TERRORISM: CIA Director, "We never claimed Iraq was an imminent threat."

CIA Director George Tenet defends the U.S. Intelligence on pre-war issues. In his first public defense of prewar intelligence, CIA Director George Tenet said Thursday U.S. analysts never claimed before the war that Iraq posed an imminent threat.

ap.tbo.com...

Tenet also said that "in the intelligence business, you are never completely wrong or completely right ... When the facts of Iraq are all in, we will neither be completely right nor completely wrong."

abcnews.go.com...
apnews.myway.com...


Related Discussions on AboveTopSecret.com
People say Bush should not apologize
Senators were told Iraqi weapons could hit U.S.
They chose to reject a proposal that may have prevented the war
BLOOD IN THE WATER (Watergate II)
who forged the Niger documents?
THE IRAQI URANIUM BROUHAHA AND SSCI

[Edited on 5-2-2004 by SkepticOverlord]

[Edited on 7-2-2004 by Nerdling]

Rummy built it up to include "cool spy stories." More like snooze & lie stories.

Tenet needs a new job, and "public speaker" need not be on his short list. As a matter of fact, no form of demonstrative 'intelligence' should be required.

I wish I could screw up that bad and keep my job. At least we get to fire Bush if he won't fire Tenet.

"Tenet also said that "in the intelligence business, you are never completely wrong or completely right ... When the facts of Iraq are all in, we will neither be completely right nor completely wrong."

Talk about double-speak!!!!
Tenet just set it up so that he can get off regardless of what the final findings show.

btw, thanks for great editing skeptic.


[Edited on 2-5-2004 by worldwatcher]

The United States intelligence services did not fail on Iraq - it was the Administration that failed, writes Sidney Blumenthal. www.theage.com.au... "When the CIA debunked the tales about Niger uranium and the Saddam/al-Qaeda connection, its reports were ignored and direct pressure applied. In October 2002, the White House inserted mention of the uranium into a speech Bush was to deliver, but the CIA objected and it was excised. Three months later, it reappeared in his state of the union address." Does anyone smell smoke? Now the picture becomes more and more clear, with mainstream news stories, that the administration exaggerated information about Iraq to promote a proactive invasion. The very theory we at ATS have been discussing for over a year.

So the blame game continues whereupon our intelligence agencies claim they are blameless. I guess this means the CIA wants to blame the administration, but isn't coming out and saying it. Typical run-around.

Now the picture becomes more and more clear, with mainstream news stories, that the administration exaggerated information about Iraq to promote a proactive invasion. The very theory we at ATS have been discussing for over a year.

Yup. Pretty much.

[Edited on 5-2-2004 by heelstone]

CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - President Bush acknowledged on Thursday that the United States has not found banned weapons "we thought" were in Iraq, but defended the war as "the right thing" to do. News.MyWay.com [Edited on 5-2-2004 by SkepticOverlord]

people are scrambling to save they're arses now.hahaha

I told everyone from the very begining. THERE WERE NO WMD!!! THERE WAS NO THREAT!! Now they are trying to save their asses. People are so goddammed stupid for believing the lies that came out of the WHite House in order to sell this war.

[Edited on 5-2-2004 by Ocelot]

They are all trying to hide the fact they lied..
Saddam had no WMD's to hide...
now thousands of poor folks have died...
lets hope that a speeding bus and george. W Bush collide!

Agreed heelstone.


IMHO, the administration relied on intellignece information that, for the most part, was "aged". This can be said for the UN, France, Germany, UK, etc. Then you have the prior 8 years or so when the CIA/FBI/and other US intelligence gathering agencies were severely hampered in their tasks due to lack of serious funding.

So currently, as mentioned, you have the administration claiming and pointing at the CIA/FBI/etc, and likewise, they pointing back. No one wants to take the blame or the fall. Its typical of inter-governmental politics, except that in this case, the ramifications are more pronounced.

Here's "imminent threat"...:

...."Some have said we must not act until the threat is imminent. Since when have terrorists and tyrants announced their intentions, politely putting us on notice before they strike? If this threat is permitted to fully and suddenly emerge, all actions, all words, and all recriminations would come too late. Trusting in the sanity and restraint of Saddam Hussein is not a strategy, and it is not an option."....
www.whitehouse.gov...



regards
seekerof

The power of the press is amazing. So is the US government.

