Agency defends estimate on Iran ( NIE estimate that Iran has suspended activities)

Washington Times ^ | December 8, 2007 | By Jon Ward

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The federal agency responsible for national intelligence estimates yesterday defended its report on Iran against charges that it was crafted primarily by former State Department officials who infused their personal politics into the report to undercut the Bush administration.

"It's not as if there are two or three people who craft this and then it's just put out there," said Vanee Vines, spokeswoman for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI).

The response came after The Washington Times reported yesterday that the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) was heavily influenced by three former State Department officials who dislike President Bush and have in the past opposed and obstructed efforts to sanction foreign governments and companies involved in weapons trafficking.

Sen. John Ensign, Nevada Republican, thinks the report was "politicized" and plans to introduce a bill next week that would create a bipartisan commission to investigate the NIE's accuracy.

Ms. Vines defended the report, saying that each NIE is a "group exercise" involving the "entire intelligence community."

However, another DNI spokesman said earlier this week that two individuals in particular played a significant role in drafting the report.

"Many analysts worked this issue, but Tom Fingar, our deputy director of national intelligence of analysis, and Vann Van Diepen, national intelligence officer for WMD and proliferation, had a major part in it," spokesman Ross Feinstein said in an e-mail.

A third DNI official, Kenneth C. Brill, also was reported to be a chief contributor.

[Mr. Mojo]

Lying Foggy Bottom Arabist SOBs.

[jrooney]

The wheels are coming off this intentional attempt to derail the GW administration by liberals with an agenda. This group is about to be exposed. May they pay for their partisanship by putting us all and Israel in danger.

[Perdogg]

Several current and former government officials who worked with Mr. Fingar, Mr. Van Diepen and Mr. Brill said the three men consistently obstructed and opposed efforts to impose sanctions on rogue nations by John R. Bolton when he was undersecretary of state for arms control during Mr. Bush's first term.

[elpadre]

I know US intel systems have been revamped under this Administration. However it is evident there is a need to revamp the revamped system and remove anyone who cannot analyze data without applying their own bias. Anyone with the Clinton odor should be removed for sure.

Didn’t the overall intel group review and critique the report before its release? Israel, Europeans, et al have grave questions about it, so it’s been said.

It only takes one or two to discredit something like this, a la “Jamie what’s-her-name” on the 9/11 commission placed their entire report in question.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From the Strata Sphere Blog:

NIE Becoming A Howling Joke - UK Guardian Confirms The Three Amigos Of State Produced Rogue Opinion

I posted the Guardian article

Intelligence expert who rewrote book on Iran
Guardian Unlimited ^ | Saturday December 8, 2007 | Ewen MacAskill in Washington

[jrooney]

Thank you for the ping and heads up. I am going over to AJ’s right now to read it.

[LanaTurnerOverdrive]

The NIE is almost never leaked or made public. Can anyone tell me how this one got out? I must have missed it because no one seems to be asking that question.

[wolfcreek]

Apparently they get de-classified from time to time.

http://www.dni.gov/press_releases/Declassified_NIE_Key_Judgments.pdf

[Congressman Billybob]

Now, wait one cotton-pickin' moment, as Tennessee Ernie Ford used to say. People who are "former" employees of any agency, corporation, university, or whatever, are "former" for some reason. They quit, they got fired, they got too old to do the job.

So why are ANY "former" employees of the State Department, or whatever, involved in the "current" assessment of foreign intelligence? Might as well look in Sandy Berger's shorts and socks to find correct answers.

John / Billybob

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Well...they seem to be representatives of Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi...they asked for the report and these three gentlemen whipped something up...LOL

And of course they were trying to save the Union from that nasty man...President Bush...so they had to tell the world....Not sure it is working out so well for the Lefties though...see link at post # 6...it is very worthwhile reading...

[stylin19a]

7 years too late for that...

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From Powerline:

December 8, 2007
Defending the NIE Report

**********************EXCERPT*********************

After years of trying to expose the CIA's war on the Bush administration, we may be making a little progress. Questions about the latest National Intelligence Estimate on Iran have become sufficiently widespread that the intelligence community has found it necessary to respond:

The federal agency responsible for national intelligence estimates yesterday defended its report on Iran against charges that it was crafted primarily by former State Department officials who infused their personal politics into the report to undercut the Bush administration.

***********************snip*********************

Apart from the fact that it doesn't even touch on the merits, this defense is unpersuasive. Every NIE is, by definition, supposed to represent a "consensus" of all of the intelligence agencies. Yet those who actually write the report obviously exercise great influence, and when the "consensus" of seventeen agencies does a 180-degree U-turn, it is reasonable to shine a spotlight on the authors. Moreover, as we have pointed out repeatedly, the liberal, anti-Bush slant of the intelligence community is not a function of a few bad apples; rather, it broadly pervades that community as a whole. So to say that many intelligence officials had a hand in the report is by no means reassuring.

Nor is the fact that the report was reviewed by the National Intelligence Board, chaired by Michael McConnell, a meaningful defense.

[BARLF]

http://www.saag.org/BB/view.asp?msgid=30251

NIE 2007/ Fig leaf for USA?Iran
captainjohann Posted on 12/3/2007 9:45:29 PM msgId:30251

---

The latest intelligence estimate(NIE2007) by USA has said that Iran has stopped making nuclear weapons from 2003!!!!It has stopped due to the pressure applied by USA!!!!!!!!!What a FIG LEAF for a super power.

I found these posts on SAAG forum.

[G8 Diplomat]

That's right, the all-knowing NIE is the only source of information about Iran's nuclear program. Nevermind the 3000 uranium-enriching centrifuges spinning right now and their blueprints for casting it into atomic bombs /s

This isn't that complicated. Here's what we do about it:

+

Clear?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Interesting.....

Looking around found this from Belmont Club:

Friday, December 07, 2007
Good cop, good cop

**********************EXCERPT********************

As I wrote in Not that Far, embracing the line that sanctions and diplomacy alone can bring Iran to heel ironically work against, well, sanctions and diplomacy.

What the new NIE has done -- and why I think even the liberals are so worried -- is that the intelligence assessment has made it very difficult to sustain even the bluff of working towards regime change; a threat they would have no truck with but at the same time probably found useful for so long as they could get a President George W. Bush to articulate it. Now that the doves have got what they ostensibly wanted, whether by design or misadventure, it has become apparent that it's not everything they wanted after all.

[BARLF]

Thanks Earnest

[BARLF]

Sorry for the a Ernest!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

No problem!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Some weeks later....I am not sure what is going on....one Blog is convinced that George did it!