A Question Of Policy, Not Intelligence
National Security Advisor Stephen J. Hadley is blaming war critics in Congress for believing the administration's lies about Iraq's WMDs.
Speaking in the White House briefing room, Hadley tried to counter the widespread view that the administration cherry-picked the intelligence it provided to lawmakers in order to convince them that Iraq was a clear and present danger.
The reason that this view is widespread is that it is true.
But the whole pre-war intelligence issue is all smoke and mirrors. The decision to go to war is a question of policy, not intelligence. This is important to keep in mind. We have intelligence on the capabilities and intentions of plenty of countries that to a greater or lesser extent threaten the interests of the United States. We do not automatically attack any or all of them as a pro forma matter based on a certain level of intelligence data.
The Bush administration guided this country into the Iraq war as an intentional policy decision, not as a national security necessity.
Stephen Hadley knows this and he is trying to muddy the water on this issue.
Or should I say, throw sand into the eyes of the umpire.
Update: Bush's re-iteration of Hadley's talking points today doesn't make them true. He is far too damaged politically to be pulling this kind of shit. Bush must feel that he has no choice but to do so.
Speaking in the White House briefing room, Hadley tried to counter the widespread view that the administration cherry-picked the intelligence it provided to lawmakers in order to convince them that Iraq was a clear and present danger.
The reason that this view is widespread is that it is true.
But the whole pre-war intelligence issue is all smoke and mirrors. The decision to go to war is a question of policy, not intelligence. This is important to keep in mind. We have intelligence on the capabilities and intentions of plenty of countries that to a greater or lesser extent threaten the interests of the United States. We do not automatically attack any or all of them as a pro forma matter based on a certain level of intelligence data.
The Bush administration guided this country into the Iraq war as an intentional policy decision, not as a national security necessity.
Stephen Hadley knows this and he is trying to muddy the water on this issue.
Or should I say, throw sand into the eyes of the umpire.
Update: Bush's re-iteration of Hadley's talking points today doesn't make them true. He is far too damaged politically to be pulling this kind of shit. Bush must feel that he has no choice but to do so.
posted by Effwit at 1:04 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home