Thanks to Juan Cole at Informed Comment we now have access to a very interesting conversation between George W. Bush and Jose Maria Aznar (former president of Spain). The conversation occurred just before Powell failed to win a security council resolution for the US invasion of Iraq. The conversation appeared in the Spanish newspaper El Pais and was translated by Juan Cole.
The transcript reveals that Bush knew he would go to war even if he did not receive security council authorization (launching an attack against an another country without UN authorization constitutes a war crime). Furthermore, Bush revealed what appears to be a willingness to assassinate Saddam Hussein. This, too, is a crime under international law.
The war crimes question aside, the conversation between Aznar and Bush gives us a fascinating insight into Bush’s state of mind prior to the war. I was surprised by the extent to which Bush’s private conversations matched up with his public pronouncements.
Here are a few especially enlightening selections of the conversation transcript:
Aznar. Is it certain that any possibility exists that Saddam Hussein will go into exile?
Bush: The possibility exists, including that he will be assassinated.
Assassinating heads of state is against U.S. law. It is also against a variety of international conventions to which the United States is a signatory.
Bush: A historical sense of responsibility guides me just as it does you. When within a few years History judges us, I do not want people to ask themselves why Bush, or Aznar, or Blair did not face their responsibilities. In the end, what people want is to enjoy freedom. Recently, in Romania they reminded me of the example of Ceausescu: it was enough for a woman to call him a liar, for the entire repressive edifice to come down. It is the uncontrollable power of freedom. I am convinced that I will get the resolution.
This section has nothing to do with war crimes, but it is fascinating none the less. It appears that Bush bought into his own rhetoric during the run up to the war. It is surprising, and a bit disheartening, that the president of the United States believed that people around the world would support the invasion of Iraq because the “uncontrollable power of freedom” was on his side. History has shown that brutally bombing, invading and occupying a country may actually reduce the freedom of people in the country targeted for an injection of freedom.
Bush. The resolution will be custom-made in such a way that it will help you. I don’t care much about the content.
Aznar: We will send you some sample texts.
Bush. We do not have any text. Only a criterion: that Saddam Hussein disarm. We cannot allow Saddam Hussein to drag things out until the summer. After all, this last stage has already lasted four months, and this is more than enough time to disarm.
This sections shows that Bush cared little about UN support for his invasion. If Bush was really interested in enforcing UN resolutions, he wouldn’t have made the comment “I don’t much care about the content.”
Bush. This is like Chinese water torture. We must put an end to it.
Aznar. I agree, but it would be good to have the maximum possible number of people. Have a little patience.
Bush: My patience is exhausted. I don’t intend to wait longer than the middle of March.
Was President Bush’s restlessness a reason we invaded? From this section it appears so. The man sees the delay of war as an intolerable personal annoyance.
Bush: Countries like Mexico, Chile, Angola, and Cameroon must realize that what’s at stake is the security of the United States, and they should act with a sense of friendship toward us. [Chilean President Ricardo] Lagos should know that the Free Trade Accord with Chile is awaiting Senate confirmation and a negative attitude about this could put ratification in danger. Angola is receiving Millennium Account funds [to help alleviate poverty] and that could be jeopardized also if he’s not supportive. And Putin must know that his attitude is putting in danger the relations of Russia with the United States.
Confirmation of something else that many suspected. The Bush Administration pressured poor countries into supporting the war effort. It is ironic that Bush threatened to suspend aid to Angola — including money for democracy promotion — in order to promote democracy in Iraq. That said, it is highly unlikely that bilateral democracy promotion assistance will ever turn a dictatorship into a democracy. But giving a few million dollars to a civil society organization in Angola or Azerbaijan is much less a recipe for disaster than democracy promotion via full scale invasion.
Bush: … He is a thief, a terrorist, a war criminal. Compared with Saddam, Milosevic would be a Mother Teresa. When we go in, we are going to discover many more crimes and we will take him to the Court the International Justice.
President Bush seems to support the work of the Court of International Justice. It does not occur to him that he is about to launch a war that is very likely a “War of Aggression” under international law. Just goes to show, might makes right. Or at least, it lets the mighty think they’re right.
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