Independent confirms: Bush plotted to lure Saddam into war with fake UN plane....

Today the Independent reports, Bush 'plotted to lure Saddam into war with fake UN plane' . The article goes on to say Bush looked for a way to provoke a war:

George Bush considered provoking a war with Saddam Hussein's regime by flying a United States spyplane over Iraq bearing UN colours, enticing the Iraqis to take a shot at it, according to a leaked memo of a meeting between the US President and Tony Blair.

The reason? No WMDs:

The two leaders were worried by the lack of hard evidence that Saddam Hussein had broken UN resolutions, though privately they were convinced that he had. According to the memorandum, Mr Bush said: "The US was thinking of flying U2 reconnaissance aircraft with fighter cover over Iraq, painted in UN colours. If Saddam fired on them, he would be in breach."

The Independent’s story confirms an earlier article, “Blair-Bush deal before Iraq war revealed in secret memo,” appearing in the Guardian.

Think Progress links the latest revelations to earlier revelations in the Downing Street Memo and British Briefing Papers:

This most-recent memo is just the latest in a series of official British government documents that have revealed shocking information about how Bush misled the nation into Iraq (see the original Downing Street Memo and the British Briefing Papers revealed previously by ThinkProgress).

Think Progress summarizes Bush’s international intrigue as follows providing relevant links for those interested in the details:

“Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy.” [Link]

“US is scrambling to establish a link between Iraq and Al [Qaida that] is so far frankly unconvincing.” [Link]

“Even the best survey of Iraq’s WMD programmes will not show much advance in recent years on [the] nuclear, missile or CW/BW fronts.” [Link]

“Indeed if the argument [for attacking Iraq] is to be won, the whole case against Iraq and in favour (if necessary) of military action, needs to be narrated with reference to the international rule of law.” [Link]

“A legal justification for invasion would be needed. Subject to law Officers advice, none currently exists.” [Link]

“The NSC (National Security Council) had no patience with the UN route, and no enthusiasm for publishing material on the Iraqi regime’s record.” [Link]

“The two leaders [Bush and Blair] were worried by the lack of hard evidence that Saddam Hussein had broken UN resolutions, though privately they were convinced that he had. According to the memorandum, Mr Bush said: ‘The US was thinking of flying U2 reconnaissance aircraft with fighter cover over Iraq, painted in UN colours. If Saddam fired on them, he would be in breach.’” [Link]

“On January 31 2003 - nearly two months before the invasion - … Mr Bush made it clear the US intended to invade whether or not there was a second UN resolution and even if UN inspectors found no evidence of a banned Iraqi weapons programme.” [Link]

“[Bush] added that he had a date, 10 March, pencilled in for the start of military action. The war actually began on 20 March.” [Link]

“What happens on the morning after?” [Link]

“There was little discussion in Washington of the aftermath after military action.” [Link]

“Bush said that he ‘thought it unlikely that there would be internecine warfare between the different religious and ethnic groups.’” [Link]

“We have to answer the big question – what will this action achieve? There seems to be a larger hole in this than anything.” [Link]