President Bush went on the offensive about Iraq during a Veterans Day speech in Pennsylvania, but it didn’t hold up. He argued that "it is deeply irresponsible to rewrite the history of how that war began." And he noted that most members of Congress and foreign intelligence agencies thought that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. True, but that’s not the issue. The question is: Did the Bush administration deliberately misuse or overplay highly suspect intelligence information in order to sell a pre-emptive war, as some CIA reports and other information now seem to suggest? That’s what phase two of Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts’ intelligence committee report needs to answer.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
Registered?
Commenting on WE Blog now requires you to be a Kansas.com member. Use the links above to register, if you haven't already, or to log in.Contact us
Follow us
Daily Archives
-
Recent Comments
- Tully on It’s the stupidity about the economy
- Monkeyhawk on Open thread 11/24
- Boxlock20 on Open thread 11/24
- SolDevVB on Open thread 11/24
- BlueJay on Open thread 11/24
- HLP on Open thread 11/24
- Boxlock20 on Open thread 11/24
- BlueJay on Open thread 11/24
- HLP on Open thread 11/24
- Boxlock20 on Open thread 11/24
32 Comments
Pat and Sam will never find fault with “The Party”.They will only function as a running screen.
An event needs to be verified to go to print.
Arabs have Bush, Sharon and Blair on the ropes with the Fallijah Massacre being aired, and this turns attention away, and props-up sagging “terrorism” in Israel’s favor.
The “verification” is a website which anybody could post and the delay between the event and posting strongly suggests the Arabs knew nothing about it { meaning the Arabs didn’t post it, so Israel did}.Too convenient to suit me. Too much motive for Israel.Abu Musab al-Zarqawi would never give the Israelis this sort of victory.
Israel blew-up those Hotels and Israeli plants are in “the crowd.”
And, man, are they even milking this cow, while they’re pushing abother 2.5 billion through congress unnoticed.
http://www.chris-floyd.com/fallujah/ has started an impeachment process in congress.—–
C’mon Phillip!
“The question is: Did the Bush administration deliberately misuse or overplay highly suspect intelligence information in order to sell a pre-emptive war, as some CIA reports and other information now seem to suggest?”
First of all, what reports?
There is no evidence that the administration misused intelligence information.
This quote is from an Associated Press article by Douglas K. Daniel (appeared 11-06-05 in the Washington Post):
Newly declassified portions of a document from the Defense Intelligence Agency showed that the administration was alerted that an al-Qaida member in U.S. custody probably was lying about links between the terrorist organization and Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.
The document from February 2002 showed that the agency questioned the reliability of al-Qaida senior military trainer Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi. He could not name any Iraqis involved in the effort or identify any chemical or biological materials or cite where the training was taking place, the report said.
The DIA concluded that al-Libi probably was deliberately misleading the interrogators, and he recanted the statements in January 2004, according to the document made public by Sen. Carl Levin, top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“In other words, he’s an entirely unreliable individual upon whom the White House was placing substantial intelligence trust,” said Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a member of the Intelligence Committee.
“And that is a classic example of a lack of accountability to the American people,” Rockefeller, D-W.Va., told CNN’s “Late Edition.”
A link to the entire article is:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/06/AR2005110600567.html
This has been reported in the context of the Senate Dems revolting and demanding to get an Intel report from Roberts. Not exactly a little reported story . . .
The intelligence the Whitehouse was depending on was from multiple sources and from multiple countries. The democrats pick and choose a few discrepancies and use them to make a false charge for political gain.
Senator Jay Rockefeller is a liar.
Phil, Phil, Phil. I’m not letting you off as easily as esod. How do you expect to gain any credibility if you, Phillip Brownlee, WE Op ED, The Big Guy, The Main Man, Rhonda’s boss; can’t write an opinion w/o spin. OK, I know OpEd is spin by definition, but at least provide us with some facts from both sides of the political spectrum (’cause you know their there, don’t ‘cha?). President Bush, Carl Rove, Congress all had the same intell report. This is a perfect example of ‘you read into a report what you already have in mind what you want to get out of it’.
esod, you got anything to add?
I see the president’s appoligists are in fine tune today. We need to keep in mind, Bush made the decision to go to war. The cowards in congress just went along. It would have been political suicide not to considering how the administration had stampeded the whole country with talk of “mushroom clouds” and radio controlled airplanes that could deliver bio weapons. Sorry repubs, this one is on Bush….that’s why we call it “Bush’s War”. And that’s how history will remember it.
