Senate Intelligence chairman quietly 'fixed' intelligence, and diverted...

[Pirate Smile]

Senate Intelligence chairman quietly 'fixed' intelligence, and diverted blame from White House over Iraq

Larisa Alexandrovna

Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush issued an order to the Central Intelligence Agency, Department of Defense, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the State Department, and his cabinet members that severely curtailed intelligence oversight by restricting classified information to just eight members of Congress.

?The only Members of Congress whom you or your expressly designated officers may brief regarding classified or sensitive law enforcement information,? he writes, ?are the Speaker of the House, the House Minority Leader, the Senate Majority and Minority Leaders, and the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Intelligence Committees in the House and Senate.?

-snip-
But what was said to be an effort to protect the United States became a tool by which the Republican chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee Pat Roberts (R-KS) ensured there was no serious investigation into how the administration fixed the intelligence that took the United States to war in Iraq or the fabricated documents used as evidence to do so.

Coupled with limited access to intelligence documents, RAW STORY has found that Roberts and a handful of other strategically-placed Washington players stymied all questions into pre-war intelligence on Iraq and post-invasion cover-ups, including the outing of a CIA covert agent, by using targeted leaks and artfully deflecting blame from the White House.

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/HowSenate_Intelligence_chairman_fixed_intelligence_and_diverted_blame_fromWhite_House__0811.html

[Skidmore]

1. This was why we never received Part Deux, right?

[blm]

3. Exactly - and why Kerry wrote the letter urging the committee to FINISH

their assigned work, especially because the DSM was a new crucial piece of evidence that needed further investigation.

[Pirate Smile]

13. Interesting parts. I know you intend to forward information to other news

outlets.

"British intelligence say they passed the documents to Vice President Dick Cheney's office in early 2002. The Vice President subsequently makes several visits to the CIA with "questions" about recent Niger to Iraq uranium sales.

-snip-
On July 11, 2003, faced with public pressure to investigate the Niger forgeries, Roberts blames the CIA and defends the White House.

"Sen. Rockefeller and I are committed to continue our close examination of all of the issues surrounding the Niger documents," the Kansas senator declares. "So far, I am very disturbed by what appears to be extremely sloppy handling of the issue from the outset by the CIA."

More astonishing is that CIA spokesman William Harlow stated that the agency had not obtained the Niger documents until "after the President's State of the Union speech and after the congressional briefings, and therefore had been unable to evaluate them."

[blm]

17. Thanks...just finished

telling one of the good guys.

[karynnj]

79. Sadly, it may explain why Kerry got so few signatures

At least some Democrats were complicit or at least copted into allowing this. Other Democrats not directly involved clearly prefer this whole issue to go away.

[Roland99]

2. Amazing work by RawStory! Here's the GD-P link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2001472

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. So the big question on everybody's mind:

If we now know that these committees are fixing information, how can we appoint someone that will ever indict one of these baddies?

Is Fitzgerald our Last Great White Hope?

[Trevelyan]

58. I have heard there are two more Grand Juries investigating all of BushCo

crimes beginning with the theft of the presidency in 2000. In two cities one in Washington, DC, don't know the other one or if it is just a rumour but if Law Enforcement really wants to bring down Bushco, having 3 different Grand Juries in three different cities is a good idea and a protection for Fitzgerald. Hope he acts soon, so many people are suffering and dying. We need someone to put a stop to it.

I have read that the Congress is reopening an investigation into 911.

Anyone with further info, please post URLs.

Thank you.

[JanusAscending]

70. Documentation?

WHERE have you heard this, and where did you read this? If you have links, please post them, otherwise I would be very sceptical at this point to believe it! I would like to see for myself before I get too excited about it!:tinfoilhat: Thanks!!!!

[Julius Civitatus]

5. Bunch of crooks! Caught fixing the rules of the game... again! n/t

[FlemingsGhost]

6. Wake up, America. The "unthinkable," is true:

LIHOP!

[Julius Civitatus]

7. Kick and nominate! n/t

[Rainscents]

8. Do you suppose, MSM will cover this??? I think NOT!

[Uncle Joe]

14. I agree MSM is complicit. n/t

[EST]

9. That's pretty much the whole BIG story

Now wtf can we do about it?

[blm]

11. Send it to every media outlet including left leaning radio stations

and news shows like Olbermann as well as all the corporate media who usually ignores REAL news.

