bring our troops home from .”