Coleman reply re: WMD

[preciousdove]

xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55104


Dear Mrs. xxxxx

Thank you for contacting me regarding pre-war intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

Like other Americans, I have been anxious to find out what happened to Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. We know that Saddam Hussein is a proven aggressor who possessed and even used WMD in the past, both on his own people and on Iran for examples. His refusal to abide by 17 U.N. resolutions, including his final chance in Resolution 1441, strongly suggest that he continued to possess and hide WMD. I believe it will be important to learn what weapons Saddam Hussein had, where they are today, and what was the quality of our intelligence about them. While I believe it is important to look into this issue, I also believe patience is appropriate as U.S. forces continue to search for WMD in a nation the size of California.

In any event, Congress is taking steps to determine the quality of U.S. intelligence about Iraq's WMD. On June 4, 2003, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence announced its bipartisan commitment to conduct a thorough review of the documented intelligence underlying the assessments regarding the existence of and the threat posed by Iraq's WMD programs. On June 12, 2003, the House Select Committee on Intelligence announced its intention to conduct a similar investigation. In unprecedented fashion, the House Intelligence Committee will make all documents requested from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on Iraq's WMD available to all members of Congress. I commend the Intelligence Committees for their actions and await their findings and recommendations.

As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I will continue to work with my colleagues on the Intelligence Committees to assess the quality of pre-war intelligence.

Thank you once again for taking the time to contact me. I value your input. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance to you.

Norm Coleman

United States Senator

[dodger501]

1. Looks like a form leter

that says nothing. Looks like the same one being sent out well before the war started, same talking points and all.

I nailed a wing nut one time when he hit me with how daunting it is to find WMD in a country "the size of California." I said: "Yeah, but how much of that real estate is just plain sand?"

[Jack Rabbit]

2. BEEP! This is a recording

Coleman probably isn't the only member of the Senate who needs to update his form letter.

[Rose Siding]

3. Sorry- Some form letters are more satisfying than others

From my Rep- Jay Inslee:

Thank you for contacting me with your concerns about American efforts to rebuild Iraq. I appreciate hearing from you.

I am very troubled by the President's failure to work with our allies to stabilize and rebuild Iraq. Currently, security remains woefully inadequate throughout the nation, and American forces face hostilities on a daily basis. It has become increasingly clear that the President did not have a coherent post-war plan for the nation, and questions are being raised about the intelligence used to justify the invasion. Instead of telling the enemy to "bring 'em on," the President should now be working to restore order and some sense of civility in the nation. We must also provide the Iraqi people with the tools and resources necessary for the successful reconstruction of their country.

Unfortunately, the indications are that the President would rather not pursue a reconstruction program which sufficiently involves other nations. I would encourage the President to support a rebuilding effort that involves the full participation and cooperation of our allies and the United Nations. Such a multinational effort will send a message to Iraqis that this is an international effort - not an occupation - thereby decreasing discontent with our presence in Iraq. Engaging our allies in the reconstruction effort will also lend an international face to reconstruction, utilize skills from other international peacekeeping experiences, and help fund the tremendous costs of this challenge. Accomplishing these goals through a combined effort will also help to mend our broken diplomatic ties.

Iraq is not a glorious prize for the American people. It is a burden. We still have Americans in Iraq, and that burden ought to be shared with every nation in the civilized world rather than just Americans. And to date, unfortunately, this administration still has not been willing to embrace allies to assist in this effort. We must do a better job of keeping our commitment to the Iraqi people than the Bush Administration has done for those in Afghanistan. Please be assured that I will continue to monitor the situation in Iraq so we can successfully rebuild this nation.

Members of Congress, the American public and constituents of the First District in Washington State, are becoming increasingly concerned about the credibility, and misrepresentation, of pre-war intelligence on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Currently, there are glaring discrepancies between agency intelligence, Administration estimates, and the lack of evidence in post-war Iraq. Americans deserve an explanation as to why the threat posed by Iraqi unconventional weapons was overstated, particularly in President Bush's State of the Union Address. I share these concerns, and am going to assume a leading role in finding out where, and when, these intelligence failures occurred. To locate these answers, I am proud to have taken the following actions of the past few weeks:

* Cosponsoring legislation by Rep. Waxman, H.R. 2625, which would establish an Independent Commission on Intelligence about Iraq. The Commission would examine the executive branch's collection, interpretation and representation of the intelligence regarding the various threats posed by Iraq.

* Cosponsoring a resolution (H.Res.307) to establish a select committee on Iraq intelligence. This commission would investigate the effectiveness of the United States' intelligence structure to meet global threats, focusing in particular on why the Bush Administration provided an inaccurate picture of Iraq's military threat prior to the war.

* Voting in favor of the amendments offered by Reps. Kucinich and Lee to the Intelligence Authorization Act for FY04 (HR 2417). These amendments sought to achieve maximum accountability in investigating and correcting the pre-war intelligence failures. Notably, the Lee amendment would have called for the Government Accounting Office (GAO) to report on the degree to which U.S. intelligence services shared information about WMD sites with U.N. inspection teams in Iraq.

I have disagreed with the President's unilateral, first-strike war policy, and I find it alarming that the President may squander the opportunity to act as an effective force for peace and stability in the Middle East. In Iraq the President cannot repeat what has occurred in Afghanistan, or else our efforts to increase our security in the Middle East will have been wasted or could even compound our security threats, and American lives will have been lost for nothing. Please know that I will continue to question the President's first-strike war policy and to be a forceful advocate for more assistance and a multilateral approach to rebuilding Iraq.

Please continue to contact me about the issues that concern you, I both need and welcome your thoughts and ideas. I encourage you to contact me via email, telephone, or fax, because security measures are causing House offices to experience delays in receiving postal mail. My email address is: [email protected]. Please be sure to include your full name, address, including your zip code, in your message. If you are a resident of the First Congressional District and would like to receive policy updates and newsletters via email, please email me to let me know.



Very truly yours,

JAY INSLEE
Member of Congress

[dpbrown]

4. I got the same damn thing three times!

Nothing like spam from Mr. Smarmy.

Dan Brown
Saint Paul, Minnesota