List of Roadblocks the Senate GOP has Put Up re: Iraq Investigations

[WilliamPitt]

For more than two years, Senate Democrats have pressed Republicans to
address the misuse of intelligence. At every turn, Republicans have blocked
efforts to investigate how intelligence was used in the run-up to the war in
Iraq. Below details the long record established by Democrats to investigate
this matter.

March 14, 2003 ­ Senator Rockefeller sent a letter to Director Mueller
requesting an investigation into the origin of the Niger documents.

May 23, 2003 ­ Senators Roberts and Rockefeller sent a letter to the CIA and
State Department Inspectors General to review issues related to the Niger
documents.

June 2, 2003 ­ Senator Rockefeller issued a press release endorsing a
statement made of the previous weekend by Senator Warner calling for a joint
SSCI/SASC investigation.

June 4, 2003 ­ Senator Rockefeller issued a press release saying he would
push for an investigation. Senator Roberts issued a press release saying
calls for an investigation are premature.

June 10, 2003 ­ Senator Rockefeller sent a letter to Senator Roberts asking
for an investigation.

June 11, 2003 ­ All Committee Democrats signed a letter to Senator Roberts
asking for a meeting of the Committee to discuss the question of authorizing
an inquiry into the intelligence that formed the basis for going to war.

June 11, 2003 ­ Senator Roberts issued a press release saying this is
routine committee oversight, and that criticism of the intelligence
community is unwarranted. Senator Rockefeller issued a press release
calling the ongoing review inadequate.

June 20, 2003 ­ Senators Roberts and Rockefeller issued a joint press
release laying out the scope of the inquiry.

August 13, 2003 ­ Senator Rockefeller sent a letter to Senator Roberts
making 14 points about the investigation, asking to expand the inquiry to
address the ³use of intelligence by policy makers² and asking for several
other actions.

September 9, 2003 ­ After press reports quoting Senator Roberts as saying
the investigation was almost over, Senator Rockefeller sent a letter to
Senator Roberts urging him not to rush to complete the investigation
prematurely.

October 29, 2003 ­ Senators Roberts and Rockefeller sent a letter to
Director Tenet expressing in strong terms that he should provide documents
that have been requested and make individuals available.

October 30, 2003 ­ Senators Roberts and Rockefeller sent letters to
Secretaries Rumsfeld and Powell, and National Security Advisor Rice
expressing in strong terms that they should provide documents that have been
requested and make individuals available.

October 31, 2003 ­ Senator Rockefeller sent a letter to Director Tenet
asking for documents related to the interaction between intelligence and
policy makers, including the documents from the Vice President¹s office
related to the Powell speech.

November 2, 2003 ­ Senator Roberts made statements during a joint television
appearance with Senator Rockefeller claiming that the White house would
provide all documents they jointly requested.

December 5, 2003 ­ Senator Rockefeller sent a letter to National Security
Advisor Rice asking for her help getting documents and access to
individuals.

January 22, 2004 ­ Senator Rockefeller sent a letter to Director Tenet
asking for compliance with the Oct. 31 request for documents.

February 12, 2004 ­ Senators Roberts and Rockefeller issued a joint press
release announcing the Committee¹s unanimous approval of the expansion of
the Iraq review, to include use of intelligence in the form of public
statements, and listing other aspects of what became Phase II.

March 23, 2004 ­ Senator Rockefeller sent yet another letter to Director
Tenet asking for compliance with the Oct. 31 request for documents.

June 17, 2004 ­ Senators Roberts and Rockefeller joint press release
announcing the unanimous approval of the report.

July 16, 2004 ­ Committee Democrats sent a letter to Bush asking for the one
page summary of the NIE prepared for Bush. The Committee staff had been
allowed to review it but could not take notes and the Committee was never
given a copy.

February 3, 2005 ­ Senator Rockefeller sent a letter to Senator Roberts
outlining Committee priorities for the coming year and encouraging
completion of Phase II.

August 5, 2005 ­ Senator Rockefeller sent a letter to Senator Roberts
expressing concern over the lack of progress on Phase II and calling for a
draft to be presented to the Committee at a business meeting in September.

September 29, 2005 ­ All Committee Democrats joined in additional views to
the annual Intelligence Authorization Bill criticizing the lack of progress
on Phase II.

[AlCzervik]

1. Thank you and printed it out!

[texpatriot2004]

2. Thanks Will for this list of roadblocks. n.t

[blm]

3. You forgot Kerry's letter of inquiry on Phase2 including DSM investigation

that nine other senators signed last summer. Roberts said No way and called it unnecessary.

[globalvillage]

34. Sen Kerry's letter and Roberts' reply are on Kerry's site.

The letters were posted today.
http://kerry.senate.gov/v3/cfm/record.cfm?id=248106
http://www.kerry.senate.gov/v3/headlines/pdf/Roberts_to_Kerry_Response.pdf

[Lone_Star_Dem]

4. This is going to come in handy

Bookmarking.

[Shakespeare]

5. NIIIIIIIIICE! Fast work, Will.

Great list. :-)

[Just Me]

6. Good grief!!!! I had no idea ALL that crap's been pulled!!!

Printing for reference.

[JJackFlash]

7. I knew they were doing all this and more

just didn't know the details.
Thanks for putting this out.

[blm]

13. Now you know how much the MEDIA has been covering up ALL of this.

.

