Douglas Feith: Tough Questions We Were Right to Ask (WaPo)

[Tin Man]

Tough Questions We Were Right to Ask

By Douglas J. Feith
Wednesday, February 14, 2007; Page A19

Promoters of the "Bush Lied, People Died" line claim that the recent Pentagon inspector general's report concerning my former office's work on Iraq intelligence supports their cause. What the IG actually said is a different story.

The IG, Thomas Gimble, focused on a single Pentagon briefing from 2002 -- a critique of the CIA's work on the Iraq-al-Qaeda relationship. His report concluded that the work my office generated was entirely lawful and authorized, and that Sen. Carl Levin was wrong to allege that we misled Congress.

-snip-

In evaluating our policy toward Iraq after Sept. 11, 2001, my office realized that CIA analysts were suppressing some of their information. They excluded reports conflicting with their favored theory: that the secular Iraqi Baathist regime would not cooperate with al-Qaeda jihadists. (We now face a strategic alliance of jihadists and former Baathists in Iraq.) Pentagon officials did not buy that theory, and in 2002 they gave a briefing that reflected their skepticism. Their aim was not to enthrone a different theory, but to urge the CIA not to exclude any relevant information from what it provided to policymakers. Only four top-level government officials received the briefing: Donald Rumsfeld, George Tenet, and (together) Stephen Hadley and I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.

-snip-

If this report hadn't become part of a political battle, Gimble's position would be scoffed at across the political spectrum. Sensible people recognize the importance of vigorous questioning of intelligence by the CIA's "customers." In bipartisan, unanimous reports on Iraq intelligence, both the Senate intelligence committee and the Silberman-Robb WMD commission called for more such questioning.

full OpEd at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/13/AR2007021301092.html

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. Feith is a lunatic.

To suggest a prewar link between the secular Iraqi Baathist regime and al-Qaeda jihadists based on the post-war chaos is pure fantasy.

His line of reasoning & excuses is absolutely pathetic in light of the disaster that he and his buddies at the OSP cooked up.

[Tin Man]

2. Feith has been on a whirlwind tour of spin control recently

...ever since the Pentagon Inspector General testified 3 days ago that Feith's OSP manipulated prewar intelligence. Since then, Feith has found time to sit-down with all the talking heads and write an OpEd for the WaPo to counter the news of IntelliGate.

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. He's been out there with that 80's yuppie head trying like hell

to clear is name. Try all he wants, he can't wash the blood off his hands.

[struggle4progress]

4. Feith's been exposed repeatedly as a lying shithead: why bother with what he says?

[Tin Man]

8. It's not about Feith. It's about his continued role in Administration malfeasance

It's indicative of the *real* depth of malfeasance within this Admin, and the breadth of the NeoCabal shaddow government, that Feith has suddenly returned to the public eye, defending his old OSP lies.

Feith is not in any legal jeopardy. He's not doing this "whirlwind of spin control" for *his* sake, but rather, for the sake of this NeoCabal masters remaining in power. It's up to Feith, the man at the center of the Pentagon Inspector General's critism, to step-up to the plate, and foul-off pitches for his NeoCabal teammates.

That's how damaging the IG's report was. The NeoCabal *had* to drag Feith back from the shaddows of "spending more time with his family" to put out the fires. And like the disciple he's always been, Feith has been spinning lies like a spider on meth. In the last 4 days, Feith has been on every talking-head program known to man, and has now written this OpEd in the WaPo.

The NeoCabal is worried, very worried. The house of cards is in danger of collapse. And Feith is out there trying to prop it up.

[Lasher]

5. Entirely lawful and authorized

Feith and his cronies keep mentioning the Pentagon's magnanimous conclusion regarding its own behavior, that they did nothing illegal. Jay Rockefeller disagrees:

“Section 502 of the National Security Act of 1947 requires the heads of all departments and agencies of the U.S. government involved in intelligence activities ‘to keep the congressional oversight committees informed.’

“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.”

[Tin Man]

6. I got all my fingers and toes crossed... Hold these vermin to the fire, Sen Rockefeller

[Lasher]

7. You might be interested in this excerpt from a letter I got from Jay

I limbered up the ol' typing fingers, which don't normally see much use in these days of some much copy and paste.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=188430&mesg_id=191924

Jay has always been pretty much of an easy going guy but it's clear he's real upset now.

[Tin Man]

9. Thanks for sharing that. Good stuff. I'm hopeful there'll be more in store for the OSP and NeoCabal

[Lasher]

10. I have been waiting with eager anticipation for the release of the last 3 sections of Phase II

I'm sure that won't be boring.