MURRAY WAAS: BUSH TOLD BEFORE WAR THAT SADDAM WAS NOT A THREAT

[kpete]

Bush Was Told Before War That Saddam Was Not An Imminent Threat To US

by Steve Soto
Murray Waas of the National Journal reports today that Bush and Cheney were specifically told in advance of the war that:

1. The aluminum tubes/nuclear program claim was suspect;

2. It was unlikely Saddam would attack the US directly or through Al Qaeda;

Who told Bush these things? The intelligence community, and specifically George Tenet in person told Bush these things.

There goes the "I was misled by the intel community" defense.
http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/006993.php



What Bush Was Told About Iraq
By Murray Waas, National Journal
© National Journal Group Inc.
Thursday, March 2, 2006

Two highly classified intelligence reports delivered directly to President Bush before the Iraq war cast doubt on key public assertions made by the president, Vice President Cheney, and other administration officials as justifications for invading Iraq and toppling Saddam Hussein, according to records and knowledgeable sources.


The president received highly classified intelligence reports containing information at odds with his justifications for going to war.


The first report, delivered to Bush in early October 2002, was a one-page summary of a National Intelligence Estimate that discussed whether Saddam's procurement of high-strength aluminum tubes was for the purpose of developing a nuclear weapon.

Among other things, the report stated that the Energy Department and the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research believed that the tubes were "intended for conventional weapons," a view disagreeing with that of other intelligence agencies, including the CIA, which believed that the tubes were intended for a nuclear bomb.

The disclosure that Bush was informed of the DOE and State dissents is the first evidence that the president himself knew of the sharp debate within the government over the aluminum tubes during the time that he, Cheney, and other members of the Cabinet were citing the tubes as clear evidence of an Iraqi nuclear program. Neither the president nor the vice president told the public about the disagreement among the agencies.

lots, lots more at:
http://hotstory.nationaljournal.com/articles/0302nj1.htm

[wordpix]

1. of course he knew (but might not have been smart enough to synthesize info

especially with warmonger WHIGs and true prez Cheney whispering in his ear

[aquart]

2. Aww, you're letting him off the hook.

Don't.

[Stephanie]

3. yes, but he didn't read it

so he's off the hook

[BurtWorm]

7. They can argue that, but the report was written specifically for ADD AWOL

If this were anyone but Bush and he were on trial, the document would be damning indeed.

[kpete]

8. It is Damning .... Period............!!!!!!!!!!

[BurtWorm]

9. Don't forget: IOKIYAR.

It's ok if you're a Republican. If you're GW Bush, you can do what you want: get into Yale with no brains, get into the Guard over the heads of others during the draft, get over the Guard whenever you want, have the SC let you into the presidency, commit consequenceless crimes against the US Republic and its Constitution. Whatever you want, Georgie boy. The world is your pork rind.

[stop the bleeding]

15. He didn't read the 90 page version Yes - but the one page summary

Well, well well looky here...

The one-page October 2002 President's Summary specifically told Bush that although "most agencies judge" that the use of the aluminum tubes was "related to a uranium enrichment effort... INR and DOE believe that the tubes more likely are intended for conventional weapons uses."

The lengthier NIE -- more than 90 pages -- contained significantly more detail describing the disagreement between the CIA and the Pentagon's DIA on one hand, which believed that the tubes were meant for centrifuges, and State's INR and the Energy Department, which believed that they were meant for artillery shells. Administration officials had said that the president would not have read the full-length paper. They also had said that many of the details of INR's dissent were contained in a special text box that was positioned far away from the main text of the report.

~snip~

According to interviews and records, Bush personally read the one-page summary in Tenet's presence during the morning intelligence briefing, and the two spoke about it at some length. Sources familiar with the summary said it was highly significant that the president was informed that it was the unanimous conclusion of the intelligence agencies participating in the production of the January 2003 NIE that Saddam was unlikely to consider attacking the U.S. unless Iraq was attacked first.

Cheney received virtually the same intelligence information, according to the same records and interviews. The president's summaries have been shared with the vice president as a matter of course during the Bush presidency.

Now we/you should be even angier - :argh::argh::argh:

[kpete]

4. MORE:

"On at least four earlier occasions, beginning in the spring of 2002, according to the same records and sources, the president was informed during his morning intelligence briefing that U.S. intelligence agencies believed it was unlikely that Saddam was an imminent threat to the United States."

[Imalittleteapot]

5. impeach

[Ioo]

6. Bush is Criminal Negligence and should be jailed..

I mean it... voluntary manslaughter

[Poiuyt]

10. Negligent nothing! It was premeditated!!

Bush is a war criminal, plain and simple.

[kpete]

11. Thanks, I needed to hear that!!!

[nookiemonster]

19. Exactly. He just doesn't give a shit.

Defense contractors don't make any money unless their "services" are being used. I mean, how much armament can you have in stockpile? Using it requires replenishment.

This is just business. It's always been with this cabal.

* could give two shits about the security of our country.

:grr:

[HereSince1628]

18. Nah, he's guilty of DEPRAVED INDIFFERENCE

He's the friggin Lone Reaper

[stop the bleeding]

12. kpete - I just found your thread I have some comments on this in the

LBN here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2141834

at posts 9, 15 and 19 I think - I have to go will check back in a bit but let me know what you think about #19 the question.

[stop the bleeding]

13. QUESTION -

Who else was in Bush and Tenet's presence?

According to interviews and records, Bush personally read the one-page summary in Tenet's presence during the morning intelligence briefing, and the two spoke about it at some length.

According to interviews- Does this matter??? Were there other people there??? Who were they? Cheney, recorder/stenographer???

Maybe top ex-CIA - there has been an exodus in the since Goss took over.

I will be away for a few hours but if people have some thoughts on this please share.

Thank you in advance.

[stop the bleeding]

14. Another question...

Can he be impeached on this - this IMO is proof that they lied us into war.

Fall 2006 anyone???

on edit:

This bar none is worse than any of the other things that we have wanted to impeach them for.

Repeat for Clarity

THEY LIED US INTO WAR AND THERE IS PROOF

I wonder how this is gonna get spun??

[H2O Man]

17. Interesting question.

In the general sense, no. He could make the case that he sincerely believed one set of intelligence reports. Where there is the potential for serious difficulties would be in the area of lying to congress. The administration did not share all of the available information with the congress. Of course, the present congress would not only be afraid to take any action on this, they would in fact prefer to be lied to. Their low level of being demands a national policy of dishonesty. Our job is to turn the tide, and to demand a policy of truth.

[stop the bleeding]

22. Thank you for clearing that up n/t

[The Backlash Cometh]

16. There's enough patterns here to keep the fashion industry in business

for decades. Bush was told, Bush lies about it.

[otohara]

20. No Shit Sherlock

They all knew, the media knew! They still were able to sell it - just like stolen election!

[seabeyond]

21. sssshhhhhh.... we already knew this, wink

that is why it was so interesting when tenet took the blame., that is why we sit in amazement that we knew this way back when, as it was happening yet now bush gets away with saying he didnt know. i also remember when he was promoting the war he specifically said we were NOT nation building, cause we dont so that. we werent there to spread freedom. we werent there for wmd's. we were there because of the tubes, drones and mushroom clouds. because the american people said no to bush on just wmd's and certainly for nation building