Did Bush pressure CIA?

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-uspoli103887376jul10,0,6026014.story?coll=ny-nationalnews-headlines

WASHINGTON - Friday's Senate report on intelligence on Iraq drew a new battle line in this fall's presidential campaign by failing to settle perhaps the most controversial question of all: Did the White House pressure the CIA to concoct reasons to invade Iraq?

The question split the Senate Intelligence Committee's otherwise bipartisan unanimity on the intelligence failures in Iraq, with Democrats saying they had a "major disagreement" with Republicans over the issue.

Republicans noted in the report's conclusion that no intelligence analysts said they were pressured. But Democrats objected, saying there was ample evidence that top Bush administration officials had intimidated analysts to twist their judgments about whether Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction.

In the end, the committee decided to put off consideration of the Bush administration's use of intelligence, assuring the issue a prominent role in the presidential campaign.

"The committee's report fails to fully explain the environment of intense pressure in which the intelligence community officials were asked to render judgments on matters relating to Iraq when the most senior officials in the Bush administration had already forcefully and repeatedly stated their conclusions publicly," said Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), the committee's ranking minority member.

more

[acmavm]

1. Are we supposed to believe that Cheney and Feith made all those

trips over to the CIA just to say hello?

[rooboy]

They went over to make sure the research was "fair and balanced". n/t

[serryjw]

41. He bought them a Starbuck's

After pouring it on them to obey!

[Mandate My Ass]

2. No, Cheney did

He is a war criminal.

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. No, he let Cheney do it for him

Don't want to chip the teflon you know.

[Athame]

10. Not Teflon, it's K-Y W* (eom)

[amber dog democrat]

4. Making a patsy out of the CIA

for political reasons is not very smart. I expect to see even more whilstle blowing activities to come from this.

[Cobalt Violet]

7. I hope so.

And I hope it is before the election not after!

[UpInArms]

5. no, they went in search of Joseph Wilson's wife's name

so that they could use it to their "benefit" at the appropriate moment.

[wish_I_could_vote]

6. I almost think it doesn't matter

since Bush was quite clear that he would have gone to war anyway because Iraq had the "intent". Why can people not see through this bull?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

8. Rummy said..... and I quote.

Immediately after 911 "Get me everything we have on Iraq all things related and not sweep it all up" as best I can remember the wording.

[Terran]

9. You have a point.

There was also Bush foul-mouthed comment to some US Senators, reported by Time Magazine, in March 2002--"Fuck Saddam! We're going after him!" (or words to that effect).

However, perverting the purpose of the CIA is, or should be, a serious crime in and of itself.

[Ilsa]

33. I remember that!

You can still google it and get the link I think.

It's like * had nothing better to do than wander around the White House muttering foul-mouthed stupidity and Cheneyisms.

[struggle4progress]

42. link

Time magazine is reporting that during a March 2002 briefing for three senators by Condoleezza Rice, Bush poked his head into a White House meeting room and bellowed, "Fuck Saddam. We're taking him out!"

http://www.counterpunch.org/madsen03312003.html

[peekaloo]

11. gee whiz, why wait until AFTER the election to release the second

phase of their report? Okay I didn't read this link, due to rising blood pressure, but it was noted yesterday on Pacifica radio that the second portion of the committee's report will be delayed until after the election due to time constraints in the Senate. Recess is a much more important time line, ya know. Oh yeah, part 2 will "analyze" the WH's influence over the CIA findings BUT the Repuke Senators don't want to make that portion of the report a "political issue".

Sickening and oh so transparent.

[wabeewoman]

12. Diane Feinstein was carrying water

for them last night on (I think it was) CNN. Anyway she said there was no evidence anyone was pressured. And went on and on about it. Aggghhh!

[Judi Lynn]

25. I saw that, too. She has gone completely mad.

They must be blackmailing her. That's the only reason a Democrat could act like that.

What a colossal disappointment she became.

[belle]

28. She has been for a while now. Still this is a bit much even for her.

[calimary]

39. She's gonna hear from ME - first thing in the morning!

Everybody - time to Storm the Bastille...

