U.S.: Ex-CIA Official Publicly Challenges Pre-War Iraq Assessment

[Lori Price CLG]

U.S.: Ex-CIA Official Publicly Challenges Pre-War Iraq Assessment

A member of the audience at a public speech given in Washington today identified himself as a retired intelligence analyst with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, or CIA, and challenged the reasons President (sic) George W. Bush used to justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The confrontation occurred during a question-and-answer session after a speech by U.S. National Intelligence Director John Negroponte.

WASHINGTON, 17 February 2006 (RFE/RL) -- Negroponte's speech was promoted as an outline of the reforms he's instituted in the U.S. intelligence community.

<snip>

But after the speech, a man brought up the subject in a provocatively-phrased question.

"What sort of safeguards, if any, have you introduced to protect the integrity of the intelligence process and product from being bastardized and prostituted by policy-makers to promote a predetermined policy, as was the case with the disinformation campaign that George W. Bush and his henchmen launched to lie this country into its present disastrous war of aggression in Iraq?"

Negroponte was silent for a few seconds, then joined the audience in resigned laughter. Finally, he replied that the U.S. intelligence community began reforming itself immediately after it failed to anticipate the attacks of 11 September 2001.

<snip>

Lori Price
http://www.legitgov.org/index.html#breaking_news

[hiley]

1. "Negroponte was silent for a few seconds"

that is probably very dangerous.

[Lori Price CLG]

2. Yes, he was calculating how to assemble a new death squad...

and engage it, before the speech was finished, <g>.

Lori Price

[hiley]

4. death squad,

most likely true.

[rodeodance]

3. what a grand comment-only to be met by laughs!

[hootinholler]

9. Telling, isn't it! n/t

[dubya_dubya_III]

10. Fascism is alive and well, the Big Lie is just a joke :-(

America's destruction of secular Ba'athism (even such as it was abused by Saddam) was a critical disaster for any hope for the growth of anti-conservative Liberty in the Arab world.

The name of the game is steal Jerusalem, escalate, obstruct, antagonize, outrage, inflame, attack, insult and instigate Muslims into exterminating the Jewish race once again for these Neo-Nazi Christian Fascists, so that by "innocently" instigating their blessed, longed for Armageddon Battle, they can conjure up thier Neo-Christ according to their twisted misperceptions of the dogmatic religious socialist "prophecy" of Revelation.

Sad news guys, Jesus Christ, if he comes back for any "Final Judgement" will surely be one pissed off Jew and surely nobody, they in particular, would ever want to cross paths with!

As Mark Twain said, "If Christ came back tomorrow the last thing he would be is a 'christian'...."


"Before September 11, when the President or I heard people talk about 'the Middle East,' we just thought they were referring to Maryland." - Laura Bush

[rodeodance]

5. and a "Warning To Whistleblowers"

..... Warning To Whistleblowers

Negroponte also was asked about another issue that has plagued the Bush administration: the public disclosure of alleged wrongdoing by the government -- a practice known as "whistle-blowing."


Many members of Congress, including members of Bush's own Republican Party, have criticized the practice and some have praised "The Times" for publishing the story. The Bush administration, however, is investigating how the newspaper got the information and says it will prosecute whoever leaked the story.

One questioner asked Negroponte about this controversy. The intelligence director said whistle-blowing is important in a democracy, but said there are limits to its value and legality.


"There are some things that are defined as whistle-blowing that are tantamount to -- or are -- outright, unauthorized, improper, and possibly illegal leaking of classified national security information to the press,” he said. “And that's not proper and not appropriate, and if somebody commits those kinds of offenses, they deserve to be punished for that."..........

[Lori Price CLG]

6. Too bad Cheney didn't take Negroponte hunting with him. n/t

[EVDebs]

11. It's all linked together. It started with plans from the '70s

to seize Saudi oil fields. Now it's been tweaked to encompass Iraq's oil.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2466336&mesg_id=2466336

We can only hope more DUers schedule movie nights with 3 Days of the Condor and 7 Days in May as a kind of double feature for freedom. Date night ?

[goforit]

7. This is pathetic!!!...Typical one guy stance against Bush won't work!

[dubya_dubya_III]

12. Bush is a shit magnet,, put anything out there, it sticks!!

[patrice]

8. Cheney's Privately Owned Intelligence Policy and pResident. n/t

[dubya_dubya_III]

13. They're both bought and paid for