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Senate Intel Committee Bloodies Bush’s Nose

by

Larry C Johnson

WOW!  WOW! and Wow!  Message to Karl Rove and Dick Cheney–read it and weep baby.  Cheney’s newly appointed biographer, Stephen Hayes, is blown out of the water.  Bottomline, Saddam rebuffed cooperation with Bin Laden, tried to capture Zarqawi, and did NOT repeat NOT train foreign terrrorists at Salman Pak.  The Senate Intelligence committee today released Postwar Findings about Iraq’s WMD Programs and Links to Terrorism and How they Compare with Prewar Assessments and The Use by the Intelligence Community of Information Provided by the Iraqi National Congress as part of its long awaited and long promised Phase II report about the accuracy of the intelligence and it is ugly for the Bushies. 

I will do more detailed analysis in the coming days.  Here’s the down and dirty on the questions about Iraq’s links to terrorism:

  1. Postwar findings indicate that Saddam Hussein was distrustful of al-Qa’ida and viewed Islamic extremists as a threat to his regime, refusing all requests from al-Aq’ida to provide material or operationa support.
  2. Postwar findings have identified only one meeting between representatives of al-Qa’ida and saddam Hussein’s regime reported in prewar intelligence assessments.  Postwar findings have identified two occasions, not reported prior to the war, in which Saddam Hussein rebuffed meeting requests from an al-Qa’ida operative.
  3. . . .Postwar findings support the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) February 2002 assessment that Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi was likely intentionally misleading his debriefers when he said that Iraq provded two al-Qa’ida associates with chemical and biological weapons (CBW) training in 2000. . . .No postwar information has been found that indicates CBW training occurred and the detainee who provided the key prewar reporting about this training recanted his claims after the war.
  4. Postwar findings support the April 2002 Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessment that there was no credible reporting on al-Qa’ida training at Salman Pak or anywhere else in Iraq.
  5. . . . .Postwar information indicates that Saddam Hussein attempted, unsuccessfully to locate and capture al-Zarqawi and that the regime did not have a relationship with, harbor, or turn a blind eye toward Zarqawi.
  6. Postwar information indicates that the Intelligence Community accurately assessed that al-Qa’ida affiliate group Ansar al-Islam operated in Kurdish-controlled northeastern Ira, an area that Baghdad had not controlled since 1991.
  7. Postwar information supports prewar Intelligence Community assessments that there was no credible information that Iraq was complicit in or had foreknowledge of the September 11 attacks or any other al-Qa’ida strike. . .
  8. No postwar information indicates that Iraq intended to use al-Qa’ida or any other terrorist group to strike the United States homeland before or during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
  • Patrick Henry

    Thanks Larry..

    TRUTH~ NEEDS~ A~ SOLDIER..

    Now that Disney has gotten into the game..

    I think someone in Hollywood should Now Do a Movie Based on the TRUTH..

    The Script is Unfolding..

    It should Star Harrison Ford..

    And the Hero should be Named JOHNSON..

    Not Jones..

  • 1watt

    Not Found

    The requested URL /phaseiiaccuracy.pdf was not found on this server.

  • http://profile.typekey.com/mainsailset/ mainsailset

    First, it’s been so long since I’ve seen the truth come out in one of these I am beside myself with relief. For all the intelligence people who tried byond measure to protect this country with the truth it is time they were apologized to. Enough talk of apologies to Rove. In the real world, there is strength in truth. 2nd, this post over at Skippy this morning is the only lens we should be remembering 9/11 through, not this ABC ad. http://xnerg.blogspot.com/

  • TheOtherWA

    Wait a minute. Critical information about Bush and his minions got past Roberts? Will wonders never cease?

    Downloaded both reports first thing this morning. Let’s hope the talking heads on tv will get around to reading them too.

  • Leslie

    It’s nice to have what we all knew in print. The Bush administration knew Iraq wasn’t a threat and didn’t have WMD. They took us to war anyway. They’re making the same bullshit arguments to take us to war with Iran too. They have to be stopped. This report will help.

