David Kay: Exclusive interview Chemical, biological, nuclear programs ‘rudimentary’

msnbc ^ | Tom Brokaw

[Sarah]

David Kay, who resigned last week as the chief U.S. weapons inspector in Iraq, now says he didn't find stockpiles of WMD — or evidence of a nuclear program well under way in Saddam Hussein's Iraq — and he blames it on a greatly flawed intelligence system and analysis.

[Sarah]

Doesn't Brokaw realize how desperately he's egging Kay on for negative information concerning the administration. You'd think he'd be embarrassed by his obvious leanings.

[Utah Girl]

Pretty good information from Kay though, and it shows how the media, the left, and the Dems are spinning him like crazy.

[Only1choice____Freedom]

Does anybody else get the feeling they are sandbagging something?

[FairOpinion]

"Saddam was not controlling the society any longer. In the marketplace of terrorism and of WMD, Iraq well could have been that supplier if the war had not intervened."

[FairOpinion]

I saw part of the interview -- Brokaw cut Kay off multiple times, when he got what he wanted, it seemd that Kay wanted to add something to qualify his answers, Brokaw of course wanted to make sure he doesn't get the chance.

Kay also said in another interview with the UK Telegraph, I believe, that he thought Saddam sent his WMD to Syria, Brokaw managed to keep Kay from saying that in this interview.

[Sarah]

Sometimes the main media seems to be hanging themselves with the rope we're giving them.
We aren't the only ones who read between the lines with these interviews. Now there are so many web sites etc. that expose Brokaw and his ilk. It just seems like a question of time.

[JustPiper]

Bush needs to speak out now.

George Tenet was there on 911 and he is still. Tenet passed along 11 lousy words of misinformation in the SOTU to Bush and he is still there! Bush would not let him resign! And now this. He keeps an inept dolt as head of CIA, CIA again gave him wrong info on WMD's and Tenet needs to go!

From Kay's interview:

Chemical, biological, nuclear programs ‘rudimentary’

he blames it on a greatly flawed intelligence system and analysis.

people were lying to Saddam, lying to each other for money

in the missile field it’s quite different. There were actually large, purposeful programs going on in that area

Clearly, the intelligence that we went to war on was inaccurate, wrong. We need to understand why that was. I think if anyone was abused by the intelligence it was the president of the United States rather than the other way around

I think Baghdad was actually becoming more dangerous in the last two years than even we realized. Saddam was not controlling the society any longer. In the marketplace of terrorism and of WMD, Iraq well could have been that supplier if the war had not intervened

[cyncooper]

TB: The president described Iraq as a gathering threat — a gathering danger. Was that an accurate description?

DK: I think that’s a very accurate description.

[cyncooper]

I think Baghdad was actually becoming more dangerous in the last two years than even we realized.

[Wright is right!]

"I saw part of the interview -- Brokaw cut Kay off multiple times, when he got what he wanted, it seemd that Kay wanted to add something to qualify his answers, Brokaw of course wanted to make sure he doesn't get the chance."

No, Brokaw gave Kay all the time in the world during the interview. What you saw were some very ham-handed edits that cut him off in mid-sentence when he was about to say something Brokaw didn't want aired. Kay was speaking clearly and without pauses - which makes any edit look choppy and obvious.

The version of the Kay interview that played on Brokaw's report was one of the more amateurish editing jobs I've seen. And I used to edit for a living.

Michael

[FBD]

Excerpt:

TB: The president described Iraq as a gathering threat — a gathering danger. Was that an accurate description?

DK: I think that’s a very accurate description.

TB: But an imminent threat to the United States?

DK: Tom, an imminent threat is a political judgment. It’s not a technical judgment. I think Baghdad was actually becoming more dangerous in the last two years than even we realized. Saddam was not controlling the society any longer. In the marketplace of terrorism and of WMD, Iraq well could have been that supplier if the war had not intervened.

TB: But as you know, the administration and its supporters, not just suggest, but insist that there was a real connection between Saddam Hussein and terrorist organizations that would be a threat to the United States.

DK: Look, I found no real connection between WMD and terrorists. What we did find, and as others are investigating it, we found a lot of terrorist groups and individuals that passed through Iraq.