Here is that contact info:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1956556#1956858

This is also available in the Activism/Events forum:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=106x8816

[ElsewheresDaughter]

13. Pentagon's secert "Office of Special Plans"........OSP repeat

Pentagon's secert "Office of Special Plans"........OSP repeat
Pentagon's secert "Office of Special Plans"........OSP repeat
Pentagon's secert "Office of Special Plans"........OSP repeat
Pentagon's secert "Office of Special Plans"........OSP repeat
Pentagon's secert "Office of Special Plans"........OSP repeat
Pentagon's secert "Office of Special Plans"........OSP repeat
Pentagon's secert "Office of Special Plans"........OSP repeat
Pentagon's secert "Office of Special Plans"........OSP repeat
Pentagon's secert "Office of Special Plans"........OSP repeat
Pentagon's secert "Office of Special Plans"........OSP repeatOSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP
OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP SOP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP OSP

SOS

[frylock]

15. kick..

:kick:

[SOS]

21. Feith and OSP are to be targeted

in part two of the investigation, but of course they "won't have enough time" to get part two out before the election.

:mad:

[PassingFair]

14. I accidentally swore, in front of my children last night!

Watching CNN newscaster who said "The Congressional Report virtually exonerated the Bush Administration"...

@&^%%$##@!$%%$^$&

There I go again!
The dems need to stand up and start squawking! Starting with Kerry!

[arwalden]

16. Perhaps Not DIRECTLY... But This Administration Was ALREADY ON RECORD

as having made (unproven) "factual" assertions BEFORE any actual intelligence had been obtained... and these assertions were well known to all within the intelligence community.

There is no paper-trail of evidence that leads to a direct request... but the desire to NOT make their boss look bad (and to keep their job) should be easily understood by all.

OF COURSE they cooked the "facts" to match the assumptions being offered by the Criminal Bush*.

[bluedog]

17. administration is so corrupt

it needs "Two John's' to flush the shit down

[IggleDoer]

18. The CIA "analysts" didn't have to get pressure from above ...

They knew what the rethugs wanted. They even worked in a building named for Poppy. If they wanted to get ahead, they had to please their bosses.

Find out something that doesn't fit with what the rethugs were selling and your career goes down the toilet.

Don't need any direct pressure from above.

[rman]

22. not all were/are cooperating

even though many of the critics - many of them old-timers - have been releaved of duty.
Why else would they complain about Cheney leaning on their shoulders?

Hartford Courant
http://www.ctnow.com
June 27, 2003
Cheney And The CIA: Not Business As Usual
by Ray McGovern
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0627-03.htm

As though this were normal! I mean the repeated visits Vice President Dick Cheney made to the CIA before the war in Iraq. The visits were, in fact, unprecedented. During my 27-year career at the Central Intelligence Agency, no vice president ever came to us for a working visit.
...

[War Pigs]

19. One can only hope that the CIA will choose (before Nov.) to you know,

BREAK IT OFF IN CHIMPY AND GRIMACE'S RESPECTIVE ASSES!!! Reluctant warriors my ass. We'll see just how good these guys really are now!:wtf:

[Zorra]

20. Here is a great link from the Center For American Progress:

2003: WH Pressures Intel Agencies to Conform; Ignores More Warnings

Instead of listening to the repeated warnings from the intelligence community, intelligence officials say the White House instead pressured them to conform their reports to fit a pre-determined policy. Meanwhile, more evidence from international institutions poured in that the White House’s claims were not well-grounded.

LATE 2002-EARLY 2003 – CHENEY PRESSURES CIA TO CHANGE INTELLIGENCE: "Vice President Dick Cheney's repeated trips to CIA headquarters in the run-up to the war for unusual, face-to-face sessions with intelligence analysts poring over Iraqi data. The pressure on the intelligence community to document the administration's claims that the Iraqi regime had ties to al-Qaida and was pursuing a nuclear weapons capacity was ‘unremitting,’ said former CIA counterterrorism chief Vince Cannistraro, echoing several other intelligence veterans interviewed." Additionally, CIA officials "charged that the hard-liners in the Defense Department and vice president's office had 'pressured' agency analysts to paint a dire picture of Saddam's capabilities and intentions."

http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=24889

[gulliver]

23. They forgot an equally important question!!!

The more important question may be: Did Bush pressure the CIA to come up with evidence disputing the case for war?

It's called due diligence. It's something a president does before committing troops ... before starting a war. The failure by the administration to actively seek evidence for the answer they did not want is a dereliction of duty.

[kodi]

27. JFK asked the tough questions & the world surived the cuban missile crisis

You hit the nail on the head. Any old fool could have done the job Bush did by asking only for evidence supporting a pre-determined course of action, but rational people don't want any old fool running the Executive Branch.

To steal from the title of Pirandllo's masterpiece(Six Characters in Search of an Author); the Bush adminstration's Iraq policies has been little more than crackpot theories in search of supporting evidence.

