Posted on 01/22/2006 7:51:04 AM PST by baystaterebel
MORE THAN TWO MONTHS AGO, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Pete Hoekstra requested 40 documents captured in postwar Iraq as he sought better understand the activities of the Iraqi regime in the months and years before the U.S. invasion in March 2003. On Friday afternoon, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence finally provided 39 of the 40 documents Hoekstra had requested.
I had been seeking the same documents. For more than five months I pestered Department of Defense public affairs staff to see them. I provided titles to the Pentagon staff and, eventually, filed a Freedom of Information Act request. I got nowhere, so in mid-November we published the 40 titles in THE WEEKLY STANDARD. Here is how I described them in that article:
Some of the document titles I requested are suggestive, others less so. It's possible that the "Document from Uday Hussein regarding Taliban activity" was critical of one or another Taliban policies. But it's equally possible, given Uday's known role as a go-between for the Iraqi regime and al Qaeda, that something more nefarious was afoot.
What was discussed at the "Secret Meeting with Taliban Group Member and Iraqi Government" in November 2000? It could be something innocuous. Maybe not. But it would be nice to know more.
It appears that we will know more soon. Hoekstra has asked his staff to review the documents before releasing them to the public. It is important to remember that this set of documents is a tiny percentage of the Iraqi documents that have been translated (.078 percent of the 50,000) and a mere sliver of the overall document take of approximately 2 million. Whatever emerges from this group may not be a representative sample of the overall document takes.
(Excerpt) Read more at weeklystandard.com ...
Why not just release the documents? What's taking so long?
Just do it.
fyi
Neat. Thanks for posting this. Bookmarked.
Hope so. Been a long time coming.
It will be far more damaging as a whole, rather than letting out bits and pieces.
I understand where Mr. Hayes is coming from, but I wish he would let our intel guys do the job.
I don't think they should release anything until they are finished with all of it.
Why not just release the documents? What's taking so long?
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Good point, in fact, why were they not released YEARS ago? When all the finger-pointing and the scumbag libs were sliming the Pres and his staff about Iraq (the MSM as well) -- why were they not released???
Would that not have helped the entire project of the Iraq invasion??? I think it would have.
ping
Three possibilities:
1. There are no documents.
2. They contain still-sensitive information.
3. The people managing them are idiots.
Whatever's going on, it's certain that Saddam had connections to terrorists. Those have been reported --- and ignored --- many times over the past several years. It would be nice, very nice, to get some hard evidence on his connection to AQ. Which I personally believe he had.
That is one of our main intelligence problems. We have the best collection devices out there. But we simply dont have the manpower to translate all the viable imformation.
Exactly, these were captured in war, so it's not like they are protecting sources or collection methods.
We have waited long enough, the info needs to be released now and especially before the mid term elections.
I don't think so. If they were released piecemeal, and some part was refuted, then that would be the lasting impression in the public mind, reinforced by the MSM (that the "Iraq Docs were false.")
Think about the Atta Prague issue. Irrefutable docs show Atta met Iraqi agents....and yet....it is a widely accepted "fact" by the ROW that Iraq had NOTHING to do with 9/11.
So dripping the info out, the MSM can tear it down piece by piece. Only if the entire picture is clarified all at once will it have legs.
And I think THAT is why Bush is content to play the long game of history. He's said time and time again that history will "exonerate" him (bad choice of words, W.) So I think he's started the process and not interested in the quick marketing win.
There was plenty of support before and during the invasion. If anything, support is needed now (just before midterms). Could be a game of old fashioned "Texas Hold-em". ;)
And while you're at it, Hold the Able Danger Hearings!
And I think THAT is why Bush is content to play the long game of history.
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Too bad, if that is the case. It has cost us so much, in the way of the MSM and scumbag libs getting traction with the public -- their lies, thier spin, all of it resonating with the ignorant, uninformed sector -- sadly that sector CAN VOTE!!! That is my concern about the truth being brought out and showing the MSM and the rotten libs just exactly what and who they are ---
An Iraqi diplomat named Husain was expelled from the Philippines in February, 2003, after he was linked to a cell phone used to trigger a terrorist bomb that failed to explode. The cell phone tied him to a previous bombing that killed an American soldier. To me, this seems to be pretty solid evidence of Iraqi involvement in terrorism.
From Times Asia, Feb. 17, 2003: Last Oct. 9, police found an "improvised explosive device" in Zamboanga City. Attached was a mobile phone that appeared to be rigged to trigger the unexploded bomb. Investigators discovered that the phone had registered an incoming call from another mobile (which they believe was an attempt to detonate the explosive). Philippine intelligence sources say that several calls had been made from that second phone to senior Abu Sayyaf figures. There was also a single call to Husain made on Oct. 3 at 11:34 a.m.—one day after a bombing in Zamboanga City attributed to Abu Sayyaf had killed three people, including a U.S. soldier.
Well, if it turns out to be a strategery to wait for the right time, then for this to come out in 2007 (for example) would be the final death rattle of the Left! Even if it is well known by 2009 and the entire congress is turned out, wouldn't that be worth the wait?
Orrrrrr..... it could be that this is just a dumb move and Bush is hiding it to save face for Clinton or whatever.
So, either way, whatever happens will be well deserved.
In my opinion, I think the documents implicate extended and deep involvement in Iraq with many of the 'old Europe' countries. Perhaps even to the point where these various governments knew about Iraq's terrorist ties, and continued to support Saddam because they were being bought off with some big bucks. What will this kind of proof do to the European peoples opinions of their governments? Might it cause instability in some European countries? DoD is going to only let this stuff trickle out, simply to help our supposed allies save face.
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