I suspect that even without partisanship, there are motivations for the CIA to withhold information. Are reforms at the CIA and FBI required? I believe the answer is absolutely. Through the latter half of the 20th century, their job was to lay low and collect data on cold war threats and domestic criminals respectively; the later cold war stance required that they avoid implicating nations in war provoking activities.. Avoiding nuclear holocaust was as important as providing intelligence.
How Terror Investigations Can Go Awry by Laurie Mylroie - Wall Street Journal
As [NY FBI office head Jim] Fox explained to me, one agent tried to brief Mr. Freeh in October 1993 about possible state sponsorship, but he wasn't interested. Indeed, a year later, Mr. Freeh said there was "no evidence or intelligence" of Iraqi involvement.Whatever the motive, and there are probably many, the resolution of this crisis of intelligence (which includes the mainstream press's position on the anti-American side of the issue) is essential to the security and freedom of our country. I think President Bush is up to it. I also think he wants a mandate from the American people before we take this up a notch.The Clinton White House seems to have believed that it could address the New York FBI's strong suspicions about Iraqi involvement in the Trade Center bombing on the sly. Later that spring, the New York FBI launched an undercover operation, aimed at teaching Muslim extremists a lesson. An informant penetrated those circles, proposing another bombing plot. A Sudanese émigré picked up the bait and suggested bombing a Manhattan armory. But he had two "friends" -- [Iraqi] intelligence agents -- at Sudan's U.N. mission who changed the targets to the U.N., the New York federal building, and two tunnels.
Let's make sure he gets it.