MI slammed for failing to assess Iraq WMD threat

[Gimel]

The Mossad and military intelligence failed to assess the true dangers posed by Iraq's Saddam Hussein on the eve of the war there, a Knesset subcommittee ruled in a rare comprehensive review of Israel's intelligence released Sunday.

The report leaves open whether Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction, but faulted the MI for focusing on intention over capabilities, which revealed a severe lack of hard intelligence from Iraq.

"It could be that these weapons could yet be uncovered, but it is clear that if they are there remains a significant gap between intelligence assessment that this weaponry existed and was ready to be fired and the subsequent reality," the report said.

The subcommittee also cited failures regarding the lack of intelligence on Libya's efforts to acquire nuclear and other non-conventional weapons.


Read more at JPost.com

[bluesoul]

1. Oh no more of this WMD bullshit

If there is none then even the Mossad won't find it. You can't find something that ain't there. Scott Ritter and the UN inspection knows. More then any pro-war hawks around the world that would want to profit from waging war against Iraq. Amen

[JohnyCanuck]

2. This is horseshit

The only people who believe this spin are the PhD graduates of the School of Naieveté.

[Gimel]

3. Why do you say that?

Perhaps be cause the Israeli report was preempted by a false AP report? Or at least they tried to overshadow the true investigation with false reports.

[Blayde Starrfyre]

4. Confusing

I am a little fuzzy as to what this committee is trying to say. But it seems that, in a time when the U.S. and U.K. are trying to find out why their intelligence overstated the threat of Iraq, Israel is chiding the Mossad for NOT overstating the threat of Iraq? That seems to be the case but it is so absurd I have trouble believing it could happen outside of an Orwell novel. It bears a stunning similarity to the strategy of Ahmad Chalabi: invent the threat, get the U.S. to do your dirty work, reap the benefits, and don't apologize later.

[bemildred]

5. Deliberately confusing.

It's not meant to be clear. It's meant to lend
credence to the idea that the spreading of misinformation
was not intentional, that the spooks really meant well.
Propaganda loses its punch when the targets cease to
believe, hence the need to restore confidence.

[Gimel]

6. Strong denial

However, the report contained a strong denial that Israel in anyway advised the US and Britain to engage in an offensive war in Iraq.

[bemildred]

7. Of course not.

Israel?
Encourage the USA to take on Iraq?
How ridiculous.

[Gimel]

8. popular beliefs

cannot outweigh the reality. The US is a strong nation, and certainly doesn't take advise from weak nations.

[bemildred]

9. Sure we do.

We might not obey, but I'm sure Israel gets a hearing
when Sharon comes to call at the White House, and I'm
sure that what Israel sees as it's security interests is
taken quite seriously in Washington. Why else do we give
you all that money and armament, and why do we give Egypt
it's annual bribe? To be sure, Washington has it's own
interests in mind too, but that is only to say it is a
complicated issue, not that we never take advice.

Edit: what about all that wonderful intelligence information
that has been reported to be provided to the US by "Israeli
intelligence sources" in other posts?

[Gimel]

10. Choice to listen

No one is giving US commands on what to do. The same goes for Israel. The GOI doesn't have to listen toe Jack Straw or anyone when it comes to security. That's why Israel has had to stand alone against the world, even including the US.

[bemildred]

11. Exactly.

However, Israel hardly stands alone.
Sometimes there are minor disagreements, but the
money and armaments keep right on flowing.

[Gimel]

12. This report

The major Israeli reason for investigating the intelligence before the Gulf War II, was that an enormous amount of resources went into preparedness for the possibility of a chemical or biological attack. However, the GOI assessment was that there was a very low possibility of that ever occurring. No they are saying the millions of shekels were wasted because everyone was instructed to open their preventative kits on the night of the opening of the war. That alone reduced the value of the materials significantly.

By the way, most Israelis were quite angry that the US started a war which might get out of hand and Israel might have been attacked.

[bemildred]

13. Big deal.

Our so called leaders were telling us to use duct tape and
plastic sheeting, which we were told to buy for ourselves.

Plenty of us here were angry about the war too, and we had
as little effect on our governments actions as you did.

[Gimel]

14. Was it too much for you?

Of course everyone here had to buy the duct tape and plastic sheeting also. Just as in Gulf War I. We were prepared for a repeat of that war. Thank G-d it didn't happen. Only the gas masks, the anti-dotes for nerve gas and the anti-dote for bio chemicals was provided. That, of course, was paid for out of workers contributions from salaries. However, even undocumented foreign workers received kits. The distribution of the masks has been standard procedure here for 14 years, so it's nothing new to Israelis. The new kits should not have been opened, however.

I spent hours preparing a sealed room in the event of a chemical attack, as we were all instructed to do.

[bemildred]

15. I ignored them of course.

I think I will leave it at that. I have sympathy
with your position and I don't want to annoy you.