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| Bush OK’s Independent Probe of Prewar Intelligence |
| 2004-02-01 |
| EFL President Bush has agreed to support an independent inquiry into the prewar intelligence that he used to assert that Saddam Hussein was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction, Republican and congressional sources said today. The shift by the White House, which had previously maintained that any such inquiry should wait until a more exhaustive weapons search has been complete, came after pressure from lawmakers in both parties and from the former chief U.S. weapons inspector in Iraq. Bush could have gotten out front on this and made a commission a useful exercise. There was no official confirmation from the White House today. Vice President Cheney has begun to call lawmakers on the intelligence committees, who have encouraged the administration to proceed with an inquiry. Bush’s shift in position represents an effort to get out in front of a potentially dangerous issue that threatens to cloud his reelection bid. An independent commission would not necessarily absolve Bush politically, congressional officials said, but it could quiet the current furor and delay calls for top-level resignations at the CIA and elsewhere until after the election, diluting the potency of the issue for Democrats. Politics as usual. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, said today that convening a blue-ribbon panel is important because "we’re in danger now of seeing the politicization of the whole intelligence issue." That’s never happened before? Where’s the turnip truck he fell out of? The panel, Roberts said, would have to be bipartisan and include only recognized experts whose recommendations could "leapfrog" over the current debate and quickly tackle the issue of how to fix intelligence deficiencies. "It would be helpful not only politically, but also for the nation," Roberts said. Sources said Bush intends to endorse a commission in the coming days while remaining publicly agnostic on the accuracy of the intelligence that the administration used to take the nation to war in Iraq. Though some in the White House favor a frank admission that the intelligence was wrong -- something lawmakers and inspectors have given -- Bush and his aides have so far concluded that would only increase the pressure on them. Politicans never learn: admitting your mistakes won’t ruin you; stonewalling, blame-shifting and lying will. The details about the commission are not yet firm, including how much authority it would have to investigate not just the intelligence gathering apparatus but also how the administration used the intelligence it was given. By joining the effort to create the commission rather than allowing Congress to develop its framework on its own, Bush will likely have more leverage to keep the focus on the CIA and other intelligence organizations rather than on the White House. Six separate panels -- the House and Senate intelligence committees, a CIA internal review team, the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, the newly refocused CIA-led Iraq Survey Group and an Army team -- are already investigating the prewar intelligence process. Robert’s committee is likely to be the first to conclude its work, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of March. According to congressional officials, it will also likely be the most hard-hitting, calling into question the competency not only of mid-level CIA analysts but also of the top CIA leadership, including that of Director George J. Tenet. In his defense, George was the principal architect and advocate of the successful plan in Afghanistan. Roberts and other congressional officials said they believe any independent panel should not begin its work at least until after the Senate report has been issued. "We are going to answer a lot of questions," he said. More politix and tomfoolery at the link. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #6 We've already had a little taste from the Hutton Inquiry. The only party who "sexed up" anything was the BBC. The Intelligence community reached logical conclusions from what they had available. Did you hear that Teddy K. or did you try and drink through your ear again? |
| Posted by: Daniel King 2004-2-1 3:51:12 PM |
| #5 Were it not for the human tragedy involved, the story of Iraq WMD is pure farce. UNMOVIC inspectors running around with Iraqi scientists who pretended to hide evidence so that Saddam would not find out that nothing actually existed. This is high comedy in the best Peter Sellers tradition. |
| Posted by: john 2004-2-1 1:20:54 PM |
| #4 I think we all know how the left and right use intel for their own means. We should have knows their was a problem when we bombed the asprin factory. Fire the politicos and promote from within. thats the only way to get honest Intel. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2004-2-1 11:26:04 AM |
| #3 GwB or the GOP have nothing to fear from an independent inquiry, it will never statisfie the Dems or the nay-sayers though. |
| Posted by: Evert Visser 2004-2-1 7:02:30 AM |
| #2 Think GWB knows it will lead back to Bill Clinton's major gaffes and that of his "really, really fine" Administration? (say that last phrase in the voice of SCTV's Guy Caballero) |
| Posted by: Jennie Taliaferro 2004-2-1 2:49:39 AM |
| #1 I like it. Gw it's not about you. And you are grown up enough to realise it. Way to go! |
| Posted by: Lucky 2004-2-1 1:44:20 AM |