On Dec. 3rd, the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) declassified a report that had been released to the current administration intelligence group as late as August of this year, that “with high confidence that in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program“. The next day, Tuesday the Prez stated that he was never forewarned of the current intelligence communities’ report on Iran. This coming out because the report was released to the administration in August, so what he’s saying is at no point in the last 3 months, did anyone let him know… “Uh W, there could be a chance that Iran hasn’t been working towards this nuke goal…” And during that same time, he continued to spout that the Iranians were hell bent on getting these weapons as well as we should be watching them to start WWIII (Bush speech Oct. 18th, 2007).
This intelligence report is now coming under fire from the GOP why? Well: 1) because it contradicts a 2005 report that stated Iran is 10 years from creating a nuke weapon and 2) because the GOP believe the NIE is now politicizing it’s reports (all of the sudden they are NOW favoring a political parties agenda… imagine that), OR 3) could it be that this contradicts the planned agenda and rhetoric the GOP has been throwing up all over America that Iran is a bigger threat than the reality?
The NIE defends it’s report (Vanee Vines, spokeswoman for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), defended the report, saying that each NIE is a “group exercise” involving the “entire intelligence community.”) and white house stands by the intelligence communities information (this time) as it’s a coordinated and group effort made up of many agencies and people, and NOT created by just a few political hacks that ignore real intelligence and like a bad reality show, edit together a report to fit their own storyline.
This Bushian etymology was tracked by Dan Froomkin at the Washington Post’s website and shows a time line of his public statements, and how they have evolved as the evolution of intelligence on Iran has come to light – some interesting changes in message can be noted around the time the new intelligence was presented to the administration:
March 31st 2007: “Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapon…”
June 5th 2007: Iran’s “pursuit of nuclear weapons…”
June 19th 2007: “consequences to the Iranian government if they continue to pursue a nuclear weapon…”
July 12th 2007: “the same regime in Iran that is pursuing nuclear weapons…”
August 6th 2007: “this is a government that has proclaimed its desire to build a nuclear weapon…”
Notice a pattern?
Then as Froomkin asserts around early August the rhetoric changes (McConnell, or someone, must have briefed him then, however, Bush only says that new information was available, however, he wasn’t told what it was):
August 9th: “They have expressed their desire to be able to enrich uranium, which we believe is a step toward having a nuclear weapons program…”
August 28th: “Iran’s active pursuit of technology that could lead to nuclear weapons…”
October 4th: “you should not have the know-how on how to make a (nuclear) weapon…”
October 17th: “until they suspend and/or make it clear that they, that their statements aren’t real, yeah, I believe they want to have the **capacity**, the **knowledge**, in order to make a nuclear weapon.”
Before August 9th, it’s: Trying to develop, build or pursue a nuclear weapon.
After August 9th, it’s: Desire, pursuit, want…knowledge technology know-how to enrich uranium.
The National Intelligence Estimate this week talks of the Iranians suspending their nuclear weapons program in 2003, yet, still try to push the threat of Iran even though it’s become visible that his tone has changed and he may have lied to the general public about the threat of Iran…. sound familiar??? *Cough* Iraq…
It’s ultimately become clear though, (and if it hasn’t already) that this new information has irreparably damaged American credibility regarding international policy efforts. In my mind it looks like we have someone that has lied to the nation about the treat of violence from another nation, in a time where American resources are already drawn thin in areas of the world that are not immediately threating to home soil interests.
I knew one earlier president that lied and was impeached… he lied about the relationship between himself and an intern – something no where near the threat to civil liberties or American safety as would be lying about the threat of nuclear war.