Intelligence chief's bombshell: 'We were overruled on dossier'

[FreeperSlayer]

Independent U.K.
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=487557

<snip>

The intelligence official whose revelations stunned the Hutton inquiry has suggested that not a single defence intelligence expert backed Tony Blair's most contentious claims on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.

As Mr Blair set up an inquiry yesterday into intelligence failures before the war, Brian Jones, the former leading expert on WMD in the Ministry of Defence, declared that Downing Street's dossier, a key plank in convincing the public of the case for war, was "misleading" on Saddam Hussein's chemical and biological capability.

He calls on the Prime Minister to publish the intelligence behind the Government's claims that Iraq was actively producing chemical weapons and could launch an attack within 45 minutes of an order to do so. He is "extremely doubtful" that anyone with chemical and biological weapons expertise had seen the raw intelligence reports and that they would prove just how right he and his colleagues were to be concerned about the claims.

[DrBB]

1. Well, ain't that pretty

Looks like MI-6 is going to start fighting back, even if our guys are still willing to let Bush slide in return for behind-the-scenes advantage (that's my theory).

Gee, I wonder if Hutton will now issue a blanket over-the-top ruling against the Independent? No need to have hearings, for Hutton--he's not some namby-pamby who lets things like evidence have any bearing on the correct outcome--so let's just skip the "hearing" part and go straight to the condemnation!

Funny how "investigate" now means "cover up." I mean, it's not like any investigation is needed, is it? There's nothing occult about all this: the information debunking their claims was all out in public before the war; they just chose not to heed it. Don't need an "investigation" to show that. And they STILL aren't heeding it. Their own chosen boy, David Kay, issues a report saying "Nothing there, dudes," and Cheney is STILL going around talking about those tractor-trailers and aluminum tubes. You couldn't have a more unequivocal, concrete demonstration that "intelligence" has no influence over his thinking whatsoever. If "thinking" is the word I'm looking for. And Blear still claims he's got "secret reports" that keep him from having to admit the Niger Yellowcake story was as bogus as it patently is. These guys can't see the truth when it's almost literally biting them in the ass. We don't need an "investigation" to know that.

[0007]

2. junior could slide into 05 without hardly a bruise - but if the

Americans wake up junior will be thrown out of office on his ass in 06.

The wrath of the America folks can be the short coming of junior. This is what you'd call Divine retribution.

[papau]

3. So MI6 folks have guts - will US's NSA/CIA folks take their quiet beating?

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=487557

Intelligence chief's bombshell: 'We were overruled on dossier'By Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor04 February 2004


<snip>

Dr Jones, who is expected to be a key witness at the new inquiry, says: "In my view, the expert intelligence analysts of the DIS were overruled in the preparation of the dossier in September 2002, resulting in a presentation that was misleading about Iraq's capabilities."

<snip>He is "extremely doubtful" that anyone with chemical and biological weapons expertise had seen the raw intelligence reports and that they would prove just how right he and his colleagues were to be concerned about the claims.

<snip>

He says he foresaw at the time of the Government's dossier in September 2002 that no major WMD stockpiles would be found. He made a formal complaint about the dossier to avoid himself and his fellow experts being cast as "scapegoats" for any such failure. In his article, Dr Jones warns that intelligence analysts should not be blamed for the lack of any significant finds in Iraq and points out that it was the "intelligence community leadership" the heads of MI6 and MI5 and Mr Scarlett who were responsible for the dossier.

<snip>

[DrBB]

4. Read Jones's statement itself--a scorcher

The above link is to an editorial analysis, which is fine, but Jones's actual statement in the Independent is worth a look too. Check this out:

I considered who might have seen this ultra-sensitive intelligence and reached the conclusion that it was extremely doubtful that anyone with a high degree of CW and BW intelligence expertise was among the exclusive group.

It was becoming clear that it was very unlikely we could achieve the balance we desired in the dossier and it was important to register our misgivings formally.

Earlier in my intelligence career, I and others in my branch had not taken similar precautions and suffered for it. We believed that no large stockpiles of chemical weapons, such as those present in 1990/91, existed because if they did they would probably have been detected by intelligence. The smaller quantities of chemical weapons that might exist would be hard to find, as would small but significant amounts of BW agents and delivery systems.

I foresaw that after the likely invasion and defeat of Iraq, it was quite possible that no WMD would be found. If this happened scapegoats would be sought, so I decided that we should record our concerns about the dossier in order to protect our reputation. But this is a big step to take and I wanted to be as sure of my ground as possible.

Apparently he decided he wasn't going to be hung for someone else's mistake and took very smart action to head it off. I'd really like to have a look at that memo.

on edit: oops--link