Bush Plot To Bomb Al-Jazeerah Is A Conspiracy Theory, Says Blair

Bush plot to bomb al-Jazeera is a conspiracy theory, says Blair

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.../ixportal.html

(Gold9472: Why on Earth would we think conspiracies take place? I mean, it's not like the word was invented for a reason or anything.)

By Melissa Kite in Valletta
(Filed: 27/11/2005)

Tony Blair yesterday branded as a "conspiracy theory" claims that a leaked memo has revealed plans by President George W Bush last year to bomb the Arabic television station al-Jazeera.

The Prime Minister broke his silence on the issue as fresh concerns surfaced over the use of the Official Secrets Act to suppress the memo.

People who have seen the document say the real reason that it is being suppressed by the Government is because it contains a potentially damaging private discussion between the two leaders about the controversial United States attack on the Iraqi city of Fallujah last year.

Mr Blair sought to play down the memo yesterday, despite the fact that two men, accused over its leaking, are to appear in court this week facing charges under the Official Secrets Act. He also shrugged off a request from the managing director of al-Jazeera, Wadah Khanfar, for a meeting. Mr Blair was speaking at the Commonwealth summit in Malta, where he has been locked in trade talks with African leaders.

Looking tired, he appeared to lose his cool when asked about reports claiming that the memo showed him talking Mr Bush out of mounting an air raid on al-Jazeera. "Look, there's a limit to what I can say - it's all sub judice," he said. "But honestly, I mean, conspiracy theories…"

Mr Blair's comments came as Lord Goldsmith, the Attorney General, came under fresh pressure to justify the Government's heavy-handed use of the Official Secrets Act in stating that anyone who published the memo risked court action. He denied the Act was being used in an attempt to protect Mr Blair or Mr Bush.

"It [the Act] is not being used to save the embarrassment of a politician. That is completely not the case at all," Lord Goldsmith said on BBC radio.

Peter Kilfoyle, the former Labour defence minister who has tabled a Commons motion calling for the memo to be made public, criticised Mr Blair's response.

He told the Sunday Telegraph he had been informed of the memo's contents by the former Labour MP, Tony Clarke, whose researcher was handed the document, and that he remained convinced that it contained information that needed to be put in the public domain.

"My concern is that the only conspiracy surrounding this was a conspiracy to level Fallujah," said Mr Kilfoyle. "He [Mr Blair] would say 'conspiracy theory'. That's been the American line and now he's adopting it. But if it is so fantastical, why are they prosecuting these two people this week?

"I am in no doubt that there was a mention of Fallujah. I was made aware of the contents by Mr Clarke. He and I sat down and talked about the contents of it because he was seeking my advice on what to do with it."

In the end, Mr Clarke passed the leaked memo to Downing Street. But Labour insiders believe that a copy exists.

According to reports in the Daily Mirror, the memo contains a transcript of Mr Blair - at a White House meeting in April 2004 - attempting to persuade Mr Bush not to bomb al-Jazeera's television base in Qatar, which is an ally of Washington and the location of US military headquarters during the Iraq invasion.

Mr Kilfoyle said: "There was certainly a discussion about Fallujah and attacking Fallujah. They had already had one attack that failed and the next one was a massive one. They used artillery, tanks, jet bombers, white phosphorus. It was a full-scale levelling of a city.

"I want to know what the Prime Minister said to President Bush about his proposals on that. Did he try to restrain him - because it clearly didn't work."

David Keogh, a Cabinet Office official, has been charged under the Official Secrets Act with passing the memo to Leo O'Connor, Mr Clarke's former researcher. Both men are due to appear at Bow Street magistrates' court in London this week.