Feith Based Intelligence
By David Swanson
On Newsweek's website you can flip through a short PDF slideshow of a presentation produced by the Pentagon in 2002. The presentation purports to show that Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda were working together and had been for years. Not only was this a presentation of intelligence at odds with what the legitimate intelligence community was saying, but the first slide in the presentation provides reasons why the intelligence community had it wrong. This hardly looks like the product of an office doing only policy work, rather than intelligence.
But that is what the Pentagon is claiming in a 53-page public rebuttal to a classified report by the Pentagon's Inspector General on the work of Doug Feith and the Office of Special Plans.
The sort of work that office did has long been known thanks to numerous sources, including Karen Kwiatkowski.
According to Senator Carl Levin: "An alternative intelligence assessment process was established in the office of Under Secretary for Policy Doug Feith . . . that was predisposed to finding a significant relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda. His staff then conducted its own review of raw intelligence reports, including reporting of dubious quality or reliability. Drawing upon both reliable and unreliable reporting, they arrived at an 'alternative' interpretation of the Iraq-al Qaeda relationship that was much stronger than that assessed by the IC and more in accord with the policy views of senior officials in the Administration.
"For example, the Feith office promoted the view that a meeting allegedly took place in Prague in April of 2001 – 5 months before 9/11 – between the lead 9/11 hijacker, Mohammed Atta, and an Iraqi intelligence officer. The Feith office took the position that this alleged meeting was 'key' evidence of Iraqi involvement in the 9/11 attacks – despite the fact that the Intelligence Community was skeptical that the meeting ever happened, and reported its skepticism in intelligence reports prepared for the highest officials in our government."
A two-page summary of the classified report concludes that: "The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy developed, produced and then disseminated alternative intelligence assessments on the Iraq and al-Qaida relationship, which included some conclusions that were inconsistent with the consensus of the Intelligence Community, to senior decision-makers," and…"was inappropriately performing Intelligence activities of developing, producing, and disseminating that should be performed by the Intelligence Community."
Levin reports that "In response to some of my specific questions, the Inspector General confirms today that: The Feith office produced 'its own intelligence analysis of the relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda' and presented 'its analysis to other offices in the Executive Branch (including the Secretary of Defense and the staffs of the National Security Council and the Office of the Vice President),' and the 'intelligence analysis produced by the Feith office differ[ed] from the Intelligence Community analysis on the relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda.' The Feith office presented 'a briefing on the Iraq-al Qaeda relationship to the White House in September 2002 unbeknownst to the Director of Central Intelligence, containing information that was different from the briefing presented to the DCI, not vetted by the Intelligence Community, and that was not supported by the available intelligence (for example, concerning the alleged Atta meeting), without providing the IC notice of the briefing or an opportunity to comment,' and The briefing drew 'conclusions (or "findings") that were not supported by the available intelligence, such as the conclusion 'intelligence indicates cooperation in all categories; mature symbiotic relationship,' or that there were 'multiple areas of cooperation,' and 'shared interest and pursuit of WMD' and 'some indications of possible Iraqi coordination with al Qaida specifically related to 9/11'."
Levin concludes: "The bottom line is that intelligence relating to the Iraq-al Qaeda relationship was manipulated by high ranking officials in the Department of Defense to support the Administration's decision to invade Iraq when the intelligence assessments of the professional analysts of the Intelligence Community did not provide the desired compelling case. The Inspector General's report is a devastating condemnation of inappropriate activities in the DOD policy office that helped take this nation to war."
Inappropriate? That's the conclusion drawn by the Inspector General. Feith's work was inappropriate but not illegal, and no steps are needed at this time, since changes have supposedly been made and the inappropriate activities are over.
But Senator Jay Rockefeller, Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee said in a statement: "The IG has concluded that this office was engaged in intelligence activities. The Senate Intelligence Committee was never informed of these activities. Whether these actions were authorized or not, it appears that they were not in compliance with the law. In the coming days, I will carefully review all aspects of the report and will consult with Vice Chairman Bond to determine whether any additional action by the Senate Intelligence Committee is warranted."
According to numerous reports, the law Rockefeller has in mind is the National Security Act of 1947, which appears to make it illegal to engage in intelligence activities of the sort engaged in by the Pentagon, without notifying Congress.
It's nice that Rockefeller is consulting with the Vice Chairman. But, this being a democracy, he probably wants to consult with the American people. You can encourage him to get touch on crime by phoning his office at 202-224-1700 or 202-224-6472 or Emailing him here.
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Feith Based Intelligence
Excuse me Dave while I rant.
If I hear one more politician (either party) talk about "terrorists", I'm going to scream. I heard a few Republicans on TV the other day who didn't sound like they were up to date on the lies from our government. Their religious phrases using God and Islam just plain crazy. Where have they been? We know!
Our borders, ports, and security agenda is just plain "hog wash". The security money is for information/data collection/spying companies, foreign security airlines companies, and "privitized security companies" to profit. It's all about the profit for the few ever since Reagan.
Tom Ridge admitted Ashcroft's alarms about "terrorism" had no legs (mostly in Democratic cities which caused them debt). The FBI admitted the "terrorists" weren't who Ashcroft rushed to say they were(he framed the story of lies). Condi Rice said, she would prove Bin Laden attacked us. She has not. It has been one lie after another...not just Feith who framed the Defense agenda for war in the Middle East (for another country's agenda).
The terrorist lies have caused not only fear but an agenda for "unending wars". The link was manufactured just like who did it. The 911 Commission covered up facts and truth to the American people and we know it. Baker and Hamilton "unbaised" please! They helped talk us into war and now talk us into staying halfway? Baker helped Bush steal the 2000 election.
