Leaked intelligence report rocks Bush election stance

[tocqueville]

by David Millikin
53 minutes ago

NEW YORK (AFP) - US spy agencies have dropped a political bombshell six weeks before national elections, with the leak of a classified report concluding that the war in Iraq has spawned a new wave of Islamic radicalism and increased the global threat of terrorism.

The intelligence document on Sunday rocked a central pillar of the Republican Party's campaign platform ahead of November elections: that the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the ouster of Saddam Hussein made America safer, not weaker.

With opinion polls showing President George W. Bush's party possibly losing control of both houses of Congress in the the mid-term polls, in large part due to unhappiness over the war in Iraq, the report stating categorically the opposite will make for painful reading at the White House.

Bush has argued repeatedly in pre-election speeches that Iraq is the central front in the war on terrorism and that demands for a US troop withdrawal from the country by the opposition Democrats underscores why the center-left party should not be trusted with the nation's security.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060924/ts_afp/usattackiraq_060924163004

[babylonsister]

1. Can't wait to hear the spin the repugs will provide on this.

So far, Frist and McCain claimed they hadn't read it. I guess they're strategerizing for the week ahead.

[BrotherBuzz]

3. Whistleblowing leakers are helping the terrorists?

They ain't got nothing. :shrug:

[A Brand New World]

4. Which just makes them look like they're not doing their jobs. How

can such important info not be read by two high-ranking senators? Doesn't make sense to me and probably not to any other thinking citizen. They may try to act like they're not aware of the report but it just makes them look stupid.

[lyonn]

21. As another poster brought out in another post, Congressional

oversight, where is it? We don't have any. These are secrets only the King and his court can see. This is exactly what got us into the Iraq war, filtered, hidden intelligence info.

[Divine Discontent]

50. you bring up something that pissed me off from today's

wretched viewing of McCain and then Frist on the talk shows.
They kept saying there was classified top secret info they couldn't discuss that could help the enemy...............

the enemy being the American people.


how do they get away with hiding things, oh wait, they're in charge, they don't have to answer to the people, just the right winged talking heads.


www.cafepress.com/warisprofitable <<-- antibush prodem stickers/shirts

[wordpix]

72. Congressional oversight??? Read this line again:

snip: "Republican leaders tried to brush aside the intelligence document, which they said they had not yet seen."

It appears the repukes in power are giving BushCo everything they want with NO oversight. They're "keeping us safe" :sarcasm: by not bothering to read the NIE. That would take too much time away from their golf games and fundraisers.

[elehhhhna]

8. How does one spin MUTINY by the CIA?

I guess they really do prefer the Constituton to the Bush Junta.

[H2O Man]

22. One of the most important

parts is that this is 16 disparate intelligence services joining together in what the New York Times calls a consensus view.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

32. all 16 were tired of being shat upon by a vice president and

pushed around like puppets and kiddie toys.


You push a group hard and long enough, and pretty soon, they push back. They already got rid of the Goss-freak and his band of merry pirates.

[H2O Man]

35. One of the things

that has come out in the past 24 months is that the Cheney-Rumsfeld groups, such as the OSP (they were not the only one) were not only attempting to gather and analyse intelligence, but they had gone a huge step further, and were quite literally becoming operational. That's bad. Really bad. It's the Plumbers on an international scale. 544 Camp Street shouldn't be making Middle East policy.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

39. you said it, waterman.

Then again, never has this administration been concerned with facts. It is ALL smoke and mirrors, bullshit and spin. Whenever any pesky fact arises, proving them wrong, you have to admire their incredible ability to ignore it. It is though all of them have no moral standing, no ethical gene and no, absolutely no conscience at all.

It is as if they can't be bothered with facts and the circumstances brought on by their bone-headed policies.

[wordpix]

73. I thought that was a salient point, too--16 agencies saying the same thing

about the war in Iraq.

[Virginia Dare]

40. This is definite blow back...

you just knew the CIA wasn't going to take what's been done to them laying down. More to come I predict. If Bush/Cheney thought they would bring the Agency to heel, that's just further proof of what arrogant morons they are. And Bush's own daddy was Director. He's just beyond help.

[civildisoBDence]

85. I wouldn't be surprised if Daddy Bush had a hand in this

No one's been disrespected and disregarded more than GHWB, and by his own son.