I’m so amazed at how some of you still buy into the propaganda of Bush and company, you guys are either crazy or just plain stupid.
I’m glad to hear Bush stands behind our troops in Iraq. I’m sure many of them wish he was standing in front of them!
“A lie, repeated often enough, will be thought to be the truth”. The Democratic leaders of Congress know this. I’m sure it’s in their playbook. So does the mainstream press. Here is the democratic line:
“Bush lied- people died; Oh, and we didn’t have a darn thing to do with this war. Bush just pulled the wool over our eyes”
Really? We will see what comes out. I don’t know why Bush didn’t start to counter this sooner. Sometimes trying to appear above the fray can get a president in trouble.
Jed, I don’t often agree with your positions, but your humor adds a lot to this board.
Esod–the question is not “did the Bush administration mis-use intelligence?” It’s did BushCo use any intelligence at all?
I don’t think they did.
They started with a conclusion–take out Saddam, put in our puppet Ahmad Chalabi, and steal the oil.
They got step one right, and the rest has all gone to hell.
The intelligence question is what we should have been asking three years ago.
Now it really doesn’t matter whether the “intelligence” was right, wrong, or indifferent. What matters is how do we get out of this demolition derby with President Cuckoo-Bananas at the wheel?
Dear ID,
The problem is that the average American doesn’t pay attention most of the time and doesn’t remember when he does.
We’ve allowed the nitwits in the press to completely get us off point. The average American doesn’t believe there were WMDs when there is ample proof that there was.
The press lets the liberal democrats come to the podium and say anything without any accountability. They can flip-flop there position every other week and the press has no memory.
The DNC puts out talking points and the WE Editors fall into line.
Uhhh, esod, there were no weapons of mass destruction. There were signs that the weapons had been made in the recent past, but no real proof that Saddam had them when we invaded.
That the intelligence was faulted is a given. Did Bush and company mis-use it? Probably. Should they be held accountable? Hell yes. Should it be brought before the world court(sub United Nations)? No! Is the DNC taking advantage of, and putting more spin than necessary, on the whole stinking episode? Of course. Are any Senators or Congressmen either qualified to clean enough to be slamming Bush? I got a bridge I’ll sell ya.
Actually JM,
There was WMDs. Why don’t you do a GOOGLE search for “1.77 tons of enriched uranium” and get back to me?
Yo “esod”? er..I mean hank….or is it Nathan? No matter, as usual your posts come direct from the gastral eruptions of Sean Hannity. But continuity IS imporatant! Thank you for always being the predictable right wing media pawn you are!
Bush’s speech was the usaual pap. Made in front of yet another hand picked audience he now takes the tack laid out by the right wing media of the last several maonths. Namely: “Ok I was wrong. I don’t have to say I was wrong because other people on the other side said the same things I did! They admit they were wrong only to hurt ME! They were actually right then, just as I was. But now they’re wrong and unpatriotic to boot. See ’cause I was right! They got the same intel I got and it wasn’t washed rinsed and spun for them anymore than my indigted administration officials spun it for me and them and everyone else. So we gotta stay the course……Tyrants and would be tyrants…911 uh. freedoms march….er wait um they saw mushroom clouds too!
It would all be terrible amusing if Americans were not dying everyday and in increasing numbers for this deluded, GUIDED mis adventure.
This speech didn’t miss it’s mark. It nailed it. The nation was wrongly sent to war based on intelligence that was either badly flawed or more likely purposely manipulated for political aim.
Clearly, “the buck stops here” is an alien concept for this pResident and those that made him. He and they weren’t wrong becuase we did what we were supposed to do! We trusted him and them. And so now we are all supposed to be in it together wrong or otherwise!
I think I’ve said enough. The polls say far more.
So, Ed, I guess I can take it that you are not Jewish??? And esod (dose spelled backwards) you are just an idiot. Plain and simple. Anyway, Mr. Bush is a madman, should be impeached, and will be remembered as the man who had so very many people slaughtered for absolutely nothing. The only thing consistent with the “W” is his inconsistencies. Watch his eyes when he is giving a speech. This is a man with serious problems.
As for DNC spin, for once they may just have to tell it like it is.
Yes Sadam DID have WMDs, in the history of his rein he had them and used them. But using past actions as a reason for the invasion. Is like the Police getting a search warrent based solely on someone having been convicted of burglary ten years ago. Yes they commited a crime ten years ago. But what is the reasoning for thinking they had commited a crime today?
