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Bush tried to "lure'' Iraq into a war

Hasan Suroor

Blair backed the plan, says book

LONDON: U.S. President George W. Bush so desperately wanted to attack Iraq on any pretext that he even contemplated `luring'' Saddam Hussein into a war by sending a spy plane, painted in U.N. colours, over Iraq hoping that Baghdad would fire at it provoking a conflict, according to a new book by a leading human rights lawyer.

Philippe Sands in his book Lawless World, an account of the behind-the-scenes developments in the run-up to the invasion, claims that Mr. Bush shared his plan with British Prime Minister Tony Blair at a meeting in the White House on January 31, 2003, nearly six weeks before the attack.

"The U.S. was thinking of flying U2 reconnaissance aircraft with fighter cover over Iraq, painted in U.N. colours. If Saddam fired on them he would be in breach [of U.N. resolutions],'' the book claims.

Mr. Sands also claims that Mr. Blair assured Mr. Bush that he was "solidly'' behind the U.S. plans to invade Iraq and "ready to do whatever it took to disarm Saddam.'' Mr. Bush reportedly told Mr. Blair that the "diplomatic strategy had to be arranged around the military planning.''

Discussions on pullout

The disclosure suggests that the two leaders had made up their mind to invade Iraq irrespective of whether they were able to get authorisation from the U.N. in the form of a second resolution.

Downing Street said it did not comment on discussions that "may or may not have happened.''

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said "active discussions'' relating to a phased pull-out of British troops from Iraq were under way and "some good news'' on the issue was likely in coming months. His remarks, in a BBC interview, came as Mr. Blair came under renewed pressure to withdraw the troops after the 100th British casualty this week, and a cross-party group of MPs intensified its efforts to push through a motion calling for Mr. Blair's impeachment for plunging the country into a war on a "false'' pretext.

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