Newsprism

[DireStrike]

23. You know what the spin will be

The same as in vietnam - it's all the fault of those damn LIBERAL HIPPIE PROTESTERS! If only they hadn't PROTESTED, our troops would have had higher morale and won the war!

Hmm... maybe the total non-coverage of all the protests is going to backfire on them.

[Justice Is Comin]

42. The tea is about to go in the bay

...and the walls came tumbling down

[usregimechange]

2. kick

[EFerrari]

5. Payback. Good!: Let's keep this kicked.

:kick:

[jimshoes]

6. They hate it when that

reality based stufff winds up in the M$M. Of course now there will be a witch hunt for the "leaker" and that will become the story but I love it when they have to backtrack on their lies like this.

[malaise]

7. Karma is coming

:rofl: :rofl:

[Imagevision]

59. K&R...

[Anita Garcia]

9. thanks for the link k and r

[K8-EEE]

10. The GOP Moonies Will Just Deny, Deny, Deny Like Always

They're so freaking brainwashed. Even the tragic results of the glorious liberation can't convince them it was an epic blunder.

[Pachamama]

11. Golden Opportunity for the Dems to Shout from the Rooftops that Bush & GOP

DOES NOT KEEP THEM SAFER FROM TERRORISM AND RATHER HAS MADE IT MORE DANGEROUS!!!!

Hello, Democrats....are you paying attention???? This message has been shouted by so many of us here for the longest time about Iraq, now there is actual substantiating information and evidence and facts that SHOW THIS TO BE TRUE!!!

Don't let the Republicans keep scaring Americans...unless the scaring is that Americans should be afraid of what the Republicans are doing to make us less safe....

:kick:

[rodeodance]

44. FRIST response here:

Republican leaders tried to brush aside the intelligence document, which they said they had not yet seen.

"If it wasn't Iraq it would be Afghanistan; if it wasn't
Afghanistan it would be other (issues) that they would use as a method of continuing their recruitment," Senator John McCain, a leading potential presidential contender, said on CBS's Face The Nation.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist expressed confidence US voters would not be swayed by the intelligence report.

"I think the American people, when they read an article like that ... say, 'Listen, just keep me safe -- I just want to be safe in Nashville, Tennessee, I want to be safe in Memphis, New York City, Washington, DC,' that's what they want."

[Laurab]

47. I'm an "American people" and I say

gee Bill, you really don't think we're all that bright, do you? That's an insult to the intelligence of the American people.

While I do admit it probably applies to the hardcore repuke base, aside from them, I think the American people are a whole lot smarter than Bill Frist thinks they are. What a jackass.

[Miss Chybil]

61. I thought we were safe on September 10, but somebody dropped the

ball the next day. Let's see... who was in charge? I've never felt safe since. So, fuck you, Senator Frist.

[wordpix]

74. "just keep us safe" by creating more terrorists, Frist, you moron? And Mc

Cain's remark is just as stupid. OBL was operating in Afghanistan, not Iraq, butit appears now McCain is blurring that line just like the Bushies.

[me b zola]

84. Hmmm, this sentence is almost correct:

When Frist said, "Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist expressed confidence US voters would not be swayed by the intelligence report., what he really meant was he was confident that US voters would not be swayed by intelligence.

[kentuck]

12. Yep...

signed off by John Negroponte.

[dogday]

13. And the truth shall set them free

be not deceived by those who say they come in my name and say they do my deeds....

Sorry folks, you have been deceived in the worst way....

[mcscajun]

14. Voted UP on Yahoo! Best paragraphs here:

The report, Trends in Global Terrorism: Implications for the United States, says "the Iraq war has made the overall terrorism problem worse," an official familiar with the document told The Times.

The Washington Post said the report described the Iraq conflict as the primary recruiting vehicle for violent Islamic extremists.

"While the US has seriously damaged Al-Qaeda and disrupted its ability to carry out major operations since the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington, it noted, radical Islamic networks have spread and decentralized.

What have WE all been saying for over three years now? That invading Iraq would NOT make us safer, that Terrorism would spread rather than retreat?

Sometimes it really SUCKS to be right.

[Joanne98]

15. If it's not on the TV nobody will see it.

Make a video and put it on youtube!

[gully]

18. We need to mass email the MSM huh?

eom

[gully]

16. Hmmm, our own October surprise?

WOO HOO!

