Wow. The NIE is bad, bad news for the administration.

[Hamlette]

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002469.php

Wow, this is grim. According to the just-released Key Judgments of the National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq, political reconciliation is likely a bridge too far over the next year and a half.

no matter how much Bush wants to lay the blame for the disintegration of Iraq on the meddlesome interference of Iran and Syria, the U.S.-sponsored political process itself -- indeed, the new, U.S.-midwifed Iraqi political order -- itself sows the seeds for the country's destruction. Apparently Bush could attack Iran to his heart's content, and Iraq would still remain inflamed.

And as Josh points out, if this is what is being released, the full report must be much worse for this administration. It seems to be saying the surge will make it worse.

[babylonsister]

1. That explains why it took them so long to release it. And what

parts did they omit? Trust, for me, is long gone.

[madokie]

9. my trust is growing with each passing day, My trust that they will lie to me,

mislead me, do nothing to reflect my feelings and on and on and on.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

26. how very true.

It has become a certainty.

Elsewhere, I was having a conversation on how the US seemed to be adding two letters to the initials (SR) My experiences in Soviet countries and with immigrants from there, suggested to me that we are approaching Soviet styled truth and growing government power. I am sorry to say that each day, the comparison becomes more valid.

[Beetwasher]

2. Sooprise Sooprise

n/t

[atreides1]

3. Well

That just gives George more of a reason to attack Iran, so that the bad news about Iraq doesn't interfere with his mandate!!!!

[spanone]

4. ..and watch how quickly it gets buried.

[Mandate My Ass]

5. another "flaming turd" like the Iraq Study Group report

it will be dismissed post haste and never spoken of again.

[JohnnyLib2]

6. "I am the decider"

and that's about all we need to know.

[seafan]

7. 'Bush could attack Iran to his heart's content, and Iraq would still remain inflamed.'

Was there ever any doubt why Negroponte hid the new National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) for as long as possible?



Here's more:

About Iran. This must have been one of the most controversial elements of the estimate: Iraq's neighbors are "not likely to be a major driver of violence or the prospects for stability because of the self-sustaining character of Iraq's internal sectarian dynamics." There's the expected qualifications that Iran and Syria are up to no good, but this is the major point. In other words, no matter how much Bush wants to lay the blame for the disintegration of Iraq on the meddlesome interference of Iran and Syria, the U.S.-sponsored political process itself -- indeed, the new, U.S.-midwifed Iraqi political order -- itself sows the seeds for the country's destruction. Apparently Bush could attack Iran to his heart's content, and Iraq would still remain inflamed.

Oh, and one final thought: this is just what's unclassified. If past NIEs are any prologue, what remains classified is much, much grimmer than what we see here. More likely than not, this is the most optimistic presentation of the NIE possible.

[kentuck]

8. Bush must have had an advance copy...

..and he panicked...Decided he needed to send more troops to try and save his legacy. It will be hard for him to turn around his well-earned title of "Worst President in History"...

[spanone]

10. Keeping KICKED.

This could very well get buried in the Florida stories today.

[Rosemary2205]

11. Anyone else see Gen Casey last night?

He flat out said the surge is the total wrong to go and basically agreed with Murtha about pulling back to the perimeter and forcing the Iraqis to work out their own problems.

Which explains why he was re-assigned.

[wryter2000]

14. Casey's a traitor

See my post below. It's all his fault, and he's trying to cover his ass. :sarcasm:

[sakabatou]

12. .

[wryter2000]

13. Haven't you heard?

Silly democrat. It's all General Casey's fault. Senators McCain and Graham proved that yesterday.

:sarcasm:

[Hubert Flottz]

15. A republican that don't lie, ain't got nothing to say!

We've been BuShitted Again.

[Nimrod2005]

16. K

[Jack Rabbit]

17. I guess this is the junta's bad news dump for Friday

!!

[gratuitous]

18. Took 17 posts to mention it, but today IS Friday

But you can just bet this important release will be Topic A in the conversations on the Sunday talk shows, right?

:rofl:

I crack myself up sometimes.

