Debate on whether or not the Administration lied about Iraq is over. The process of impeaching President Bush and Vice President Cheney needs to begin.

On July 23, 2002, months before the March 2003 coalition invasion of Iraq, a high-level meeting took place between Prime Minister Tony Blair and his senior national security team.

“The Downing Street Memo,” which was first published in the Sunday Times of London last month, is the minutes of this meeting. Its contents provide substantial credence to the claim that the Bush Administration deceived, manipulated and lied to Congress, the public and the international community, in order to gain support and justification for the war.

Richard Dearlove, the head of Britain’s intelligence service, was quoted in the memo as saying, “Military action was now seen as inevitable. 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.”

“The National Security Council had no patience with the U.N. route and no enthusiasm for publishing material on the Iraqi regime’s record. There was little discussion in Washington of the aftermath after military action,” Dearlove also said.

The memo also quoted British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon as saying, “The United States has already begun ‘spikes of activity’ to put pressure on the regime. The most likely timing in U.S. minds for military action to begin was January, with the timeline beginning 30 days before the U.S. Congressional elections.”

Remember, this happened eight months before the invasion began and one month before Congress voted to give Bush the authority to do so. Nevertheless, the decision to go to war had already been made. Preparatory operations were already under way inside Iraq. The facts to provide justification were being fixed. There was a better than hazy timetable, no patience with the United Nations and the aftermath of such action was carelessly considered.

I am making these comments in hindsight though; we were all led to believe differently.

“We are doing everything we can to avoid war in Iraq,” Bush said in a March 8 national radio address. On Aug. 10, 2002, while golfing, he said, “I have no timetable.” Ari Fleischer on Oct. 10th, 2002 said, “The President has made no decisions.” Scott McClellan on Nov. 12, 2002, said, “War is a last resort.” Condoleeza Rice on May 15, 2005, during a surprise visit to Iraq said, “This war came to us, not the other way around.”

These were all lies. Now, thanks to the Downing Street Memo, this claim is indisputable. In fact, when Scott Mc Clelland was offered the opportunity to disavow the memo on May 23, he didn’t. Tony Blair hasn’t disputed it either. No one in either the British or the U.S. administrations has contested the accuracy of the memo.

So, what does all of this mean? It means that our president and his administration are war criminals. It means that everyone in this administration, under Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution, should be impeached. It means that more than 1,677 U.S. soldiers and more than 100,000 Iraqi civilians, according to the Lancet-John Hopkins University study, have died for a lie and unnecessary war.

Bill Clinton was impeached by the House for lying about sex with an intern. Nixon was impeached for the cover-up of a break-in. Please, put things into perspective.

If we fail to hold our leaders accountable for their lies by not calling for impeachment, we fail to uphold the principles democracy is built upon. Spread the word, make it the topic on conversation and consider whether or not you want a government you can trust.