Who wrote the Downing Street Memo?

Who wrote the Downing Street Memo?

Others have suggested various British English usages of the phrase “were being fixed” (for example as a colloquialism meaning “to agree upon,”) which are distinct from the usage (both American and British) derived from criminal argot, meaning “fraudulently altered or changed.” The author of the memo, Matthew Rycroft.

Why did Blair and Bush invade Iraq?

Bush and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, the coalition aimed “to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein’s support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people”, even though a UN inspection team had declared it had found absolutely no evidence of the existence of WMDs just before the start of the …

Did the US bomb Al Jazeera?

Al Jazeera’s offices have previously been hit by United States weaponry. On 13 November 2001 a U.S. missile hit Al Jazeera’s office in Kabul, Afghanistan, during the U.S. invasion of that country. Although no Al Jazeera staff were hurt in the attack, the building was destroyed and some employees’ homes were damaged.

When did Blair meet Bush?

The Bush–Blair 2003 Iraq memo or Manning memo is a secret memo of a two-hour meeting between American President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair that took place on 31 January 2003 at the White House.

What was Saddam Hussein last words?

As a noose was tightened around Hussein’s neck, one of the executioners yelled “long live Muqtada al-Sadr,” Haddad said, referring to the powerful anti-American Shiite religious leader. Hussein, a Sunni, uttered one last phrase before he died, saying “Muqtada al-Sadr” in a mocking tone, according to Haddad’s account.

Why was the Iraq War illegal?

The invasion of Iraq was neither in self-defense against armed attack nor sanctioned by UN Security Council resolution authorizing the use of force by member states and thus constituted the crime of war of aggression, according to the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) in Geneva.

When did Blair go to war with Iraq?

British Parliamentary approval for the invasion of Iraq was given by the elected members of the House of Commons to Tony Blair’s government on the eve of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, in a series of two votes, on 18 March 2003.

Who was great Britain’s Prime Minister that supported Bush?

President Bush Meets with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you all. Please be seated. I just had a good visit with Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Was Saddam Hussein Sunni or Shia?

A majority of Iraqi Arabs are Shias, but Sunnis ran the show when Saddam Hussein, himself Sunni, ruled Iraq. Saddam spread a false belief, still surprisingly persistent in the country today, that Sunnis were the real majority in Iraq.

Why did Saddam invade Kuwait?

Iraq’s leader, Saddam Hussein, ordered the invasion and occupation of Kuwait with the apparent aim of acquiring that nation’s large oil reserves, canceling a large debt Iraq owed Kuwait, and expanding Iraqi power in the region.

Who owns the oil in Iraq now?

Iraq Petroleum Company

Has the US ever been tried for war crimes?

203 U.S. personnel were charged with crimes, 57 were court-martialed and 23 were convicted. The VWCWG also investigated over 500 additional alleged atrocities but could not verify them.

How long did it take us to defeat Iraq?

No weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq. The U.S. declared an end to the war in Iraq on December 15, 2011, nearly ten years after the fighting began.

Was nato involved in Iraq war?

NATO conducted a relatively small but important support operation in Iraq from 2004 to 2011 that consisted of training, mentoring and assisting the Iraqi Security Forces.

What did Blair do for the NHS?

Blair came to power famously promising to save the NHS. He feared public support would vanish without reform. In a sense, he succeeded, as it is David Cameron who has finally had to force his party to accept a free tax funded NHS with no flirtations with top-up payments or private insurance.

What good did Tony Blair do?

During his first term as Prime Minister, Blair raised taxes; introduced a National Minimum Wage and some new employment rights; introduced significant constitutional reforms; promoted new rights for gay people in the Civil Partnership Act 2004; and signed treaties integrating the UK more closely with the EU.

Is Turkey Shia or Sunni?

Most Muslims in Turkey are Sunni Muslims forming about 90%, and Shia-Aleviler (Alevis, Ja’faris, Alawites) denominations in total form up to 10% of the Muslim population.

Is Egypt Sunni or Shia?

Islam is the dominant religion in Egypt (Arabic: مِصر‎, romanized: Miṣr) with around an estimated 90.3% of the population. Almost the entirety of Egypt’s Muslims are Sunnis, with a very small minority of Shia. Islam has been recognized as the state religion since 1980.

Why did the US protect Kuwait?

The United States was vocal in its public justifications for involvement in the Iraq-Kuwait conflict and sought to drum up support for an international coalition. The most prominent justification was the necessity to protect the territorial sovereignty of Kuwait.

Why did U.S. support Saddam Hussein?

Under international law, an attack on such ships would be treated as an attack on the U.S., allowing the U.S. to retaliate militarily. This support would protect ships headed to Iraqi ports, effectively guaranteeing Iraq’s revenue stream for the duration of the war.

Who is the number 1 oil producing country?

United States

1. United States. Number one on this list of the top 10 oil-producing countries is the US. Its output increased by 266,000 bpd from its 2020 level to reach 18,875,000 bpd last year.

Does the US own oil fields in Iraq?

Baghdad, Iraq – While the US military has formally ended its occupation of Iraq, some of the largest western oil companies, ExxonMobil, BP and Shell, remain.

What are the 11 crimes against humanity?

Crimes against humanity under international law

• Murder.
• Extermination.
• Enslavement. Deportation or forcible transfer of population.
• Imprisonment.
• Torture.
• Sexual violence.
• Persecution against an identifiable group.
• Enforced disappearance of persons.

Why does the US not recognize the ICC?

The International Criminal Court exists only to assert jurisdiction when a country hasn’t investigated its own nationals for the most serious of offenses, and Russia hasn’t done that. In the case of Afghanistan, though, the United States had investigated most of those offenses.

What war killed the most American soldiers?

The American Civil War
The American Civil War is the conflict with the largest number of American military fatalities in history. In fact, the Civil War’s death toll is comparable to all other major wars combined, the deadliest of which were the World Wars, which have a combined death toll of more than 520,000 American fatalities.