Ex-CIA agent says WMD intelligence ignored

[deadparrot]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The CIA had evidence Iraq possessed no weapons of mass destruction six months before the 2003 U.S.-led invasion but was ignored by a White House intent on ousting Saddam Hussein, a former senior CIA official said according to CBS.

Tyler Drumheller, who headed CIA covert operations in Europe during the run-up to the Iraq war, said intelligence opposing administration claims of a WMD threat came from a top Iraqi official who provided the U.S. spy agency with other credible information.

The source "told us that there were no active weapons of mass destruction programs," Drumheller said in a CBS interview to be aired on Sunday on the network's news magazine, "60 Minutes."

"The (White House) group that was dealing with preparation for the Iraq war came back and said they were no longer interested," he was quoted as saying in interview excerpts released by CBS on Friday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060421/ts_nm/iraq_intelligence_cia_dc

[rodeodance]

1. this would be the WHIG

....."The (White House) group that was dealing with preparation for the Iraq war came back and said they were no longer interested," he was quoted as saying in interview excerpts released by CBS on Friday.

[savemefromdumbya]

2. Isn't this why they tried to get Plame?

[Rose Siding]

3. And bush knew-

Will the arrest of the CIA agent burst the damn?

snip>
CBS said the CIA's intelligence source was former Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri and that former CIA Director George Tenet delivered the information personally to President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and other top White House officials in September 2002. They rebuffed the CIA three days later.

"The policy was set. The war in Iraq was coming and they were looking for intelligence to fit into the policy," the former CIA agent told CBS.

[jazzjunkysue]

4. So, Tenet got the medal of freedom and a pink slip. Yep.

There will be no speaking truth to power.

[roseBudd]

5. Click through and rate it a 5

[sabra]

6. BushCo: THE WHOLE WORLD THOUGHT SADDAM....

"the whole world" = everyone that aligned with our view

[Terran1212]

7. And Bush's supporters will continue to claim "intelligence error" not...

...knowing that the "intelligence error" was theirs for not being up to date on the news to read the writing on the wall:


BUSH LIED.

LIED.

[Terran1212]

8. kick

[lyonn]

9. How American Intel was compromised

and continues to be. Firing today of CIA agent for trying to tell Americans that our govt. is peforming illegal acts. That is whistle blowing to my way of thinking. Yet outing Plame and her cover company was not illegal according to bush law. Sounds like we may be having a war of CIA and Intelligence agents, those that are following the White House doctrine and those that believe in their work product.


"But Drumheller, co-author of a forthcoming book entitled "On the Brink: How the White House Has Compromised American Intelligence," rejects the notion of an intelligence failure."

"It just sticks in my craw every time I hear them say it's an intelligence failure," he told CBS. "This was a policy failure."

[Hissyspit]

10. No fucking duh.

There were news reports at the time that this was happening.

[Pirate Smile]

11. CBS: A Spy Speaks (WH ignored intel of no WMD pre-Iraq War)

A Spy Speaks Out

(CBS) A CIA official who had a top role during the run-up to the Iraqi war charges the White House with ignoring intelligence that said there were no weapons of mass destruction or an active nuclear program in Iraq.

The former highest ranking CIA officer in Europe, Tyler Drumheller, also says that while the intelligence community did give the White House some bad intelligence, it also gave the White House good intelligence — which the administration chose to ignore.

-snip-
Drumheller, who retired last year, says the White House ignored crucial information from a high and credible source. The source was Iraq's foreign minister, Naji Sabri, with whom U.S. spies had made a deal.
When CIA Director George Tenet delivered this news to the president, the vice president and other high ranking officials, they were excited — but not for long.

"(The source) told us that there were no active weapons of mass destruction programs," says Drumheller. "The group that was dealing with preparation for the Iraq war came back and said they were no longer interested. And we said 'Well, what about the intel?' And they said 'Well, this isn't about intel anymore. This is about regime change.' "

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/04/21/60minutes/main1527749.shtml

Drumheller talks to 60 Minutes correspondent Ed Bradley in his first television interview this Sunday, April 23 at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

[Flubadubya]

12. I hope that this agent coming forward...

will just be the "crack in the dam" and that others will be encouraged to come forward. Of course, the Bushies are doing all they can to discourage this by arresting any truth teller that may dare. Nonetheless, I hope more will follow this man's courageous lead.

[Zorra]

13. Thank you, Mr. Drumheller. All patriotic intell agents loyal to the

American people should come forward and tell the world just how treasonous and corrupt the Bu*h administration really

Please.