Philippe Sands Quotes (3 Quotes)

America has been in a state of fearfulness since Sept. 11 (2001) -- that fear has been able to squelch the debate -- if you're not with us, you're against us, says the administration. Americans should have responded more forcefully.

The war was policy-making on the hoof. Others who know the prime minister well have shared with me that he has a limited sense of history and poor attention to detail. He and Bush do not come across as international statesmen. Rather, they appear as teenagers, caught up in a childlike excitement about being at the centre of power. Blair might need to be careful where he travels when he steps down as prime minister. After the Pinochet precedent, he might face prosecution in some countries for waging an illegal war.

It is clear they (Bush and Blair) knew they weren't going to find any evidence (of nuclear weapons) through inspection. The memo is significant because it indicates the clear indecision of the decision-making process.