[EST]

50. Always do, but I'm not convinced that has any value any longer.

[blm]

51. I understand, but sometimes we connect when we least expect it.

.

[EST]

53. (Sadly, tiredly) You be right.

[tblue37]

62. For example,

today the NBC Nightly News led with Cindy, and she is on the AOL homepage. I hear she will be on the cover of People next weeek. Just when we think the MSM won't report something no matetr what, the public pressure forces them to report it, even if they don't want to.

[DavidDvorkin]

10. In the United States of America

This would have led to impeachments and other major shakeups and people going to prison. The boil would have been lanced and the pus drained out.

Too bad we don't live in that country.

[Burried News]

12. A Chairman of a Senate Intelligence Committee has enabled

TREASON.

Catapault the Truth - may it drip on the MSM as it flies over their heads.

[Supersedeas]

78. The Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee can not be reached

for comment

[prairierose]

15. Very good story....

it lays out the actions of a few neocons in a very lucid manner.

[wakeme2008]

16. Senator Graham is just as guilty in my opinion.

:grr:

[understandinglife]

18. Raw Story: Senate Intelligence chairman quietly 'fixed' intelligence

Senate Intelligence chairman quietly 'fixed' intelligence, and diverted blame from White House over Iraq

Larisa Alexandrovna

August 11, 2005

Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush issued an order to the Central Intelligence Agency, Department of Defense, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the State Department, and his cabinet members that severely curtailed intelligence oversight by restricting classified information to just eight members of Congress.

"The only Members of Congress whom you or your expressly designated officers may brief regarding classified or sensitive law enforcement information," he writes, "are the Speaker of the House, the House Minority Leader, the Senate Majority and Minority Leaders, and the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Intelligence Committees in the House and Senate."

<clip>

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/HowSenate_Intelligence_chairman_fixed_intelligence_and_diverted_blame_fromWhite_House__0811.html

This is a major story and I have intentionally not quoted any further details as it deserves to be read in it's entirety ...


Peace.

[gman16]

19. Conspiracy,

Obstruction of justice.

[dchill]

20. CONSPIRACY -

It's not just a theory any more...

[satya]

33. That would make a great bumpersticker! n/t

[Eloriel]

41. I might have to use that as my new sig line --

CONSPIRACY: It's not just a theory any more...

Yup. Has a certain ring to it all right.

[mirrera]

87. Do you mind if I make a bumper sticker?

I have an anti-bush store and I would love to make a bumper sticker with your words...please???


http://NoBullshiRt.com

[dchill]

88. Not at all! Have at it.

n/t

[Trillo]

21. Ratio of "Congress members:citizens" growing smaller. nt

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

22. Remember prior to the war, several Dems including Feinstein and Kerry

had been speaking AGAINST authorizing the resolution...Feinstein had even visited with El Baradi (sp?) of the IAEA...then they had that closed door meeting and several changed their mind and their votes

[OzarkDem]

23. Also recall separate briefings

on 9/11 and war on terrorism for Republicans and Dems. Dems in Congress were and have been kept in the dark on most details.

[BQueen]

67. Wasn't Hatch's leak the excuse to impose the limits on access?

I always thought that smelled big-time

Add another name to the subpoena list, please

[Cooley Hurd]

73. That's what I remember...

Hatch bleated about exactly how we were monitoring their communications, Rumsfeld freaked out, and then the restrictions on who in congress would be privy to intel were put into place.

It's possible it was all by design.:grr:

[newscott]

24. Conspiracy hell. T-R-E-A-S-O-N

[dchill]

42. Sure - conspiracy

to commit treason. I'll buy that.

[johnfunk]

49. R-O-B-E-R-T-S is T-R-E-A-S-O-N spelled sideways!

Pat Roberts is trying to blame Plame. May be it's time for Pat fitzgreals to have a little chat with Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Traitor)... under oath!

[understandinglife]

25. And where is that CIA IG report .... am on my knees looking under my desk

oh what's this ... http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4316249&mesg_id=4316249


Peace.

[dbt]

26. Oh my GODDESS:

Roberts also figures prominently in warding off bipartisan efforts to investigate WMD in Iraq - the reason given by the Bush administration for going to war.

As pressure heats up, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee John Warner (R-VA) says he would support joint hearings with Roberts on “the issue” and that Roberts “had been receptive to the idea.”

That sentiment changes, however, after Roberts meets with Senate GOP leadership and Vice President Dick Cheney. The Kansas senator then says talk of hearings is “premature.”