[badgerpup]

17. Going to email a short version to my Senator...

preface it "Thought you might like to see this"

What does Shrub et al have on the Democrats? Has he caught them in a mass orgy of baby-eating? Has he promised them the moon and a bag of chips if they keep quiet and spineless? Thirty million pieces of silver?
My gods, the Republicans have done everything but hand the Dems their (the Repub) collective asses on a silver platter...
AND THE DEMOCRATS HAVEN'T DONE DIDDLY-SQUAT WITH IT!!
:banghead: :grr:

[fooj]

62. Whatever it is...

It's HUGE. It has to be.

[KnaveRupe]

87. What does Shrub have on the Democrats?

I have no idea.

On a completely unrelated note:

You wouldn't happen to know who sent military-grade anthrax from a US government facility to Pat Leahy and Tom Daschle shortly after 9/11, would you?

[jellybeancurse]

19. Anyone have a link to the report?

I'm not sure if it is even out yet. If it was leaked to the press you'd think we could find a copy.

[dkofos]

20. Before they change it!!

[H2O Man]

24. It's an NIE.

It's highly classified.

[jellybeancurse]

28. That being said

How can it have an impact on the election as the article asserts if people cannot see it. Quotes coming in from wherever (albeit for a positive effect) is going to be of limited use. :shrug:

[H2O Man]

37. You make a good point.

Releasing NIE information for political purposes is something that we correctly want the administration held responsible for. I'm surprised to read the NY Times article. It reports that David Low oversaw the preparation of the report, and that Negroponte approved it. One would expect it to remain secret. Even the amount of discussion there is today seems curious to me. I suspect that there are individuals who believe they are acting as "whistle-blowers," and that their action(s) are for a higher purpose. If that is the case, it is possible that more substantial sections of the document may become public. It is a curious situation.

[rodeodance]

45. ah, but coming from (leaking from) Intell officials.

[DoYouEverWonder]

38. Except when

you want to use it to out a CIA agent. Then it's public record.

[rodeodance]

41. it si classified. even frist has not read it . Jane Harman has cause she

is on the intel. committee.

[mistertrickster]

25. This is political revenge for getting scape-goated by BushCo.

And well deserved revenge it is too. I'm surprised they waited this long.

A president can only sh*t on the intelligence agency so long before they say, enough . . .

[Imagevision]

26. A White House spokesman said "We don't comment on classified documents"

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

49. Should have said we only leak them for political revenge

nm

[wordpix]

75. good one

[chill_wind]

57. Hell, they usually don't even admit to READING them. (Bush/Rice)

Remember this garbage from his own NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR....


"
(...)
A senior administration official who briefed reporters yesterday said neither Bush nor national security adviser Condoleezza Rice read the NIE in its entirety. "They did not read footnotes in a 90-page document," said the official, referring to the "Annex" that contained the State Department's dissent. The official conducting the briefing rejected reporters' entreaties to allow his name to be used, arguing that it was his standard procedure for such sessions to be conducted anonymously.

The official said Bush was "briefed" on the NIE's contents, but "I don't think he sat down over a long weekend and read every word of it." Asked whether Bush was aware the State Department called the Africa-uranium claim "highly dubious," the official, who coordinated Bush's State of the Union address, said: "He did not know that."

(...)"

http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/004975.php

[lyonn]

77. Hey, why read the fine print when you have already

decided to go to war. bush, cheney and gang had only one thing in mind, convince the population that we must attack Iraq, the hell with intelligence reports. They had the media by the hand so that was not a problem getting their lies out to the people. Did we ever hear of dissenters from the repub. party? No.

The book Hubris talks about this. Depressing but good book. Dick Army was one doubter, that surprised me.

[seafan]

27. I guess Porter Goss missed a few during his purge at the CIA.

Keep it coming, patriotic whistleblowers and leakers.

Now is the time for all good men and women to come to the aid of our country.

[eleny]

29. Just racking up a few more "comma's" for history

[Solly Mack]

30. Yeah and torture is helping to spawn them

And if it's legitimized...woohoo!!! more spawning

WTG!!! YAY America!!!!

[Swamp Rat]

31. k&r

[formercia]

33. Gerrymandering the State of Denial

truth is lies, freedom is slavery.

