RAY McGOVERN (27-year CIA
analyst on 6/6/05 Lehrer NewsHour): "I would go back to an earlier
conversation, and this happened on the 20th of September 2001, and this
happened nine days after 9/11. This involved Tony Blair, who was in
Washington having dinner with the President. How do we know about this?
We know this because Christopher Meyer, the UK ambassador was there at
that dinner. What does he say? The conversation went like this.
President Bush: 'Uh, Tony. Uh, we're going into Afghanistan in a week
or two, but that won't take long and we get out of there and we're
going right into Iraq. Are you with me, Tony? Are you with me?' And
Christopher Meyer says 'My goodness, it was really, and Tony was really
sort of nonplussed, but he said 'Yes sir, I'm with you Mr. President.'
(Margaret Warner tries to interrupt, but Mr. McGovern continues) So
that goes back (a flustered Ms. Margaret Warner) "Mr. McGovern, speed
up!" (Mr. McGovern) "so that goes back to 2001" (Ms. Warner) "We're
almost out of time. Get to the next part!" (Mr. McGovern) "Okay, that's
it." (Ms. Warner, almost shouting) "So, it's not about Iraq, it's about
Afghanistan!" (Mr. McGovern) "Well, no. This has to do with Iraq. What
the President said to Tony Blair, on the 20th of September (2001)
according to the UK ambassador who was there, is 'We're going into
Afghanistan in a couple of weeks. It won't take us long there, and
we're going right into Iraq right after that. Are you with me?' And
Tony Blair said 'Yes!'"