[Old and In the Way]

27. This deserves nominating.

Let's get it on the greatest page folks.

[Jack Rabbit]

28. From part 2:

"What now concerns me most," he remarks, "is what appears to be a campaign of press leaks by the CIA in an effort to discredit the President."

Ironically, on the same day that Roberts issues his statement, CIA chief George Tenet takes full responsibility for the uranium claim and its insertion in the State of the Union.

Well, no one said the lies were well orchestrated. There was very little time for Maestro Rove and the orchestra to rehearse.

[understandinglife]

29. If someone can fax or email to Cindy Sheehan ....

this Raw Story article and the following related thread, she might find the information quite useful:

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/HowSenate_Intelligence_chairman_fixed_intelligence_and_diverted_blame_fromWhite_House__0811.html

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4316249&mesg_id=4316249

Thank you.


Peace.

[lala_rawraw]

84. She has it you guys... sent

over at pub date:) also, I sent everything that was emailed and PMed to me. she knows DU hearts her:)

[TahitiNut]

30. Then there was Wellstone and anthrax. Coincidence?

:eyes:

[Robeson]

31. There's a lot of pus under that scab....

...he's a total cover-up artist.

[Auntie Bush]

65. I like that...very descriptive!

"There's a lot of pus under that scab...."

I say we pick that scab and expose all that pus. Reminds me of a big fat swollen boil.

[myrna minx]

32. Whoa...just when you think you've heard it all.

This makes me so sick. :-(

[understandinglife]

34. Side Issue in the Plame Case: Who Sent Her Spouse to Africa?

Thought it useful to provide the link to Walter Pincus' article in in the context of this thread and to quote a segment of it:

Side Issue in the Plame Case: Who Sent Her Spouse to Africa?

by Walter Pincus

August 11, 2005

<clip>

After he went public in 2003 about the trip, senior Bush administration officials, trying to discredit Wilson's findings, told reporters that Wilson's wife, who worked at the CIA, was the one who suggested the Niger mission for her husband. Days later, Plame was named as an "agency operative" by syndicated columnist Robert D. Novak, who has said he did not realize he was, in effect, exposing a covert officer. A Senate committee report would later say evidence indicated Plame suggested Wilson for the trip.

Over the past months, however, the CIA has maintained that Wilson was chosen for the trip by senior officials in the Directorate of Operations counterproliferation division (CPD) -- not by his wife -- largely because he had handled a similar agency inquiry in Niger in 1999. On that trip, Plame, who worked in that division, had suggested him because he was planning to go there, according to Wilson and the Senate committee report.

The 2002 mission grew out of a request by Vice President Cheney on Feb. 12 for more information about a Defense Intelligence Agency report he had received that day, according to a 2004 report of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. An aide to Cheney would later say he did not realize at the time that this request would generate such a trip.

<clip>

Link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/10/AR2005081001918_pf.html

There's that name Cheney again ...... and no matter how they try to suppress the role he has played in all of these disasters ....

I think this Horsey cartoon offers a fitting analogy:



Keep swat'n, Dickie boy ...


Peace.

[LyleNews]

35. The whole point of the recent recess appointment was to

keep from having to discuss Barney Feith's OSP(Office of Spending for Pals) brewing phony intelligence in the basement toilet of the pentagon. They did not want to produce documents showing that the run-up to the war in Iraq could be used in the run-up to the war in Iran just by changing the names of the country. Who's going to actually believe the Buffoon, Liein' Leezy, Rummy, Cheney or McClellan in the future anyway without it being verified by at least TWO independent sources?

[not fooled]

48. Oh, that it were so...

"Who's going to actually believe the Buffoon, Liein' Leezy, Rummy, Cheney or McClellan in the future anyway without it being verified by at least TWO independent sources"

How about the entire MSM and all the brain-addled morans out there in 'Murka???

[rateyes]

36. The fish rots from the head down!! eom

[Stand and Fight]

37. Sad, but we will keep fighting.

These dirty rat-bastards have to be taken down, and no one should rest until this happens.

[writes2000]

38. Absolutely disgusting. Just so fundamentally corrupt.

I am just so disgusted that CRIMINALS like Roberts are in positions of power over our country.

[understandinglife]

39. Raw Story Timeline link:

Senator Pat Roberts (R - KS) Helps to Fix the Intel - Timeline

http://rawstory.com/robertsintel.htm


Peace.