  • GR3

    What about the 95% of our soldiers in Iraq who believe a Saddam Hussein/al Qaida link exists? Will they be the last to learn the truth?

  • http://risingsons.spaces.live.com/ fade

    Read your article on Alternet.. Keep up the good work= You ARE A TRUE PATRIOT!

    Thank God for the men like you who know the truth AND GIVE A DAMN ABOUT IT.

  • Hope

    This is absolutely abominable! Now that we have this new information, what are they going to use as justification for our presently being in Iraq? How much longer do they think they can bullshit us? We aren’t buying it anyway. What a nightmare these criminals have wrought upon our country. I can’t’ see how we can put up with these guys for another two years. Sickening! They should be brought up at The Hague and tried! How many thousands of innocent Iraqis have died? And our men and women sacrificing their lives for this abomination? We should throw these traitors out of the White House today!

  • Crackers

    In other words, there is considerable proof that we were lied into a war.

    If we Americans can’t put these criminals on trial, why can’t the rest of the world start making some serious charges against this rogue regime?

  • farzi

    Well if you think this report will mean anything, think again. There are already thousands of posts out there blaming this on “liberal media”. How, I don’t understand.

  • Patrick Henry

    Its a Well Organized Propoganda WAR..

    For the MINDS of the People..

    Deceipt and Deception..

    Counter Intelligence..

    Its going to take more than Protests and Pitchforks against Advanced Weapons to WIN..

    Know Your Advesary..

    Probe His weakness..

    Expose His Methods..

    Organize..Plan and Counter Attack..

    If WE don’t play to WIN..

    We WON’T…

  • Leslie

    How do you ask someone to be the last person to die for a lie. How do you justify going to war against a country that hasn’t attacked us and isn’t even able to.

  • Patrick Henry

    Leslie..

    Good Question..

    BUT…..

    If it isn’t Clear..My above response is a Reply to Farzis Question..

    I am talking about our response to the Bush Administration..

    And its Methods of Dis~Information..Persuasion and Propoganda..

    MASSIVE..Co~ordinated
    Public opinion Manipulation..

    BUSHS DR. STRANGELOVE BRAIN..in Action..

    Old Turd Blossom Himself..

    (Since there is so much Focus on Relationships these Days)

    I Say..Focus on That Relationship…

    Strange…..Love indeed..

  • http://colorado-bob.blogspot.com/ colorado bob

    Isikoff and Corn were on Hardball…That book is gonna have more legs than “The Path to Deception”……I got a new I Mac last month….today I put up my first video on U tube…It’s called “The Fog of War..{ The Decider Fights the Straw Men Here, So We Don’t Have to Fight Them Over Seas }”

    Let me know what you think.

  • J

    1watt,

    here’s links on both reports directly from the senate intel cmte’s website:

    Postwar Findings about Iraq’s WMD Programs and Links to Terrorism and How they Compare with Prewar Assessments http://intelligence.senate.gov/phaseiiaccuracy.pdf
    6.76 mg

    The Use by the Intelligence Community of Information Provided by the Iraqi National Congress http://intelligence.senate.gov/phaseiiinc.pdf
    9.12 mg

  • http://colorado-bob.blogspot.com/ colorado bob

    John at Crooks & Lairs just posted the resume’ of the “screen writer” for Path to 9/11. He’s listing credits for movies that never were made.

  • Leslie

    Patrick Henry,
    My questions weren’t in response to your comment, they were just generic. Sorry for your confusion.

  • Retired

    Rather interesting that Saddam seemed to have had a rather accurate bead on just how much of a threat Al-Qaida was to Iraq. I only wish that that the IC could’ve convinced the intelligence oversight committees of how much a threat AQ was during the same time period. It certainly wasn’t for lack of trying.

