U.S. backs away from claims that Cuba has bioweapons program

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/12516733.htm

WASHINGTON - (KRT) - The Bush administration backed away Tuesday from claims that Cuba has an offensive biological weapons effort, acknowledging in a report to Congress that "there is a split view" among intelligence analysts on the question.

The report says instead that Cuba has the "technical capability" to pursue biological weapons research and development because of its advanced pharmaceutical industry. But it leaves open the critical question of whether it has done so.

The State Department report apparently marks the first time that the U.S. government has publicly softened its earlier charge, which has been controversial from the outset.

Then-Undersecretary of State John Bolton had tried to reassign two intelligence analysts at the State Department and National Intelligence Council who had challenged Bolton's view that Cuba had biowar capabilities, according to testimony at Bolton's nomination hearing to become United Nations ambassador.

[Fleshdancer]

1. Poor Bolton. He really wanted to stick it to Cuba

All that hard work of trying to bully and reassign intelligence analysts for nothing.

[rodeodance]

2. The report says instead that Cuba has the "technical capability" no

difference in the message Bolton/US wants to convey.

[buzzard]

5. delete

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. and venezuela

But Saner heads prevailed. Temporarily.

Bolton is worse than an ass. He is a dangerous neocon.

[ShockediSay]

4. Been there; Done that

we have

before

bogus bullshit.