Senate Intel Chair: Pentagon Office DID Break The Law

[kpete]

Senate Intel Chair: Pentagon Office DID Break The Law
By Spencer Ackerman - February 8, 2007

As vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) was often outmaneuvered by GOP chair Pat Roberts (R-KS), when it came to prewar intelligence. In response to the Pentagon inspector general's report on the Office of Special Plans, however, Rockefeller is hinting that era is fully closed. From a Rockefeller statement, just released:

“The IG has concluded that this office was engaged in intelligence activities. The Senate Intelligence Committee was never informed of these activities. Whether these actions were authorized or not, it appears that they were not in compliance with the law.

“In the coming days, I will carefully review all aspects of the report and will consult with Vice Chairman Bond to determine whether any additional action by the Senate Intelligence Committee is warranted.”

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002515.php

[Greeby]

1. So, what you gonna do bout it?

:shrug:

[leveymg]

2. I'm glad that the Senator isn't having his decisions made by the Sec. of Defense.

Unlike his predecessor as Chair of the Intel Committee.

Compare and contrast with the flawed conclusions made in the IG's report: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=165590&mesg_id=165590

[Kagemusha]

3. Feith's position seems to be, they weren't actually intel operations

the WH just independently chose to treat the results as if they came from actual intel operations, by its own unrelated choice.

If you know it's not true and choose to believe it anyway, does that make the original speaker a liar?

(Stupid argument, but just mentioning it to demonstrate the hurdles thrown under Congress' path here.)

[rodeodance]

4. Feith says here he has been "exonerated" (another 'reality")

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/16656258.htm

The findings "are about as damning a statement as one can hear, and I think the American people will be absolutely furious," Levin continued. The lawmaker is a longtime critic of the administration's use of exaggerated and erroneous intelligence to justify the invasion and a leading voice for U.S. withdrawal from Iraq.

Feith, who resigned from the Pentagon in 2005 and now teaches at Georgetown University, said that he'd been exonerated.

"The policy office has been smeared for years by allegations that its pre-Iraq war work was somehow `unlawful' or `unauthorized' and that some information it gave to congressional committees was deceptive or misleading," he said in a statement. "The inspector general's report has now thoroughly repudiated the smears."

But Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that he'd review whether Feith may have violated the 1947 National Security Act.

[rodeodance]

5. Rockefeller, D---Feith may have violated the 1947 National Security Act.

But Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that he'd review whether Feith may have violated the 1947 National Security Act.

The act "requires the heads of all departments and agencies of the U.S. government involved in intelligence activities `to keep the congressional oversight committees informed,' " Rockefeller said. "The IG has concluded that (Feith's) office was engaged in intelligence activities. The Senate Intelligence Committee was never informed of these activities. Whether these actions were authorized or not, it appears that they were not in compliance with the law."

[Igel]

6. From what little I've seen, I can't agree.

They didn't collect intelligence. They looked over intelligence reports and drew their own conclusions; they requested data and made their own judgments. Now, I may have incomplete information, but that's what I've seen so far.

I'd expect anybody in authority to question the reports, and reach judgments about their reliability or usefulness, even if they're dorks.