  • Brenda Stewart

    You Know, I am sitting here this morning, Sat morning, listening to Cofer Black spit out his vile on cspan and I have to tell you I am so sick to my stomach. Mr. Johnson, I do now know where this one man came from! cspan also had all of the callers that backed him and his stance. I simply can not believe this. From what I know of black, he is not someone I wish to know and have working for my country and to have him involved with blackwater, is just an example of this. I know these kinds of ppl do come out of the woodwork to make money from our tax dollars like others do, but he has made things much worse. I do not like ppl like him working for me. I pay him and he is someone I want to give a pink slip to asap!

    God the push this administration is now pushing is simply sick…they are very sick minded ppl. I get very scared when ppl like black is in our clandestine work and then moves to do shit like what blackwater does. I am sorry if I hurt anyone’s feelings here, but ppl like this needs to be locked up for all of their lives. How do they get such a hold on our government, I would like to know.

    Now that we know this information that Larry talks about, now what?! Does anyone really think that anything will be done about this new revelation? I don’t because we have known things like this for a very long time and nothing has been done about it. bush gave the middle finger to the supreme court and to the American ppl and has done so for years…Nothing will be done about this crap.

    He admits doing crap and then allowed to keep his job. I find this so hard to believe that America allows this to continue..but it just keeps on going like the energizer bunny. What did I give years of my life for in our military if not to keep shit like this out of my government. My heart breaks over this whole thing..

  • Leslie

    A large number of people still think that Iraq had WMD and was behind 9/11!? The news media will probably present this report as if it’s a partisan issue. They might have two talking heads on, a Democrat and a Republican, to debate the report and the Bush administration’s claims. Then the viewer will have to figure out who is telling the truth, which has been out there for years.

    But maybe the report will give Congress pause when and if the Bush administration pushes for war with Iran. Big maybe. But if the Democrats regain one house of Congress, then less of a maybe. And this report will become more of an issue too leading to investigations.

  • ybnormal

    So maybe Stephen Hayes can get a job writing swift-boat fiction for Disney/ABC masquerading as reality. Oh wait, I just remembered, Disney just laid off 650 people. Let’s see, 650 times an average median income, comes out to around 30-35 million dollars, except in a higher cost of living area like Burbank, its probably closer to 40 million. I wonder what kind of propaganda production that might pay for?

    Oh well, let’s just forget it and wish upon a star.

    Here’s my unrealistic fantasy wish upon a star for how to get out of Iraq…..

    Bring all the military home and…..
    simultaneously transplant the current White House people out of their current positions and into new positions as the new government of Iraq.
    With no army and no plan.
    Then let the (Iraqi) people decide.

    Justice deserved?

  • Retired

    Brenda Stewart,

    If it makes you feel any better, Cofer left Langley under somewhat of a black cloud (no pun intended), having unsuccessfully crossed swords one too many times with Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld.

    Before anyone asks, no, I am not soliciting praise for the Donster, just pointing out that the current Washington power stuggle between SecDef and everyone else has had some strange casualties.

  • Oilwellian

    The most damning evidence has yet to be produced. This information just released has been out there since before we even invaded Iraq. That’s why I was in DC protesting before the invasion even began.

    The Senate Intel Cmte. is holding back more reports until after the November election.

    Wait until you read about Cheney & Rumsfeld’s Office of Special Plans. If you want to learn more, just Google “Karen Kwiatkowski” and “Office of Special Plans.” Happy reading.

  • Thinker

    I have never been of the opinion that Saddam was a good man, but I have always been of the opinion he was the best man for Iraq, Larry.

    When the best man for a Country crosses swords with the corporate machine all hell breaks loose. Check out Iraq sometime & look at the “improvements” (sic) in Jugoslavia!!!!

    You certainly sink to the grissley depths when you murder a man on death row!

  • kim

    You know, Thinker, that Saddam ran people alive through shredders. You must not think much of 25 million Iraqis if there is not a better person among them to be their leader.
    ==========================

  • Mike

    You may want to send Feith a comment about his work…

    Douglas J Feith
    Title
    Dist Practitioner in National Security Policy

    Phone
    202-687-7846
    Email
    djf35@georgetown.edu