[ClintonTyree]

8. But Bill Frist says it's the first time he's heard anything about it!

Now Senator Frist wouldn't LIE, would he? :eyes:

They've stonewalled this forever, and now they're SURPRISED to hear about it? Pigs, they're all fucking lying pigs.

[The Doctor.]

15. Yep... that is the tactic...

To stonewall for a year then met all further requests with, "This investigation has been going on for a year and found nothing... there is no reason to continue."

Lovely.

[Generator]

9. Yep forged documents-the key to the CIA case and false intel for war

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-03-14-iraq-forged-docs_x.htm

snip~
Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia said he was uneasy about a possible campaign to deceive the public about the status of Iraq's nuclear program.

An investigation should "at a minimum help to allay any concerns" that the government was involved in the creation of the documents to build support for administration policies, Rockefeller wrote in a letter to FBI Director Robert Mueller.

snip~
Sarah Ross, a spokeswoman for Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Pat Roberts, said the committee will look into the forgery, but Roberts believes it is inappropriate for the FBI to investigate at this point.

:::::
I myself, think they were forged on behalf of the WHIG "folks". Proving it...that's my dream.

[unpossibles]

10. thanks! n/t

[cantstandbush]

11. OK Will, send this list off to Schumer n/t

[Walt Starr]

12. Outstanding job, Will!

:thumbsup:

[ninkasi]

29. Hey, Walt Starr...

See what you started?

[Deb]

14. Thank you

This is a list to share with everyone, I'm stunned by it.

[Ian David]

16. Thank you!!

Pat Roberts says they've just been told to do what they were already going to do anyway.

They had an intent to engage in pre-war-intelligence-investigating-related-activity.

[MellowOne]

17. kick and nominated n/t

[Angry Girl]

18. Eeeeexcellent! (kick)

[malaise]

19. Thanks

WIll share with my students.

[Divine Discontent]

20. needs posted in a newspaper

can we set up a donation link by democratic underground for purchase of this info in the washington post, nyt, or weekend usa today for a 1/4 page monday friday ad showing all this info???

would it be outrageously high? is there something we can sanction that others outside DU can see somewhere and look at and read??? If every single person gave $3-50 each who comes to DU we surely could get something done somewhere!


santorum is a hack. just had to say it.

[Nothing Without Hope]

38. Also sent to Keith Olbermann/MSNBC:

[e-mail]

[Divine Discontent]

40. great idea... I usually remember to include them, I forgot.

thanks! I loved talking to (R) DeWine's staffer... "I will CERTAINLY include your comments in the message! Thank you!" - click - "bastard!" well, the last word is what I assumed she said after I hung up... then again, ya never know.

[David Zephyr]

21. Kick.

Well, thank you very much.

[G_j]

22. vital info

kick

[kurth]

23. Gas and Oil Party = Greedy OBSTRUCTIONIST Party

Cockroaches. What are they afraid of? What are they hiding?

[blue neen]

24. Thank you so much for posting this timeline.

When Frist et al. were crying about Reid's "stunt", I was thinking how a list of the roadblocks and stalling tactics should be made public.

It was public to begin with, but no one paid attention.

Hats off to you!

[Disturbed]

25. Many of us on DU knew about this but...

thanks for making the list, Will.

The reason for the stonewall on this and Bush admin. policy on Torture is to avoid Impeachment of Bush/Cheney!

[Scout1071]

26. Did you ever know that you're my hero? Everything I wished I could be.

I can fly higher than eagle......you are the wind beneath my wings.

Just felt the need to share with you. Outstanding work my friend.

Edited to apologize for the extreme corny-ness, but I'm just feeling jubilant.

[donheld]

27. Very valuable Will

Thanks

[ninkasi]

28. I'm impressed, Will...

You are fast, and this list is going out to several of my family members and friends. DUers never fail to impress me.

[starroute]

30. There are additional items of interest in Raw Story's timeline

http://rawstory.com/robertsintel.htm

The faked firestorm of indignation over a leaked memo, which began on November 4, 2003 and served to shut down the Senate Intelligence Committee just as it was getting close to the White House's role in the prewar intelligence, is particularly striking.

[emdee]

31. Thank you! n/t

n/t

[spanone]

32. Fantastic Post! Thanks.

[Lasher]

33. Today I called Jay Rockefeller's office

Jay Rockefeller, the ranking Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, is one of my two West Virginia senators. Today I called his Washington office to say that this was his proudest moment ever, as far as I am concerned. The staffer said they had been getting a lot of calls today, but not many from his constituents here in The Mountain State. He took my personal information, and said he would be pleased to relay the praise.

I live about 3 miles from Emmons, where Jay got his political start helping impoverished people there. My father, a respected educator and lifelong resident here, introduced him around to skeptical residents.

To those of you whose Senators took a stand today, I recommend that you convey your approval. I know it would help encourage them, at a time when the right wing attack dogs have surely been set upon them.

[proud patriot]

35. Thanks Will

:loveya:

Republicans have been obstructing the Will
Of the American People's need for an investigation
into how we went to war under false pretense .

[Hissyspit]

36. Excellent resource, Will. Thanks! n/t

[Historic NY]

37. Nice job.....it clearly show the Repuke culture of......

stall, attack & delay.

[Patiod]

39. but..but..but..NPR says Repukes were on top of Phase II !

they were going to start the investigation tomorrow! and the dems knew it!

and my homeboy little Ricky Santorum says it was just politics!

mean old Harry Reid! mean old dems!