Like wise to keep bring up that Sadam had tons of yellow cake that they knew where it was and we had control of. Is just a straw man, like saying a armed robber had a gun once in their house. But the Police now control the weapon, but the robber is still an armed robber. Once he could not use the yellow cake without it being seen.It became a mute point, If Sadam had try to get more but did not get any. Also is a mute point, it is not what one wants to do that counts. I want to win the lottery, but I can only drive a new car off the lot if I do win!
esod,”Iraqi radiological and nuclear materials with a potential use in weapons programs or dispersal devices have been removed from the country and airlifted to the United States, according to a July 6 press statement from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).”The operative word there is potential. It is also low-grade uranium. It “could” be made into dirty bombs. They do not constitute weapons of mass destruction by any means. Although in your mind I expect they already are.
If you’re going to have someone google your input, you should make sure your facts are correct. They were not. At least not to the degree you claimed.
Bush and his administration only presented one side of the argument to Congress and the American people.The presented no dissenting views. They picked the hot button issues to keep the american public frightened knowing they were false.
Congress didn’t START the war, Bush did. You can spin it any way you want, but the FACT is, Bush has gotten a lot of people killed for no reason. That’s a crime. This isn’t some insignificant little mistake. It’s a whopper that cost thousands of lives and billions of dollars. We can’t afford this kind of “mistake”.
BushCo was spoiling for a war and they dragged us into one.
At the time the administration presented it’s evidence to invade Iraq they knew that many pieces of their story were false, or at the very least shaky.Still the went forward without even a disclaimer as if everything was fact.
Its a known fact that Bush only listens to those around him who say what he wants to hear. There were those in his cabinet who tried to explore the potential negative consequences of a war with Iraq, but he only listens to those who agree with him and he’s not even willing to consider the views of those who don’t. You can argue all day about whether or not the WMDs existed before the invasion or not, but the truth is that it’s Bush’s inadequate skills as a leader that got us into this mess.
What an interesting blog. Reminds me of the Isareli/Palestini debate. You did. No, you did. You pig, you know you did.
You Amercans are so predictable. Fight amongst yourself. Don’t even take the time to get the facts straight. Can’t wait for our side to tear your county down, which won’t be hard since you are doing a great job of that yourselves. And to think, OBL had a 5 year plan. I predict the breakdown by your next election.
Omar, Faik, Gail or whoever it is this time. You should really get a new gig. This old one is wearing thin.
Debate and dissent is democracy. Get used to it, dipsh*t.
And you know what’s really funny, Esod/Hank calling newspapermen “nitwits” because they can’t believe everything President Cuckoo-Bananas says.
But then Hank doesn’t have a tough time justifying whatever he WILLS to be true–check the 10,000 year old earth conclusion . . .
Bush keeps talking and talking and our boys keep dying and dying.
Spin that, conservative scum.
Here is an article that points out some of the misconceptions from Bush’s speech.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/11/AR2005111101832.html
justoneman
Hey, lighten-up, I agree, you’re right.
Bush is nuts.
The “Earth” was bought at a Universe auction sale for 32 pieces of silver.
Kansas BOE, take note.
Gotta love your elitist mentality, Galahad. Once we take over, your dissent will be your…well, let’s just say, it won’t be the libs that will save your ass.
Shut up, scum.
That’s really classy. “Let me pick a generic Arabic name and pretend to be a terrorist sympathizer.”
Yep, liberals just need to shut up about this criminal war and our lying “president”, otherwise the TERRORISTS WILL WIN and it’ll be ALL OUR FAULT!!!!! I mean, we heard it straight from the horse’s mouth! It must be true!
When you think conservatives can sink no lower… Can’t really blame them, they’re about to self destruct.
I hate it when faceless bloggers can make my BP shoot up, I should be more thick-skinned, yeah?
Tara,
When impotent, needle-dicked racists like ‘Omar’ post, you’re fully within your rights to flame them.
Come out and play, troll: CF is down to tan your Bush worshipping, cowering, sorry-assed hide.
CF
The US used chemical weapons in Iraq – and then lied about it
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,5673,1642831,00.html
Ed,
Indeed–I saw the reporting, denials, and eventual admission.
At this point, we’ve lost the war. And what we did in Fallujah will haunt us for years and years to come. It vindicates every negative thing that’s been said about us. Al Qaeda itself couldn’t have hit upon a better recruiting tool.