Before War, CIA Warned of Negative Outcomes

[L. Coyote]

Before War, CIA Warned of Negative Outcomes
Analysts in 2002 Described Worst-Case Scenarios, Including Anarchy in Iraq, Global Antipathy to U.S.
By Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, June 3, 2007; Page A08
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/02/AR2007060200905.html

On Aug. 13, 2002, the CIA completed a classified, six-page intelligence analysis that described the worst scenarios that could arise after a U.S.-led removal of Saddam Hussein: anarchy and territorial breakup in Iraq, a surge of global terrorism, and a deepening of Islamic antipathy toward the United States.

Titled "The Perfect Storm: Planning for Negative Consequences of Invading Iraq," the paper, written seven months before the war began, also speculated about al-Qaeda operatives taking "advantage of a destabilized Iraq to establish secure safe havens from which they can continue their operations," according to a report about prewar intelligence recently released by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

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In the "Perfect Storm" paper, CIA analysts offered what they described as "near-term tactical moves" that the administration could make to minimize the worst-case scenarios that the report presented. Among them were taking "concrete diplomatic steps toward Arab-Israeli peace" and providing "back-channel assurances to Tehran on the duration and extent of U.S. force deployments" -- actions that were not taken.

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[MadMaddie]

1. You see the Necons never even thought of negative

outcome...couldn't happen they said....

For ignoring the evidence, for going to war an attacking a country that did not have WMDs they should be prosecuted for War Crimes.

[Socal31]

4. This sounds bad....

But we DID have the legal authority to attack Iraq the FIRST TIME they violated UN No fly zones. That was in 1992.

Now, screw legal authority. That means squat. 75% or more of the country was behind the initial idea of the war. Why? Because noone thinks ahead. Noone realizes how SHITTY a war is, and how much BULLSHIT it causes. "Oh, well go destroy a government and then just come on home." Wrong. Now we are bogged down, our 19 year old kids are dying, and everyone is holding thier dick.

[yurbud]

2. problem with MBAs running the show: they are used to people groveling at their feet

even lawyers have to deal with opposing counsel and crotchety judges.

All a CEO ever faces are his cronies at the country club who don't care if you run a business into the ground so long as you give them a heads up so they can sell the stock short.

We and the Iraqis are not employees of the Bush corporation.

[Double T]

3. The USA spends $44+ Billion annually for intelligence that the WH.........

wholesale discounts anyway. The 'executives' in the WH are bigger idiots than I ever imagined.