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EXCLUSIVE: BUSH PLOT TO BOMB HIS ARAB ALLY Madness of war memo By Kevin Maguire And Andy Lines Mirror, UK 22 November 2005 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. A source said last night: "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." A Government official suggested that the Bush threat had been "humorous, not serious". But another source declared: "Bush was deadly serious, as was Blair. That much is absolutely clear from the language used by both men." Yesterday former Labour Defence Minister Peter Kilfoyle challenged Downing Street to publish the five-page transcript of the two leaders' conversation. He said: "It's frightening to think that such a powerful man as Bush can propose such cavalier actions. "I hope the Prime Minister insists this memo be published. It gives an insight into the mindset of those who were the architects of war." Bush disclosed his plan to target al-Jazeera, a civilian station with a huge Mid-East following, at a White House face-to-face with Mr Blair on April 16 last year. At the time, the US was launching an all-out assault on insurgents in the Iraqi town of Fallujah. Al-Jazeera infuriated Washington and London by reporting from behind rebel lines and broadcasting pictures of dead soldiers, private contractors and Iraqi victims. The station, watched by millions, has also been used by bin Laden and al-Qaeda to broadcast atrocities and to threaten the West. Al-Jazeera's HQ is in the business district of Qatar's capital, Doha. Its single-storey buildings would have made an easy target for bombers. As it is sited away from residential areas, and more than 10 miles from the US's desert base in Qatar, there would have been no danger of "collateral damage". Dozens of al-Jazeera staff at the HQ are not, as many believe, Islamic fanatics. Instead, most are respected and highly trained technicians and journalists. To have wiped them out would have been equivalent to bombing the BBC in London and the most spectacular foreign policy disaster since the Iraq War itself. 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. The memo, which also included details of troop deployments, turned up in May last year at the Northampton constituency office of then Labour MP Tony Clarke. Cabinet Office civil servant David Keogh, 49, is accused under the Official Secrets Act of passing it to Leo O'Connor, 42, who used to work for Mr Clarke. Both are bailed to appear at Bow Street court next week. Mr Clarke, who lost at the election, returned the memo to No 10. He said Mr O'Connor had behaved "perfectly correctly". Neither Mr O'Connor or Mr Keogh were available. No 10 did not comment. ++++++++
LAW CHIEF GAGS THE MIRROR ON BUSH LEAK By Kevin Maguire The Mirror, UK 23 November 2005
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16401707%26method=full%26siteid=94762%26headline= law%2dchief%2dgags%2dthe%2dmirror%2don%2dbush%2dleak%2d-name_page.html THE Daily Mirror was yesterday told not to publish further details from a top secret memo, which revealed that President Bush wanted to bomb an Arab TV station. The gag by the Attorney General Lord Goldsmith came nearly 24 hours after the Mirror informed Downing Street of its intention to reveal how Tony Blair talked Bush out of attacking satellite station al-Jazeera's HQ in friendly Qatar. No 10 did nothing to stop us publishing our front page exclusive yesterday. But the Attorney General warned that publication of any further details from the document would be a breach of the Official Secrets Act. He threatened an immediate High Court injunction unless the Mirror confirmed it would not publish further details. We have essentially agreed to comply. The five-page memo - stamped "Top Secret" - records a threat by Bush to unleash "military action" against the TV station, which America accuses of being a mouthpiece for anti-US sentiments. Following the Mirror's revelations, there were calls for the transcript of the memo to be released. Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman Sir Menzies Campbell said: "If true, then this underlines the desperation of the Bush administration. "On this occasion, the Prime Minister may have been successful in averting political disaster, but it shows how dangerous his relationship with President Bush has been." The White House yesterday said of the Mirror's report: "We are not going to dignify something so outlandish with a response." Downing Street said: "We don't comment on leaked documents." The memo turned up last year at the Northampton office of then-Labour MP Tony Clarke. Civil servant David Keogh, 49, is now accused of passing the memo to Leo O'Connor, who once worked for Mr Clarke. Both Mr Keogh and Mr O'Connor are due to appear in court next week on charges under the Official Secrets Act. Mr Clarke returned the memo to Downing Street.
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