Bush wants to release the Saddam files but his intelligence chief stalls

THE WEEKLY STANDARD ^ | 03/20/2006 | Stephen F. Hayes

[kimosabe31]

On February 16, President George W. Bush assembled a small group of congressional Republicans for a briefing on Iraq. Vice President Dick Cheney and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley were there, and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad participated via teleconference from Baghdad. As the meeting was beginning, Mike Pence spoke up. The Indiana Republican, a leader of conservatives in the House, was seated next to Bush."Yesterday, Mr. President, the war had its best night on the network news since the war ended," Pence said."Is this the tapes thing?" Bush asked, referring to two ABC News reports that included excerpts of recordings Saddam Hussein made of meetings with his war cabinet in the years before the U.S. invasion. Bush had not seen the newscasts but had been briefed on them.

Pence framed his response as a question, quoting Abraham Lincoln: "One of your Republican predecessors said, 'Give the people the facts and the Republic will be saved.' There are 3,000 hours of Saddam tapes and millions of pages of other documents that we captured after the war. When will the American public get to see this information?

"Bush replied that he wanted the documents released. He turned to Hadley and asked for an update. Hadley explained that John Negroponte, Bush's Director of National Intelligence, "owns the documents" and that DNI lawyers were deciding how they might be handled.

Bush extended his arms in exasperation and worried aloud that people who see the documents in 10 years will wonder why they weren't released sooner. "If I knew then what I know now," Bush said in the voice of a war skeptic, "I would have been more supportive of the war.

"Bush told Hadley to expedite the release of the Iraq documents. "This stuff ought to be out. Put this stuff out."

[ohhhh]

[Pence framed his response as a question, quoting Abraham Lincoln: "One of your Republican predecessors said, 'Give the people the facts and the Republic will be saved.' There are 3,000 hours of Saddam tapes and millions of pages of other documents that we captured after the war. When will the American public get to see this information?]

They did not call him honest Abe for nothing, historically one of America's most beloved President's and deservably so.
I have been waiting for years for the politicians to be honest, it is tiresome to always have to dig to find out what they really mean when they speak.

[the anti-liberal]

And it looks like my prediction regarding China may very well be in the works: Eye on Eurasia: Chinese come to Russia "the trojan dragon".

[FreeReign]

On this point, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Thomas McInerney has been quoted as believing the Bush administration needs Russia's involvement now in halting Iran's rush toward nuclear armament and so must resist information damning to Russia.

Yes, I would take that as one of the more likely possibilities.

[processing please hold]

Dang. I just read your link, thanks. Looks like Russia better start worrying about herself instead of trying to arm Iran. I sense big time trouble ahead. Is there any way Russia can head off being gobbled up by the Chinese in that area or is it already too late?

[the anti-liberal]

Yep, I think that's exacly what it is. The whole ports thing was mostly an effort in 'diplomacy' with the UAE - we need their support on the WoT, so we'll compromise our security to make them feel better.

Same thing here with Russia.

[the anti-liberal]

"...or is it already too late?"

I don't know - but this quote here:

"Yevgeniy Kolesnikov says that that the number of Chinese residents in the Russian Far East has jumped from 2,000 in 1989 to just under a million now, only one-quarter of whom are officially registered with the government."

sure sounds like home (w/Mexico), don't it?

[the anti-liberal]

"sure sounds like home, don't it?"

Except maybe this part...

".. more than half speak Russian"

[the anti-liberal]

Actually, now that I think about it, much of the article could be rewritten to reflect the growing Muslim population in various countries around the world.

Just a (pessimistic) thought...)

[processing please hold]

sure sounds like home (w/Mexico), don't it?

Yes it does. La Raza. They want the Southwestern US. And the way our government refuses to do anything about our open border policy, they'll probably get.

[the anti-liberal]

Remember the illegals that were awarded the ranch they illegally trespassed on?

Don't you wish we could just grab Putin and Bush by the shoulders, shake them, and say "look what's happening! Don't just sit there, do something!"

Wishful thinking for sure, but what else can I do while I'm sitting here typing away?

[Sonny M]

The idea that the President of the United States cannot declassify this information is ridiculous. He should fire the DNI staffers who are obviously just clinton shills.

The DNI office is new.

If there are Clinton Shills there, then that means Bush hired them and placed them there.

I think they are more concerned that their is stuff in those files that might embarrass and humiliate other countries (china? Russia? France?).

[processing please hold]

Remember the illegals that were awarded the ranch they illegally trespassed on?

Yes, being illegal paid off big time for them. I fear they will realize it much too late.

[Verginius Rufus]

I don't see why Negroponte would consider any of the Democrats in the Senate his allies. Didn't they block his confirmation for months in 2001, until 9/11?

[HardStarboard]

>>>The president needs to call Negroponte in and inform him that "although these docs/tapes may 'belong' to you as head of DNI, YOU work for me. NOW get these documents released immediately or you AND your lawyers are out on the street<<<

Agreed....the real question is why Bush hasn't taken "positive forceful action" to save his own reputation?

Continuing to let the WMD question fester, when there is an unequivocal way to put it to bed, smacks of something akin to a death wish!

Hard to fathom!!

[HardStarboard]

>>>Heck, just have Dick Cheney declassify it.<<<

Hell, better yet just have Cheney invite Negroponte dove hunting!!

[FreeReign]

Yep, I think that's exacly what it is. The whole ports thing was mostly an effort in 'diplomacy' with the UAE - we need their support on the WoT, so we'll compromise our security to make them feel better. Same thing here with Russia.

I don't think that's a correct characterization.

[the anti-liberal]

Unfortunately, the Dems have been capitalizing on this. The Pubs lack of initiative on this issue is going to make the 08 elections more interesting then I care for it to be.

It will be interesting to see if and how Putin's response to his version of illegal immigration (invasion) has any political impact on the issue here.

[the anti-liberal]

That's how the White House characterized it. How would you?

I'm open to other perspectives on this.

[festus]

Or else have Dick invite Mr. Negroponte hunting I think the point would be made ;-)

[kimosabe31]

Continuing to let the WMD question fester, when there is an unequivocal way to put it to bed, smacks of something akin to a death wish!

Yeah Starboard. You have to wonder sometimes...what the hells he thinking? On the other he's so much on his plate he has to delegate things. And meatheads like Hadly and Negroponte inject their own agenda or simply let him down. Ivan the Terrible would have these clowns beheaded. I'm not so sure that's such a bad idea in this case.