[im10ashus]

40. This is a BIG story.

Thanks for posting. Kicked and nominated!

:kick:

[Zhade]

43. Absolutely outrageous - as is the nonchalance of some Democrats.

Tom Reynolds, spokesman for the ranking Democrat on the House Select Committee on Intelligence, Jane Harman (D-CA), downplayed the significance of the order, saying members continued to have access. He acknowledged, however, that the "gang of eight" had higher-level clearances.

Harman thinks this isn't a big deal? Gee, why would someone whose campaign contributions from weapons contractors range in the 70%+ range not be that concerned about restricting intelligence that determines if we should go to war?

:think:

She's just about fucking worthless as a so-called representative. Man, how I miss being in Waxman's district.

[understandinglife]

45. Yes, I wrote Congresswoman Harman today and reminder her that ...

.... some of us have functioning memories and we remember all to well her lame efforts to get the CIA IG report released last year.

This morning, I sent her the following and copied Congresswoman Pelosi:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4316249

I realize she has major conflicts-of-interest and have zero expectation she will do anything to advance the truth in these matters of treason and destruction of our actual national security.

Peace.

[Zhade]

47. Indeed. HUGE conflicts of interest.

Nice thread, btw. You always do great work.

[lovuian]

44. This shows Abuse of Power & Conspiracy!!! Taking down

the CIA the only agency to contradict this farce!!! They get blamed for it!!!

This is huge and shows the Congress in league with Bush to promote Iraq and WHY in the HELL does a VICE PRESIDENT get documents from Britain ... Is that in his freakin job description???

[donkeyotay]

81. Good point: "Is that in his freakin job description???"

Was ANY of this in their freakin job description (which says something about upholding the Constitution)? Congress legislated agencies like the CIA and appropriated their budgets. Institutions, that we pay for, are legal, statutory Constitutional agents of American policy. Along come a bunch of freelance, warmongering privateers who decide they are going to circumvent legitimate channels and replace them with an unelected, unlegislated, unaccountable back channel for committing fraud.

:nuke:

Golly, Wilbur, do you think these folks did anything wrong?

[Gregorian]

46. PNAC, Plame, Kelly, DSM, Sibel Edmonds, Ritter, Blix...

Gee officer, I didn't know I was robbing that bank.

What's so serious about this is that it has gone on long enough that heavy damage has been done. Appointments, deaths, financial ruin of America, worthless foreign relations, etc.

Fitzgerald had better follow through.

[Roland99]

68. Screw Fitzgerald, the DNC needs to make this THE issue for '06!

[jurassicpork]

59. In other words...

...restricted to his Republican cronies, another example of the GOP trying to turn our democracy into a one-party oligarchy.

Alexander Hamilton must be rolling in his grave right now at 30,000 rpm.

JP
http://jurassicpork.blogspot.com

[AnnieBW]

64. One Correction...

Hadley is NOT connected at all with the National Security AGENCY. He was deputy of the National Security COUNCIL. NSA supplies reports to the NSC, but the NSC is a much higher level than NSA is.

[Catt03]

66. and this

But the little-reported 2001 Bush directive changed that, ensuring that only two members of each committee received full briefings on intelligence operations, and preventing committee staffs from carrying out meaningful research.

So, where was the MSM for this "little-reported" ditty?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

69. Excellent, excellent story! You should be getting this out to....

...Olbermann for sure.

[PinkyisBlue]

75. Definition of Fascism

Political movement or system of government characterized by:

1) dictatorship

2) suppression of all dissent

3) complete regimentation

4) glorification of nation (and/or race)

5) belligerent foreign policy

The USA is well on its way to becoming a fascist country. I can see George Bush's America in all of the above characteristics.

[understandinglife]

83. Larisa on Pacifica: 8 pm ET, Majority Report: 8:30 pm ET...Today ...

... Friday, August 12, 2005


Peace

[ignatius 2]

52. I read this right before I left the office and my first thought was

why did Roberts do this? Any Kansas folks hanging around here who might know what the Bush mafia might have on Roberts or if he has suddenly come into big bucks?

There has to be a motive somewhere. I did a brief google search and couldn't find anything yet. We need to get the dirt on this bastard and play for keeps like the repukes do.

[EST]

55. Check out where the latest school syllabus insanity

is metastasizing.