Our government/media get on TV everyday and lie about it. $8 trillion dollars of debt and lies...lost Constitution and Bill of Rights...unending wars, loss of programs for the old, sick, and very young. We are silenced. We are threatened. We are robbed of our future for their agenda.
Congress does little to investigate and call it what it is "hog wash" for Empire and profit. They only think about getting a big fat lobbying job or with a corporation when they leave Congress. Has Ashcroft, Cheney, Bush, or any agency head who lied to us gone to jail for high crimes and misdemeanors? Removal of our Constitution and Bill of Rights? They complain about terrible things in our government but do little but have hearings with no accountability in the end.
VP Cheney was in the X-President Bush/Reagan administrations. It was pretty criminal with S & L scandals, lies about Iraq, bank failures, etc. Cheney left and worked as CEO of Halliburton. Now in the second Bush administration, VP Cheney gives no bid contracts to Halliburton (found guilty of fraud more than once) and profits off the stock. Previous administration people had to sell their stocks so they won't have a conflict of interest. This is not demanded of Cheney by anyone even the press.
There should be a law against lobbyist being X-Congress people (or their wives...family). No ones child or relative can run for public office after they have served.
No X-Congressional member or lobbyist should be allowed on the floor while a bill is being discussed or passed.
No X-Congress person or past administration advisor should represent the people on commissions, panels, study groups,etc. They are unelected to make decisions for us. Go back and get a job like everyone else if there are any after you are through with selling us off, lying, covering up truth, etc.
It is Congress' duty (ones in power right now who can't hand off their Constitutonal duty) to do over sight and investigations on panels, commissions, and study groups. They aviod it acting like the panels, etc. are "unbiased" when Bush picks them.
For $10,000 a present day Neo Con politician will sell out their country. The country that educated them...gave them a good life and society. They hate democracy and are out to destroy it for others. How dare they turn on us as greedy traitors...calling us the enemy/traitors and the Fifth Column if we object to their polices and agenda. Halliburton just got $300 billion to build camps (for Fifth Column protestors...danger to the government, etc.).
Are we old Russia? Using “democracy” to get what they want from their citizens? The regume is full of corruption and hate? Their egos and greed are over the top thinking they want to rule the world with lies, tyranny, and force. Globalization/privitization is their idea not ours. I'm begining to think they/the media believe their own lies.
The "Iraq dog and pony show" continues now extended into Iran. WMD in Iran and use of nuclear power for aggression! They deserve to have power for peaceful use just like any other country in the world. Israel has nuclear weapons. We would blow anyone off the earth who used a nuclear bomb against them or us and they/we know it.
Get real the Neo Con drum to war in "Iran blame game" is just like Iraq. The new Condi Rice lie is that Iran is supplying arms to Iraq. I don't think we have to blame them. We left a lot of our own weapons behind. We sold them and everyone else in the region WMD knowing it would keep the area in turmoil. Well...emmm it is for profit of the "industrial complex". We sell them weapons and then we fight against them type of mentality.
If those countries in the Middle East know of the plan for Empire and stealing of their resources why wouldn't they fight back Condi?
We don't have to prove one way or another that Iran or Iraq are out to destroy us or anyone else. The Neo Con plan for PNAC prove Neo Cons want these wars for the Middle East Union and world government. They fight for democracy "over there" while removing ours and everyone else's.
If this is untrue, President Bush and Congress, bring back our democracy right now. We are not fighting in the streets and we voted like good citizens. What's the problem? Terrorists lurking everywhere? Look in the White House were the lies began in the first place.
Is Senator Rockefeller really going to investigate and punish anyone for the lies and deceit...or have yet another "dog and pony show" to make us think someone was held accountable? Is Feith going to jail as a traitor? Any other Neo Con in DC lying about the illegal war? Prevent it again like Iran...unending wars for Empire?
Whoa
You are really off base and out of control aren't you. Look around the world fool. Wake up call. The Islamic religion is on the move. I'm Muslim and have no say over the radicals views for fear of my life. Half your country is asleep to what is going on. In secrecy we want the few fanatics to be wipedout.
Semantics
Inappropriate but not illegal. Is that like being breathless but not dead? Did the Bush Administration send us to war because of their exaggerations or "crying wolf" or weren't they really lying? At this point, with the continuous, neverending number of lies that have been told to the American people because we don't have the right to know, don't have the need to know, or must just never be told, there must be a day of reckoning when someone is held accountable. I am sure that it will be the lowest paid clerk who Xeroxed the wrong fuile who would be sacrificed by the evil emperor and company. We should not stand for this. We have Dick Cheney lying on tape on Meet the Press about Mohammed Atta and meetings in Czechoslovakia. We demand accountability and justice.
Semitics
The lies are outright ones not just framed by Rove propaganda and word phrasing. What is the defintion of "terrorist" anyway? The Bush administration uses it to define anyone who is against them...anywhere. "You are either for us or against us". Tell me Bush, if I am for ya...what do I get?
A lie is a lie no matter what words or phasing you use. The truth is before our eyes and ears everywhere. We all understand it.
They lied and took us to war for their own power, profit, and agenda. That is treasonous in anyone's country.
There Can Be No Sanity When It Comes to Insanity
As Democrats we all realize that the GOP during the
Civil War rigged elections in the South because it was
wrong to keep African-Americans from running for office.
We now see with Cheney and Company the need to rig a
war because Saddam Hussein was an evil man. This is
the fundamental question that we as Democrats need to
ponder is it right to rig the UN Security Council, the
information provided Congress and the Public to
fight evil. This is a moral question.