XPost: alt.politics.war-crimes, soc.culture.german, soc.culture.iraq   
   XPost: soc.culture.spain, soc.veterans, uk.politics.parliament   
   From: harinam108@yahoo.com   
      
   "U.S. intelligence" are the same idiots who never had a clue about Al-qaeda   
   .and the World Trade Center.   
      
      
   " "- Prof. Jonez©""  wrote in message   
   news:9fX2e.36$_V4.1425@news.uswest.net...   
   >   
   >> > > > > Report Says U.S. Intelligence 'Dead Wrong' on Iraq   
   >> > > > > Thu Mar 31, 2005 10:42 AM ET   
   >> > > > >   
   >> > > > >   
   >> > > > > By Steve Holland and Adam Entous   
   >> > > > > WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. intelligence on Iraq was "dead   
   >> > > > > wrong," dealing a blow to American credibility that will take   
   >> > > > > years to undo, and spymasters still know disturbingly little   
   >> > > > > about nuclear programs in countries like Iran and North   
   >> > > > > Korea, a presidential commission reported on Thursday.   
   >> > > > > The commission's bluntly written report, based on more than a   
   >> > > > > year of investigations, offered a damning assessment of the   
   >> > > > > intelligence that President Bush used to launch the Iraq war   
   >> > > > > two years ago and warned that flaws are still all too common   
   >> > > > > throughout spy agencies. "We conclude that the intelligence   
   >> > > > > community was dead wrong in   
   >> > > > > almost all of its prewar judgments about Iraq's weapons of   
   >> > > > > mass destruction," the commissioners wrote.   
   >> > > > >   
   >> > > > > And at a time when the United States is accusing Iran of   
   >> > > > > nuclear ambitions and pressuring North Korea on its nuclear   
   >> > > > > programs, the report said: "Across the board, the intelligence   
   >> > > > > community knows disturbingly little about the nuclear   
   >> > > > > programs of many of the world's most dangerous actors."   
   >> > > > > The presidential commission, led by appeals court judge   
   >> > > > > Laurence Silberman and former Virginia Republican Sen.   
   >> > > > > Charles Robb, called for a broad overhaul in the spy community to   
   >> > > > > increase   
   >> > > > > information-sharing and foster dissenting views.   
   >> > > > > "The flaws we found in the intelligence community's Iraq   
   >> > > > > performance are still all too common," they wrote.   
   >> > > > >   
   >> > > > > White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the president   
   >> > > > > agreed the intelligence community needs fundamental change. He   
   >> > > > > said   
   >> > > > > its recommendations would be reviewed and acted on "in a   
   >> > > > > fairly quick period of time."   
   >> > > > > A key chapter in the report -- on U.S. intelligence on alleged   
   >> > > > > nuclear weapons programs in Iran and North Korea -- was   
   >> > > > > classified and not released publicly.   
   >> > > > > But sources familiar with that section said it was among the   
   >> > > > > most critical, finding U.S. intelligence on Iran's nuclear   
   >> > > > > program in particular to be inadequate.   
   >> > > > >   
   >> > > > > The White House has acknowledged intelligence shortcomings --   
   >> > > > > national security adviser Stephen Hadley called data on Iran   
   >> > > > > "hard to come by" -- but the administration has made clear it   
   >> > > > > stands by its policy of preemption.   
   >> > > > > A senior administration official said "there has been no   
   >> > > > > change in our policy to confront threats before they have the   
   >> > > > > opportunity to strike the homeland."   
   >> > > > > IRAQ INTELLIGENCE 'WORTHLESS OR MISLEADING'   
   >> > > > >   
   >> > > > > The 600-page report sharply criticized the   
   >> > > > > intelligence-gathering on Iraq by the CIA, Defense   
   >> > > > > Intelligence Agency and other   
   >> > > > > agencies for producing "worthless or misleading" intelligence   
   >> > > > > before a war fought over claims that Saddam Hussein possessed   
   >> > > > > weapons of mass destruction, none of which was found.   
   >> > > > > In what amounted to a direct assault on George Tenet, who was   
   >> > > > > CIA director in the run-up to the Iraq war and gave the   
   >> > > > > president his daily intelligence briefing, the commission   
   >> > > > > found that "the   
   >> > > > > daily reports sent to the president and senior policymakers   
   >> > > > > discussing Iraq over many months proved to be disastrously   
   >> > > > > one-sided." Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, accused of   
   >> > > > > hyping the   
   >> > > > > intelligence on Iraq in order to pursue a costly war with a   
   >> > > > > deadly aftermath, escaped direct blame.   
   >> > > > > "The analysts who worked Iraqi weapons issues universally   
   >> > > > > agreed that in no instance did political pressure cause them to   
   >> > > > > skew   
   >> > > > > or alter any of their analytical judgments," the report said.   
   >> > > > >   
   >> > > > > But it added: "It is hard to deny the conclusion that   
   >> > > > > intelligence analysts worked in an environment that did not   
   >> > > > > encourage skepticism about the conventional wisdom."   
   >> > > > >   
   >> > > > > CHANGES NECESSARY   
   >   
   >   
      
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