[Pirate Smile]

56. I don't know but it really seems like there is a "Party before Country"

attitude by the current GOP. We need to hang that around their necks during the 2006 elections since they seem to no longer believe in any checks and balances.

As my sig line says, they are just Rubber Stamps for BushCo.

Even the few Republicans I used to think had some integrity seem to have lost it. They all act like Karl Rove has a knife to the throat of one of their kids to keep them in line.

[Time for change]

77. Exactly -- would you expect any more loyalty of a Nazi towards Hitler?

It seems that the vast majority of the Republican Party is part of a gigantic scheme to tyrnanize our country.

[jurassicpork]

60. What nerve.

This is the same cocksucker who's now investigating Patrick Fitzgerald.

JP
http://jurassicpork.blogspot.com

[AtomicKitten]

54. Aaaarrgggh !!!!!

This is the second part http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Through_leaks_and_smears_Senate_chairman_protects_White_House_to_blame_CI_0811.html
about how Roberts shifted blame to the CIA, dems, and Wilson.

I swear to God I am so pissed off, my head could just explode.

One of the bloggers predicted something BIG was coming out, ergo Weldon's big hoopla on old news.

Mother-fu&%#@&(((ers.

[goforit]

86. Nothing is "BIG" until we arrest, convict, then remove from office.

Yah....this shock and awe comes out every other day.

There is more evidence of their daily committed crimes that
surpassess Mount Everest,.....but they keep doing what they are doing
and the people just sit and watch and say ooooh and ahhhh.

(Sorry for my pessimistic observation.)

[stubtoe]

57. NOW what?

I need some marching orders here. Send to msm outlets? Make a stink, etc like for DSM? What is it gonna take to get this out there where everyone can see it?

[xchrom]

61. ok, how is this not a conspiracy?

IMPEACH!

[lala_rawraw]

63. page 2 at bottom... 3 pages in total if you count timeline

[culturalelite]

71. what I don't understand

is how the four democrats on the senate intelligene committee could let Roberts and company get away with an absurdly biased report that is essentially part of the campaign to smear Wilson and blame the CIA for everything. Granted, Rockefeller wanted an investigation of the WH's use of intelligence, but that doesn't excuse what he allowed into the report.

[rman]

72. Democrats are not necessarily any less corrupt then Repubs

I think Ted Kennedy is correct when he says that "95% of Republicans and 75% of Democrats are corrupt".
Corruption truly is a non-partisan issue...

[karynnj]

80. I wonder who Kennedy places on each list

In the Senate a slightly lower % signed the on the surface simple Kerry letter asking the committee to do the Part 2 of the WMD report it promised. I bet there is a high correlation between the known Kerry list and the unknown Kennedy list.

[Supersedeas]

74. a coordinated effort which included Rethug Senators--no way, no way

[Nothing Without Hope]

76. Wonder if this also happened for the coverup of what really happened

in the 9/11 attacks.

This needs to be seen by the American public. A blatant coverup to hide corruption and fraud - and the Poodle Press is part of it.

Recommended.

[donkeyotay]

82. This is an important point

All this bullcrap about "Wilson's wife" and "Wilson said Cheney sent him" is a distraction from the important fact that the forgeries were CRUDE - the UN said they would not have fooled any intelligence agency.

From the OP:

The IAEA, however, is not given the documents until the end of February 2003, a year after the U.S. first acquires them. Once acquired, they determine the documents are fakes within several hours.

John Pike, director of the Washington military watchdog GlobalSecurity.org, says the Administration's line on the Niger documents raises questions.

"The thing that was so embarrassing about the episode was not simply that the documents were forgeries, but that they were clumsy forgeries, as was so quickly determined by the IAEA," he told RAW STORY. "It is one thing to be taken in, but to be so easily taken in, suggested either bewildering incompetence or intentional deception, or possibly both."

And this:

The 2002 mission grew out of a request by Vice President Cheney on Feb. 12 for more information about a Defense Intelligence Agency report he had received that day, according to a 2004 report of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. An aide to Cheney would later say he did not realize at the time that this request would generate such a trip.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/10/AR2005081001918.html

My guess is that the DIA report said the Niger claim was horse-hocky and Stonewall Cheney pretended he needed more verification and the CIA complied. Wilson was yet ANOTHER check on the fraudulent but necessary claim. Cheney is in this up to his eyeballs.

[radio4progressives]

85. This Story is CRITICAL.!!!

kicked!

[fujiyama]

89. .