[humbled_opinion]

19. OK so now

Will our Congress get it together and stop this unwinnable failure? Will the Democrats rise to the occasion? Its easy Nancy just call a news conference and say "The President has refused to listen to the American people and so it is time that new leadership take action. Effective immediately all funding for the Iraq war is ended. We will work with the President to use discretionary funds to start a phased redeployment of our troops out of Iraq in a 4 month time table. We will of course continue to give Iraqi government full political and training support.

Now that would be a news conference.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

30. Nancy should say ...Congress will fund the safe return of our troops and NOTHING else...n/t

[Clarkie1]

20. This part is particularly discouraging.

Coalition capabilities, including force levels, resources, and operations, remain an essential stabilizing element in Iraq.

If coalition forces were withdrawn rapidly during the term of this estimate, we judge that this almost certainly would lead to a significant increase in the scale and scope of sectarian conflict in Iraq, intensify Sunni resistance to the Iraqi government, and have adverse consequences for national reconciliation.

[Divine Discontent]

23. they're going to fight no matter what...

they need to have their civil war and figure out who they are... who are WE to stay there and keep 130000 troops around trying to keep them stable. that'd have been like Russia seeing our civil war and sending in troops to help figure out how to run the country best and push for Russia's best interest in doing it... sorry it may be a lame analogy but I haven't slept, my point is we shouldn't be there and their civil war is why.

[Schema Thing]

25. c'est la vie, eh?

Same for Rwanda (well, except we didn't actually cause Rwanda, we just let them have their war).


I'll tell you who WE are. WE are the people who elected an American government that set in motion the coming Iraqi genocide. But c'est la vie... look how much we repented with our vote for such good democrats in 2006. Well our good democrats of 2002 and 2004 didn't do so good when the Iraqi (and all people of this world) needed them.

But c'est la vie.

[wiggs]

28. Does it talk about what would happen if forces were SLOWLY withdrawn? Or did

it just talk about a rapid withdrawl and how bad that would be?

[Kablooie]

21. But you're talking about reality. Something that has never deterred Bushl,

[Divine Discontent]

22. Yes, I believe the US should help politically and help broker peace there....

BUT....

AND....

www.cafepress.com/warisprofitable <<-- antibush prodem stickers/shirts

[radfringe]

24. waiting for the spin

publically releasing the declassified portions of the NIE report will embolden the enemy...

which enemy? The insurgents, the Shia, the Sunni, the terrorists, Bin-Laden, Syrians, Iranians, North Koreans?

if you ask Cheney - the enemy is the American People

[ChairmanAgnostic]

27. then even more public data will be stamped secret,

because we can't be trusted with it; because bad news would embolden the enemy; because terra-ists can use it to destroy us. Therefore, we are not to be trusted by our government. Hell, look at the '06 election. Of COURSE we can't be trusted.

[Dracos]

29. The Pentagon is hiding the full extent of the escalation by only discussing combat troop numbers.

Combat units being sent to Iraq need to be backed up by “substantial support forces, including personnel to staff headquarters, serve as military police, and provide communications, contracting, engineering, intelligence, medical, and other services.”

[followthemoney]

31. This NIE is good news. Awarding the presidency to Bush was good news.

Bush is the best hope for those who want to see the decline of the American Empire. His defeat will bring a new America that sees no profit in the theft of oil and murder.

The defeat of Bush is not the defeat of America. The defeat of Bush is a victory for American democracy. The simpleton's war was lost before he started it. His father knew it. Those who cheered him on should learn it.

I could really love an America that tied up psycho Bush and stopped him from any further warmongering. Imagine a democracy that concerned itself with the needs of its citizens and restrained the apocalyptic Bush. Imagine a government of statesmen free from the calculus of fear of losing the next election.

The monarchists should gain nothing from their lies, murders, and misuse of troops in pursuit of profit. All that is missing is courage. The advantage is now to democracy, if we are worthy.

[McCamy Taylor]

32. The surge is a covert mission with a purpose--probably OIL, as in

to stabilize the capitol just enough that US oil companies will feel safe investing in Iraq's oil fields.

The Bush administration wants Iraq to be a banana republic with a low grade, on-going civil war that will require a US militarty presence for years to come so that our military can protect the interests of Exxon and others.

[katty]

33. SURGE for IMPEACHMENT