Posted on 08/23/2007 2:26:36 PM PDT by SmithL
WASHINGTON, (AP) -- Intentionally or not, a new assessment of Iraq's political and military prospects landed just in time to bolster President Bush's case that the United States should maintain its troop buildup in the country and stand by its beleaguered government.
The consensus report by U.S. spy agencies contained a veiled warning: Any move to shift U.S. troops out of their role directly combating insurgents could squander the modest security gains secured by the troop surge.
"A change of mission ... would place security improvements at risk," the report concluded.
That conclusion, coming unanimously from the nation's 16 intelligence agencies, will likely help the administration and its ground commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, argue for patience from a skeptical Congress and public. Petraeus has overseen a U.S. troop buildup and a more aggressive counterinsurgency effort that Bush announced in January.
Anthony Cordesman, an Iraq expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said intelligence assessments aren't meant as policy arguments, but the warning in the new National Intelligence Estimate, revealed Thursday, may be seen as just that.
"I don't mean that the timing of the release may not have something to do with a campaign for supporting the president's position," he said.
Colin Kahl, a former Pentagon analyst and now an assistant professor of national security studies at Georgetown University, said the intelligence community is aware that the timing of the new report — just nine months after the last intelligence estimate on Iraq — looks political. It was dropped this week into the dead calm of an official Washington in the middle of summer vacation.
"I think those working on the NIE were well aware that it would be politically controversial, but I don't get the sense that this was done in the service of helping
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
“May” bolster support?
I got news for them.
It already has.
And they call themselves journalists.
The AssPress bias is showing, AGAIN.
AP deeply saddened.
Journalist nitwit. The timing of the report might be political?
No shucks. The CIA is absolutely politically driven. But they are fixated on discrediting the President and driven to ensure a policy failure. To suggest the timing of the report might be motivated so as to benefit the present policy is contrary to anything these corrupt and absurd anti-American desk commandos have done/produced in the last 5 years and the zenith of absurdity.
The modest security gains???? Give me a break. Gee, they're not biased. /s
They needed a study to tell them that? Sheesh.
The Surge is Working and PravdABDNC Isn’t
When he said “beleagered gummit” I thought he meant Do Nothing Nancy’s??
Pray for W and Our Troops
the lib media is trying to raise expectations in order to neutralize the political impact of the report.
the lib media is trying to raise expectations in order to neutralize the political impact of the report.
Okay, where’s the requisite “WEASEL WORD ALERT”?
The consensus report by U.S. spy agencies contained a veiled warning: Any move to shift U.S. troops out of their role directly combating insurgents could squander the modest security gains secured by the troop surge.
“A change of mission ... would place security improvements at risk,” the report concluded.
That conclusion, coming unanimously from the nation’s 16 intelligence agencies, will likely help the administration and its ground commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, argue for patience from a skeptical Congress and public. Petraeus has overseen a U.S. troop buildup and a more aggressive counterinsurgency effort that Bush announced in January.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maybe these ass-clowns ain’t heard that the surge cannot last past spring,,,Gen. Petraeus and the rest said this a month ago,,,This “Sept. Report” means nothing at this time,,
Some units have been extended twice now(in-country before the surge started) and their rotation times are already up.
There ain’t any replacements...
The Democrats and their MSM allies never let the truth get in the way of cheap political gain. It will be dismissed, if acknowleged at all.
LOL!! Thanks for the great laugh. I needed that.
Well Some Folks Can’t Stand The Lies Of The MSM !!...LOL;0).
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