Pentagon debating pulling people off of weapons hunt to reassigning them t

[Judi Lynn]

Pentagon debating pulling people off of weapons hunt to reassigning them to security


By PAULINE JELINEK
The Associated Press
10/29/03 11:04 AM


WASHINGTON (AP) -- As violence has spiraled in Iraq, top U.S. officials have debated pulling intelligence officers off the so-far unsuccessful hunt for weapons of mass destruction and reassigning them to counterinsurgency efforts, officials said Wednesday.

The United States already is planning to recruit more Iraqis to gather information about opposition fighters and may increase security measures to protect troops, President Bush said Tuesday, the third straight day of bombings in Iraq.

But Pentagon, CIA and other top officials have not been able to agree on whether to reassign some of the 1,400 people working on the weapons search, three officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Wednesday.

One intelligence official said they have been struggling for more than three weeks over the question of whether shifting intelligence personnel to the battle against insurgent forces would be harmful. Other possibilities include moving the needed intelligence officers, linguists and others from somewhere else, contracting outsiders or options that the official declined to cite. (snip/...)

http://www.nola.com/iraq/index.ssf?/newsflash/get_story.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?a0548_BC_US-Iraq&&news&emergency

[salin]

1. important... (and a dupe)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=189517

[VolcanoJen]

2. Dupe... locking

Please continue discussion in the thread that salin has linked to above.

Thanks!
VolcanoJen
DU Moderator