This makes the Bush adminstration a Western avatar of Soviet-style political Lysenkoism.

[banana republican]

24. can you spell

OFFICE OF SPECIAL PLANS !!!!!

[Chomskyite]

26. Our local news in Baton Rouge, WAFB,

. . . said the report exonerated Bush of pressuring the CIA.

Damn liars. I wrote WAFB and asked them why they're doing the job of Sean Hannity now.

[midwayer]

29. It will be an issue

"In the end, the committee decided to put off consideration of the Bush administration's use of intelligence, assuring the issue a prominent role in the presidential campaign."

But it will not address the right of American's to make an informed decision as to whom they vote for.

We can, as Democrats, at least hope it will leave a sour taste in most Americans mouths as it displays the real neocon adgenda as just one more attempt to cover up & delay the facts.

[underpants]

30. Yes, next question

:grr:

[underpants]

31. Is this the same CIA who provided evidence for the latest terror alert?

Yeah I thought so.

[wurzel]

32. Read the published CIA reports. Then read the NIE report. Then find out

who wrote the NIE report with all the omissions. It shouldn't be beyond even our press to do that.

[UTUSN]

34. Report Is "Unanimous" Yet Sen. ROCKEFELLER Disagreed with "NO Pressure"

Just as about all of DUers KNEW this was a phoney war just from the lack of any CONVINCING REASON, we know that there was nothing BUT pressure from the Shrubbites to come up with whatever excuse to do what they WANTED TO DO ANYWAY. On Meet-the-Non-Journalist, Senator R. piped up after Sen. ROBERTS' "unanimous" thing that he (and presumably the other Dems) did NOT agree with the "no pressure" point, that this was the single biggest point of disagreement in the committee, BUT they felt they had to go along for the benefit of the overall report. What, they couldn't have a dissenting addendum to the report on specific issues? Sen. R. also is all over the place saying he would not have voted for the attack permission if he had known what he knows now (how come DUers knew THEN?). Whups, it's happening again: NO criticism of the Mal-administration, NO responsibility assigned to the Mal-administration. In addition to the rest of the report not being released before the election. Disgusting.

[UTUSN]

35. Kick n/t

[Seabiscuit]

36. Did Bush and Cheney pressure the CIA?

Well.... DUHHHHH...!!1

[Octafish]

37. TENET's gotta be pissed! He'll have a lot to say about this and OSP.

And Jay Rockefeller is no dummy:

Fury over Pentagon cell that briefed White House on Iraq's 'imaginary' al-Qaeda links

By Julian Coman in Washington
(Filed: 11/07/2004)

A Senior Pentagon policy maker created an unofficial "Iraqi intelligence cell" in the summer of 2002 to circumvent the CIA and secretly brief the White House on links between Saddam Hussein and al-Qa'eda, according to the Senate intelligence committee.

The allegations about Douglas Feith, the number three at the Department of Defence, are made in a supplementary annexe of the committee's review of the intelligence leading to war in Iraq, released on Friday.

According to dramatic testimony contained in the annexe, Mr Feith's cell undermined the credibility of CIA judgments on Iraq's alleged al-Qa'eda links within the highest levels of the Bush administration.

The cell appears to have been set up by Mr Feith as an adjunct to the Office of Special Plans, a Pentagon intelligence-gathering operation established in the wake of 9/11 with the authority of Paul Wolfowitz. Its focus quickly became the al-Qa'eda-Saddam link.

On occasion, without informing the then head of the CIA, George Tenet, the group gave counter-briefings in the White House. Sen Jay Rockefeller, the most senior Democrat on the committee, said that Mr Feith's cell may even have undertaken "unlawful" intelligence-gathering initiatives.

CONTINUED...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/07/11/wsept11.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/07/11/ixnewstop.html

[Poiuyt]

38. Remember Karen Kwiatkowski?

She was an Air Force Lt Colonel who worked in the Pentagon . Here's an article she wrote describing how the Office of Special Plans took over things there:

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0310-09.htm

More of her great articles can be found here:

http://www.lewrockwell.com/kwiatkowski/kwiatkowski-arch.html

[Geo55]

40. any comments Mr. Tenet ?

CIA:
1. Osama Binladen in Afganistan/Pakistan region.
2. Iraq not an operational base for Al Quida.
3. Informational resource "Curve Ball" unreliable.

4. Saddam Hussein is a bad man.


I'll take a #4 to go