READ THIS! CNN: Report slams CIA for Iraq intelligence failures

[iconoclastic cat]

Report slams CIA for Iraq intelligence failures

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/07/09/senate.intelligence/index.html

Analysts' 'group think' blamed for false assumptions on weapons

Friday, July 9, 2004 Posted: 1:46 PM EDT (1746 GMT)


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In a highly critical report issued Friday, the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee found that the CIA's prewar estimates of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction were overstated and unsupported by intelligence.

Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, told reporters that intelligence used to support the invasion of Iraq was based on assessments that were "unreasonable and largely unsupported by the available intelligence."

(much more)
****

To those of you who think that Bush will get off scot free: How can we--you know, the people--make sure that he does not? We need a plan of action.

If there was ever a time when grassroots activism could have an effect, this is it!

[SoFlaJet]

1. I guess

that all the visits to the CIA EVERY day in October 2002 are going to be redacted-what a word.Why are they falling on the sword?I figure there is a nice 7 figure job waiting for Tenet compliments of the Carlysle Group.

[wurzel]

2. By focusing on what Bush did with this "mis-information".

If he had not wanted to go to war would he have started one on the basis of these erroneous CIA assessments. Of course not. The use of this information is supposed to be part of a "report" coming out AFTER the election. But we don't have to agree to their program.

[MallRat]

3. The CIA won't take being scapegoated lying down.

Thus, the Plame Treason Investigation.

I don't know if I'd call it a "coup" in the way that fromthewildnerness.com would, but if Bush tries to pin his rush to war on the CIA (and bury the Senate's assessment of the White House until after election day), they'll take down this administration.

By the way, most media outlets are getting out the word that Democrats are not happy that the Senate report on the White House is being delayed... at least the dissent is being registered in the public record.

:shrug:

-MR

[Lerkfish]

8. good rule of thumb:

good rule of thumb: don't p!ss off the people who know where your skeletons are buried.

scapegoating the intel community can only backfire.

[iconoclastic cat]

10. I hope they are pissed. Hey: Welcome to DU!

Good to have ya!
:yourock:

[Sinistrous]

4. And the Office of Special Plans (or whatever it was called)

was just a figment of our imagination.

Bottom line: The "analyses" said exactly what bush ordered them to say and what maggot-mouth ensured they would say during his frequent visits to the CIA. The hell of this report is that it contains just enough truth to be salable to the masses.

[mmonk]

11. I emailed Wolf

Blitzer that he needs to discuss the OSP as well as Cheney visits to Langley (just to let them know we all aren't fooled).

[cthrumatrix]

5. CIA gets the blame..... are we surprised about this BS

[porphyrian]

6. Sure, blame the people who said the reports were shit...

...rather than the ones who insisted on using them anyway. Makes perfect sense, if you're really fucking stupid.

[F.Gordon]

7. Imagine for a moment that you are in Congress....

And you receive a report that is filled with statements like...(I added bold) Wouldn't you, er....ask a few questions?
======================================================
Although Saddam probably does not yet have nuclear weapons or sufficient material to make any, he remains intent on acquiring them.

Saddam probably has stocked a few hundred metric tons of CW agents.

Although outwardly maintaining the facade of cooperation, Iraqi officials frequently denied or substantially delayed access to facilities, personnel, and documents in an effort to conceal critical information about Iraq's WMD programs.

UNSCOM inspection activities and Coalition military strikes destroyed most of its prohibited ballistic missiles and some Gulf war-era chemical and biological munitions, but Iraq still has a small force of extended-range Scud-variant missiles, chemical precursors, biological seed stock, and thousands of munitions suitable for chemical and biological agents.

Baghdad's vigorous concealment efforts have meant that specific information on many aspects of Iraq's WMD programs is yet to be uncovered.

Iraq's efforts to procure tens of thousands of proscribed high-strength aluminum tubes are of significant concern. All intelligence experts agree that Iraq is seeking nuclear weapons and that these tubes could be used in a centrifuge enrichment program. Most intelligence specialists assess this to be the intended use, but some believe that these tubes are probably intended for conventional weapons programs.

Baghdad may have acquired uranium enrichment capabilities that could shorten substantially the amount of time necessary to make a nuclear weapon.

Iraq has the ability to produce chemical warfare (CW) agents within its chemical industry, although it probably depends on external sources for some precursors. Baghdad is expanding its infrastructure, under cover of civilian industries, that it could use to advance its CW agent production capability.

Iraq probably has concealed precursors, production equipment, documentation, and other items necessary for continuing its CW effort.

Baghdad continues to rebuild and expand dual-use infrastructure that it could divert quickly to CW production.

Iraq has the capability to convert quickly legitimate vaccine and biopesticide plants to biological warfare (BW) production and already may have done so.

Iraq is continuing to develop other platforms which most analysts believe probably are intended for delivering biological warfare agents.

http://www.cia.gov/cia/reports/iraq_wmd/Iraq_Oct_2002.htm#09

Sorry, I don't have the "classifed" version that Cheney and Daddy probably wrote.

[F.Gordon]

9. I'll answer my own question

None of the repukes were going to question the "intelligence" and the dems were afraid that the repukes would use it against them if they did in the 2002 elections....didn't matter, because they did anyway.....

I'd be surprised if anyone in Congress actually read the "intelligence" information. Common sense and rational discussion were were put aside for the sake of "politics".

Shit. Freak me out! I'm starting to sound like...."Q".

[Elidor]

12. Only the Bushies could make the CIA an object of sympathy from the Left

Before Bush came to power I had a long-standing and deep-seated loathing of the CIA. Now I find myself incredulous at feeling sympathy for the bastards. They are being royally screwed.

And the lesson seems clear: honesty will bring severe punishment.