[Imagevision]

34. Clinton coverage will put a dampner on this story... (too bad)

[ChairmanAgnostic]

51. seriously, I think not.

first, any channel that covers Faux v. Clinton will cover it in a short, sweet manner.
What this report does is put a stake in the incredibly minute, hard to find, bit of frozen stone which qualifies as a neocon heart. And THAT will get coverage.
especially if we help it along

[AntiFascist]

36. Why would B*sh want to make terrorism worse?

This all feeds into the Project for the New American Century, or PNAC. At some point, the threat of al Qaeda will become bad enough that Americans will support the unleashing of our bombing power, and perhaps the use of nukes, against the governments of the most promising sources of oil in the Middle East: these include Iraq, Iran and Syria. The excuse will be to "liberate" or "Americanize" the Middle East and introduce democracy, but the underlying reason is to ensure that dominant oil monopolies have first dibs on the energy sources, and that Asian continent consumers do not become favored partners.

Is it any wonder that our ports and borders are not being secured by this administration? The more fear and threat of impending doom that they can foster, the sooner that they can get the ball rolling.

Notice that we've been relatively quiet lately about targeting Syria:

http://www.syrialive.net/financial/050302Syria's%20ambitious%20oil%20and%20gas%20production%20plans.htm

[rodeodance]

43. Average (329 votes) 4.3 stars

Your Recommendation:

Average (329 votes)
4.3 stars

[spanone]

46. Like I posted earlier, BIGGEST STORY OF THE YEAR!!!!

Huge story kick kick kick reccomend kick kick kick kick



:kick: :kick: :dem: :kick: :dem: :kick: :dem: :kick: :dem: :kick: :dem: :kick:

[Laurab]

48. K&R For * the "terrorist" uniter

He WAS right, he's a uniter, not a divider.

[Straight Shooter]

52. K & R

I hope this leak turns into a deluge.

What confounds me is that anybody with half a brain has already figured out that bush's war has made terrorism worse. The evidence is out there, and there have been many articles regarding this fact.

What concerns me is that the right wing will go into overdrive and scream about the leak and yet not address the assertion of the leak. It will be another Rovian tactic of "Don't look here, look over there."

[Erika]

53. George HW Bush chose not to go into Baghdad

because of destabilizing the Middle East. Jr should have listened to Dad and saved innocent Iraqi lives and our troops.

[MethuenProgressive]

54. More push against Bush from the Spooks!

I like it!

[Poiuyt]

55. The White House is just saying that it is incomplete

White House: Account of Iraq report incomplete

Sep 24, 7:09 PM (ET)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A newspaper report that a U.S. intelligence analysis found that the Iraq war gave rise to a new generation of Islamic radicals and made the overall terrorism problem worse was "not representative of the complete document," the White House said on Sunday.

The New York Times reported that a classified National Intelligence Estimate completed in April said Islamic radicalism had mushroomed worldwide and cited the Iraq war as a reason for the spread of jihadist ideology.

It was the first formal appraisal of global terrorism by U.S. intelligence agencies since the Iraq war began in March 2003 and represents a consensus view of the 16 spy services.

"The New York Times' characterization of the NIE is not representative of the complete document," said White House spokesman Peter Watkins.

more-

http://reuters.excite.com//article/20060924/2006-09-24T230900Z_01_N23197513_RTRIDST_0_POLITICS-SECURITY-TERRORISM-DC.html

[chill_wind]

56. I'm sure there will be a sexed up declassified version from the Cheney

office soon enough. Just like the two versions of the Iraq NIE pre-invasion.

[chill_wind]

58. Leaked Iran NIE of a year ago already long buried & forgotten.

Iran Is Judged 10 Years From Nuclear Bomb
U.S. Intelligence Review Contrasts With Administration Statements

By Dafna Linzer
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 2, 2005; Page A01


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/01/AR2005080101453.html

[Guaranteed]

60. Unbelievably good news. Richard Clarke redux....

Now, let's leave it to Fox News to explain why the entire intelligence community is biased against Bush.

Maybe they're trying to sell a book?

HA!

[gorbal]

63. Sounds like the spy angencies know to much.

I guess I will tip my hat to that weird man who has been following me around lately.

[Red Right and BLUE]

64. Sadly, I can scarcely enjoy it when they unravel, even though I'd love to.

For anything we already know that hits the light of day always means terrible things for us, and for the rest of the world.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

65. Hopefully this story has legs - Just on the morning news in Richmond VA

The peace protesters knew this before we invaded Iraq.

