Former German Chancellor Accuses Bush of Lying in His Memoir, "Decision Points"

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has accused George W. Bush of lying in his recently-published memoir, Decision Points. Mr. Bush wrote in the book that on January 31, 2002, during an meeting in the Oval Office, he told Mr. Schroeder that he was determined to make diplomacy with Iraq work, but if those efforts failed, he would invade Iraq. Mr. Bush quotes Mr. Schroeder as responding, "What is true of Afghanistan is true of Iraq. Nations that sponsor terror must face consequences. If you make it fast and decisive, I will be with you." Mr. Bush wrote that Mr. Schroeder was guilty of betraying him on that count, because Germany opposed war in favor of continued inspections for weapons of mass destruction. Mr. Schroeder responded to the passage in Mr. Bush's memoir by saying that Mr. Bush did not tell him the truth. Mr. Schreoder confirms that he told Mr. Bush that he would "stand reliably on the side of the U.S." if it was confirmed that Iraq was sheltering the terrorists who were responsible for the September 11 attacks. "But this link, as it became clear during 2002, was false and contrived," Mr. Schroeder says. "This goes for the reasons [for the invasion] given by Bush and Cheney too ... As we know today, the Bush administration's reasons for the Iraq war were based on lies."