GOP worried Panetta doesn't understand what led to the Iraq intelligence failure

[The Straight Story]

Senate GOP begins review of Panetta
By Chris Strohm CongressDaily January 8, 2009

Senate Republicans on Wednesday began listing concerns and questions they have about President-elect Obama's selection of Leon Panetta to lead the CIA, including statements Panetta had made regarding intelligence assessments about Iraq.

Senate GOP aides working with Senate Intelligence ranking member Christopher (Kit) Bond, R-Mo., are poring over Panetta's public statements and writings to determine what kind of a grasp he has on intelligence matters.

One of the first items to catch their attention includes part of an opinion piece Panetta wrote in March in the Monterey (Calif.) County Herald.

"Five years ago, America went to war in Iraq over the false fear that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction," Panetta wrote, adding that "we now know that there were intelligence officials who questioned the assertion."

To the contrary, Bond's office asserts that every intelligence professional interviewed for a report about prewar intelligence on Iraq believed the country had weapons of mass destruction before the 2003 invasion.

"How will Mr. Panetta be able to continue to reform analysis at the CIA if he doesn't understand what led to the Iraq intelligence failure?"

http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=41745&dcn=todaysnews

[Xipe Totec]

1. Here is a clue...

[jaxx]

2. More like they're worried he understands too much.

[tridim]

3. I think Panetta knows that BushCo lied about Iraq

Next question?

[Terran]

4. Bond is an idiot

There was no "intelligence failure".

[Barack_America]

5. They made shit up to suit their needs.

What's so hard to "understand" about that?

Sorry folks, but you're about to get called out for your deception. You might consider doing what Bush did and buy some land in Central America.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. Bond announced his retirement today

So he needs to let this go.

Idiot. Good riddance too.

[Xipe Totec]

7. every intelligence professional interviewed...

"every intelligence professional interviewed for a report about prewar intelligence on Iraq believed the country had weapons of mass destruction before the 2003 invasion"

Intelligence professionals who did not believe the country had weapons of mass destruction before the 2003 invasion, however, were simply not interviewed for the reports.

See how easily Republicans lie with the truth?

[drm604]

8. They just don't give up , do they. They will spin this all the way to their graves.

Panetta said "there were intelligence officials who questioned the assertion."

Bond says "every intelligence professional interviewed for a report about prewar intelligence on Iraq believed the country had weapons of mass destruction before the 2003 invasion."

Unless every intelligence official in existence was interviewed for that report then the two statements are not mutually exclusive.

[SharonAnn]

9. It was *'s intelligence that was lacking. It failed, completely, but then he's not very smart.

[screembloodymurder]

10. Excuse me, but how much longer do we have to put up with this

shit?:banghead:

[Winterblues]

11. The "Intelligence Failure" was in Office of Special Plans

The Office created just to provide "Intelligence" to go to war with Iraq. Notice that "Special" Intelligence Agency is no longer around... I wonder why that is????:think:

[mmonk]

12. Any lie to hide the original one.

[Captain Hilts]

13. Easy!! Not listening to experts and, instead, listening to flunkies from the Officeof Special Plans

that was set up to channel false information supporting the war to the president from Chalabi!

[RaleighNCDUer]

14. Has Panetta ever heard of the Office of Special Plans?

If so, he understands.

[AtomicKitten]

15. They're probably really worried that he DOES get it.

[gratuitous]

16. But see, he won't understand it in the right way

Panetta, not being a member of The Club (and if you have to ask, then no, you're not a member), will probably misunderstand and misinterpret stuff, and who knows who will be held accountable then? It's always best and safest to just shrug, mutter "Mistakes were made" and then move on to the next debacle sold to us by the same cabal of grinning ghouls.