Posted on 03/27/2006 10:33:24 PM PST by neverdem
WASHINGTON, March 27 American intelligence agencies and presidential commissions long ago concluded that Saddam Hussein had no unconventional weapons and no substantive ties to Al Qaeda before the 2003 invasion.
But now, an unusual experiment in public access is giving anyone with a computer a chance to play intelligence analyst and second-guess the government.
Under pressure from Congressional Republicans, the director of national intelligence has begun a yearlong process of posting on the Web 48,000 boxes of Arabic-language Iraqi documents captured by American troops.
Less than two weeks into the project, and with only 600 out of possibly a million documents and video and audio files posted, some conservative bloggers are already asserting that the material undermines the official view.
On his blog last week, Ray Robison, a former Army officer from Alabama, quoted a document reporting a supposed scheme to put anthrax into American leaflets dropped in Iraq and declared: "Saddam's W.M.D. and terrorist connections all proven in one document!!!"
--snip--
All the documents, which are available on fmso.leavenworth.army.mil/products-docex.htm, have received at least a quick review by Arabic linguists and do not alter the government's official stance, officials say. On some tapes already released, in fact, Mr. Hussein expressed frustration that he did not have unconventional weapons.
--snip--
"I'm trying to pick up documents that shed light on the political debate," said Joseph G. Shahda, 34, a Lebanese-born engineer who lives in a Boston suburb and is spending hours every evening on translations for the conservative Free Republic site. "I think we prematurely concluded there was no W.M.D. and no ties to Al Qaeda."
Mr. Shahda said he was proud he could help make the documents public. "I live in this great country, and it's a time of war," he said. "This is the least I can do."
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I guess it remains to us amateurs to point out THE salient fact the NY times couldn't rouse itself toward: "American intelligence agencies and presidential commissions" have not read these documents.
So any conclusions from these documents would, in point of fact, not be 'second-guessing" the government, but correcting it.
By the way, one of the MSM's dirty little propoganda techniques is on display in this article: when a conclusion has been reached by some government entity and they LIKE that conclusion, they cite "the government". Let the same government entity reach a conclusion they DON'T LIKE, and they will cite it is "the Bush Administration".
Thank you very much. Your Arabic is still good :)
Please see post 56.
"I live in this great country, and it's a time of war," he said. "This is the least I can do."
I hope it shamed them.
As I've said to you before, I really appreciate what you're doing. eyespysomething and I must have talked for two hours last night after the kids went to bed about all we've learned from your translations and the potential implications.
Great work, you rock, BTW. Should have said so earlier.
An open letter to the MSM: BITE ME
Again, thank you for what you're doing. Did you get a chance to take a peek at the document I sent you last night?
Saddam Planned Top Deploy 'Camels Of Mass Destruction' (Free Republic Mention)
More work of FReeper jveritas.
Thanks from Canada, buddy. ;)
Thank you for all you are doing, jveritas, to expose the TRUTH!
Many on this thread are still using the term MSM. I think we can all agree that there is NOTHING Main Stream about them or their coverage.
Neither do I....
Now he'll get the threats, and every radical Socialist moonbat will be posting his address and telephone.......
If they (the ENEMEDIA) believed the information in the documents hurt President Bush, I bet they would have people working on it 24/7!
Was just thinking that.......
The mere fact that they are moving so quickly to DISCREDIT the translations, even before they come out in large numbers, should tell you the NYT and thier Lib allies are scared S-less about what might be in there.....
And also link within there to:
Combating Terrorism Center at West Point:
Documents from the Harmony Database
http://www.ctc.usma.edu/harmony_docs.asp
ping
Exactly!!!!
They have NEVER been interested in the TRUTH!
Excellent work. I salute your efforts, sir. As Sean Hannity would say, "You're a great American."
Atta Boy! :-)
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