What's all this about failing? Failing what? The US wanted Iraq and went in a took it. What failure?

If people don't like it then stop driving their cars. That will remove the hypocrisy factor.

Many things were said by all sides and most of it spur of the moment or on a wish and a prayer.

The operation was carefully run and that is all anyone can expect.

I think everyone will agree with that the only reason went to war with Iraq was because of the oil. Regardless if it's Saddam or Osama.

Nah, Saddam was a used up turncoat creep. He hadda go. Besides it is valuable land and it sends a good message to other countries over there.

Also there is the Arab issue, they are spreading around like crazy and worse still they will off themselves for allah (some of them anyways), faster than a Marine will drop for pushups when the sargeant frowns at him.

Its a pity we here on ATS understand the big picture, now make a cohesion with the rest of the american public..............

Deep

The ends justfies the means, yet again...we need a new school of thought in our government.

If you listen closely to guys like Frum and Perle you will know that Bush is easily influenced. They came in with their agenda and through shady means they twisted the president to their will. Now they are all drunk on their power. But, the power is ours to give them not Bush's.

The next election will be important and interesting because everyone knows that Bush made a mistake in judgement by letting the hawks run his presidency. How many folk will hold him accountable? Will they stop calling him strong when he's really very weak? They lead him by the nose. The real Bush is the man that ran in 2000 that could give a crap about the rest of the world...the Bush that didn't bow to pressure from special interest. That was a dope Bush--what happened to the bush that stood on the golf course and said damn the middle east let them deal with they own #?

Originally posted by worldwatcher
"Tenet also said that "in the intelligence business, you are never completely wrong or completely right ... When the facts of Iraq are all in, we will neither be completely right nor completely wrong."

Talk about double-speak!!!!
Tenet just set it up so that he can get off regardless of what the final findings show.

btw, thanks for great editing skeptic.


[Edited on 2-5-2004 by worldwatcher]

Really worldwatcher? "Double-speak"?
Well, maybe this can clarify what Tenet mentioned in this topic's article that you then label "double-speak":

"Tenet Details Intelligence About Iraq's Weapons Program"
Link:
www.dod.mil...



regards
seekerof

I had told others this "war" was wrong.

Invading a country is wrong. Pure and simple. This invasion was not provoked whatsoever.

However, Rumsfeld first words, when the jet hit the Pentagon was is "how is Saddam involved in this attack."

Funny too, how there were all these weapons, now they are gone. Oh yeah, they went to Syria. That's the ticket.

Also, it paints a larger picture about the US Government, we are now invading a country to prevent a possible threat. Didn't the Soviet Union do that in the past?

Eisenhower puts the word GOD in the pledge of allegiance. In order for us to be different than the Soviet Union. Now the courts may remove GOD from the plesge of allegience.

When people dissent or criticize the government, those critics are now aiding and abetting the enemy.

Finally, funny how the ten commandments are hidden from lawyers in Alabama, which by the way, is the foundation of our laws.

seekeroff, that is double-speak

we were not completely right nor completely wrong?

come on!!! pick a side and stick to it.
Tenet is playing both sides of the fence by making a statement like that. He just doesn't want to admit that they were wrong about the WMD.

so by making the statement that he did, he absolves himself and his department from any wrong doing, because of course they were not completely right or completely wrong.

btw, I don't blame Tenet, I blame the administration.

First of all...
.."we were wrong"...implying what exactly worldwatcher? Intel was wrong or Bush and the administration was wrong for going to war with Iraq BASED on the intelligence at hand...both domestic and foreign?

Be sure that when you and others point your lil' crocked fingers, despite whose side you subjectively think I am on, my beliefs and views are based around being objective, that you and them include the likes of the UN, France, Germany, the Democrats, Spain, and countless others who had intelligence on Iraq, and WHO also considered Iraq a "growing threat", is lying or as you call it: "double-speaking"?


regards
seekerof