Senators blast CIA over false Iraq threat

[carrrnuttt]

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articl...ia-iraq10.html

Los Angeles Times
Jul. 10, 2004 12:00 AM
WASHINGTON - The United States went to war with Iraq on the basis of flawed intelligence assessments that "either overstated or were not supported by" the underlying evidence on Baghdad's weapons programs, according to a scathing report released by the Senate Intelligence Committee on Friday.

The report documented sweeping and systemic failures at the CIA and other U.S. intelligence agencies that led to erroneous conclusions that Iraq had stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons and was reconstituting its efforts to build a nuclear bomb.

CIA analysts suffered a case of "groupthink" that rendered them incapable of considering that Iraq might have dismantled its weapons programs, the report said. Ambiguous intelligence intercepts and satellite photos were treated as compelling evidence of illicit activity.

And information that didn't fit the agency's preconceived notions about Iraq was simply discarded.

Lawmakers from both parties questioned whether the invasion would have occurred if information on Iraq's weapons programs had been accurate.

Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and an ally of the Bush administration, acknowledged that Congress might not have authorized the use of force if it had it been given the correct information.

[driftu]

Originally Posted by carrrnuttt

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articl...ia-iraq10.html

Los Angeles Times
Jul. 10, 2004 12:00 AM
WASHINGTON - The United States went to war with Iraq on the basis of flawed intelligence assessments that "either overstated or were not supported by" the underlying evidence on Baghdad's weapons programs, according to a scathing report released by the Senate Intelligence Committee on Friday.

The report documented sweeping and systemic failures at the CIA and other U.S. intelligence agencies that led to erroneous conclusions that Iraq had stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons and was reconstituting its efforts to build a nuclear bomb.

CIA analysts suffered a case of "groupthink" that rendered them incapable of considering that Iraq might have dismantled its weapons programs, the report said. Ambiguous intelligence intercepts and satellite photos were treated as compelling evidence of illicit activity.

And information that didn't fit the agency's preconceived notions about Iraq was simply discarded.

Lawmakers from both parties questioned whether the invasion would have occurred if information on Iraq's weapons programs had been accurate.

Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and an ally of the Bush administration, acknowledged that Congress might not have authorized the use of force if it had it been given the correct information.

see told you blame shifting was fun. every one does it.

[taranaki]

Sucks to be the CIA. If you advise a President that there's a possibility that there may be a terrorist threat involving domestic air travel and he chooses to ignore it,it's your fault for not being more specific.

If you advise him that it's possible that a country that he hates might one day have the capability to make the same weapons that he himself has possessed for decades,and he goes uses that information as an excuse for a land grab,then finds that the rest of the world had better information, you're still to blame...........

Bush's buffoons are playing 'find the scapegoat'. Hopefully the voters will find the true culprit.

[Hyatus]

its too bad we cant just go "WITCH!!!!! BURN UM AT THE STAKE" anymore.....

[werwolf-23]

Originally Posted by taranaki

Sucks to be the CIA. If you advise a President that there's a possibility that there may be a terrorist threat involving domestic air travel and he chooses to ignore it,it's your fault for not being more specific.

If you advise him that it's possible that a country that he hates might one day have the capability to make the same weapons that he himself has possessed for decades,and he goes uses that information as an excuse for a land grab,then finds that the rest of the world had better information, you're still to blame...........

Bush's buffoons are playing 'find the scapegoat'. Hopefully the voters will find the true culprit.

I love it. Maybe if he keeps pissing off CIA he'll make that 20-year curse yet