I'm not surprised the CIA figured it out.

How long before there is a white girl kidnapped somewhere? Maybe a celebrity will get pregnant or OJ will finally capture the "real killers."

[Theodora]

66. LEAKAGE of the report

Would like to hear more about the LEAKAGE.  This is not being
played up....Plus the fact that report was issued in APRIL !!!

[Stockholm]

67. Thank you Agent Mike!

:pals:

[bklyncowgirl]

81. You mean we turned Agent Mike, cool.

I knew reading all these lefty Internet junkies posting truth all over the Internet would have an effect!

[LeahMira]

68. Why is anyone...

... even surprised at this? Were Republicans not aware that the people in this country opposed invading Iraq? Were they not aware of the marches and demonstrations that took place before the actual invasion? Now... when it looks as if Republicans might lose some power... now they pay attention to the people! If anyone ever had the least shred of faith that Republicans actually cared about this nation, surely this has to wake them up. Absolutely, there are good Republicans, but the ones running this country at the moment are not among the good guys.

[indepat]

69. Such trifles matter little when there's a RW PNAC agenda to be fully

[GusConsultore]

70. Iraq War Fuels Terror Covered Less in Red States

Interesting images of front pages of newspapers from "red" and "blue" markets and how they reported this story. Red state papers place less prominence or no coverage at all.

http://www.miserywatch.com/2006/09/to_us_this_was_.html

[wordpix]

76. heaven forbid red state editors would want voters to be educated on the

most important issues of the day. :puke:

[lyonn]

78. Our Daily Oklahoman is so bad that I haven't read it

in years. So, don't know how it was reported. May check on that!! It is a thought worse than going to Freeperville. Going there now ----

Edit: Went to the Oklahoman site and U.S./World news and listed in order was :

Liquid on airlines ......

Pope .......

Army Extension in Iraq .....

Oil .........

Marines accused in Camp Pendleton ......

Tobacco suit .....

Does this give you a clue about RED STATES?

Nothing on that site about intel report .......

[lyonn]

79. While searching for the Oklahoman found this, too sad .....

but agree:


"The Worst Newspaper in America
Mon Jun 23 02:14:10 2003
208.152.73.164

The Worst Newspaper in America
part 1 of 5

by Bruce Selcraig
Selcraig is a former U.S. Senate investigator and staff writer for Sports Illustrated who lives in Austin, Texas. He can be reached at [e-mail]

daily oklahoman
One Sunday morning many months ago the Rev. Robin Meyers stood before some five-hundred members of his eclectic flock at Mayflower Congregational Church in Oklahoma City and ruminated about what he might do if he ever won a lottery jackpot. "I said I would give a lot of money to education, children, the homeless, that sort of thing," he recalls. "Then I mentioned that if there were any money left over I would start what this city really needs -- a competing daily newspaper to The Daily Oklahoman . . . Well, everyone just started applauding. The place went wild. And this is not a wild church. Even the Republicans were clapping."

That same Sunday, like every day in Oklahoma City, a group of news-starved citizens ranging between five thousand and ten thousand, depending upon the quality of the football season, bought what many here call the most respected daily newspaper in town -- a paper produced two-hundred miles away, The Dallas Morning News."


It goes on but this says enough

[Shine]

71. K & R

"...painful reading for the White House"

Indeed.

[NewJeffCT]

80. email the story, too, please

We can make it the most emailed story of the day.

[Rex]

82. This will be ignored by the MSM.

It will get it's oneliner for the day and then back to the 24/7 propaganda.

[Marie26]

83. Bwwaahhhahaha

The worst part is that they've systematically lied to the public since that NIE report was released in April. Bush read a report that said the Iraq War has created more terrorism & endangered Americans - and then went on TV to say that the Iraq War made us safer, w/o missing a beat.

[Don1]

86. We're fighting them there so

we can fight them even more over there.

[Kurovski]

88. Increased terrorism would be the direct result of an Iraq invasion.

The experts knew it and people who gave it any thought whatsoever also knew it.

And it is so.

The Bush admininstration is a complete failure at protecting the nation.

[SammyWinstonJack]

89. ROFLMAO! Comment on yahoo message board:

"Didn't say anything about this in 'My Pet Goat". :rofl:


edit: Which DUer wrote that? :evilgrin: