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Secret "Downing Street memo" sheds light on fabricated lies that fueled U.S.-led Iraq War

By Yi Heng (People's Daily Online) 10:48, November 17, 2021

On May 1, 2005, British newspaper the Sunday Times published the “Downing Street memo,” a secret document about an internal meeting of the British government, which revealed the inside story on how the U.S.-led Iraq War broke out.

(Cartoon by Lu Lingxing)

The memo recorded the “results” from a visit to Washington made by Richard Dearlove, then head of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, in 2002. Dearlove said that the George W. Bush administration had decided to remove Saddam Hussein’s regime through military action, “justified” through the combined charges of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, but the U.S. hardly discussed the possible consequences of taking such military action.

According to an article published by the New York Times in 2013, the outbreak of the Iraq War “was a deliberate misrepresentation.” “There is no better evidence of that than the 10 Downing Street memo,” the article stated. “As it turned out, Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction, nor was he involved with 9/11.”

However, the U.S. still went ahead and launched the Iraq War anyhow based on the fabricated lies that Saddam Hussein’s regime had possessed weapons of mass destruction, even though there was in fact no convincing evidence to back up this accusatory claim.

Hard facts have revealed that America’s intention in seeking worldwide hegemony by means of war is based on nothing more than the fabrication of lies.

Related:

CIA’s Operation Mockingbird a precursor of US manipulation of world public opinion

Operation Northwoods against Cuba reflects U.S. history of provoking war abroad

Gulf of Tonkin Incident a clear-cut example of US escalation, warmongering towards other countries

“Baby incubator” lie reflects US history of fanning hatred, triggering war

Manufactured “Yinhe Incident” an example of U.S. attempts to deliberately provoke China

U.S. government’s Office of Strategic Influence a forerunner of whitewashing efforts in U.S.-led “War on Terror”

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)

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