Expert Said to Tell Legislators He Was Pressed to Distort Some Evidence

New York Times ^ | 6/24/03 | JAMES RISEN and DOUGLAS JEHL

[TomGuy]

Mr. Westermann told lawmakers last week that while he felt pressure, he never actually changed the wording of any of his intelligence reports.

Whine Alert!

Sounds like Mr. Westermann might have his own agenda.

[jammer]

"The congressman does not comment on closed hearing information."

Well, at least not until after leaking spurious, unsubstantiated BS that is not cross-examined. And they wonder why some of us hate them.

[Thane_Banquo]

State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research

State Department. He's not a real intelligence analyst. He's a Foggy Bottom PC hack hired by some leftist middle manager to toe the left-wing line. The Bush administration was probably just pressuring him to return to reality.

[LarryM]

There's nothing here! He "felt pressure" that had nothing to do with Iraq. It is your typical Clintonista smear campaign in the NY Slimes.

[marvlus]

Mr. Westermann told lawmakers last week that while he felt pressure, he never actually changed the wording of any of his intelligence reports.

This part of the article got my attention too!

[sirchtruth]

Mr. Westermann told lawmakers last week that while he felt pressure, he never actually changed the wording of any of his intelligence reports.

So now we are going to condem Bush for lying because of what this snooty asswipe feels?

[evad]

Coming from such a dubious source of known liers (NYT) I'll wait to hear the report from someone credible.

[carton253]

So what is he?

Victim of abuse of power...

Or hero because he withstood the pressure from the executive branch.

[alnick]

What does "felt pressure" mean? A while back it was reported that some intelligence people "felt pressure" simply because Dick Cheney spent some time in their offices.

[Sacajaweau]

Just what does "overstating" mean?? There is the possibility that Saddam will have nuclear weapons in 6 months, 6 years?? What's the difference. Either way, the games have begun.

Evidence???....SADDAM IS THE EVIDENCE...His mere existence is the threat. Thousand of dead Iraqis, Iranians and Kuwaitis are the evidence. He is a mass murderer who has used WMD before WHILE THE WORLD WATCHED!!!!!!

Even the smallest nuclear weapon would be devastating. Anthrax...we already know the lessons of a one ounce packet of Anthrax.

[chiefqc]

He never actually changed the wording of any of his intelligence reports.

That should have been the end of it. I soppose there is a lot of wasted time to be spent to stop this whining reoprt that has NO evidence and NO purpose other than wasting time.

[randita]

An administration official said that Mr. Westermann had clashed repeatedly with Mr. Bolton.

A State Department official sympathetic to Mr. Bolton's views said of Mr. Westermann, "He doesn't have anything that he can point to, and he doesn't have anything more recent than Cuba." That official added, "We're in a period where people are looking for particular evidence of intelligence being altered, and he's talking about mood swings."

But other administration officials said there had been ongoing tensions between the two since the Cuban issue first came up, to the point that Mr. Bolton has unsuccessfully sought to have Mr. Westermann reassigned.

Can you say axe to grind? At least the NY Times got around to the crux of the matter, even if it was in the last three paragraphs.

[Carolina]

That should have been the end of it. I soppose there is a lot of wasted time to be spent to stop this whining reoprt that has NO evidence and NO purpose other than wasting time.

Precisely. The guy is in his 40s (Klintonista?), works for a small, but important office in the State Department, and now is whining because he felt pressured. Any guesses at his party affiliation?

[Mannaggia l'America]

What does "felt pressure" mean?

I felt pressure after I ate beans last night. That sounds like the same thing this guy is talking about.

[cardinal4]

State Department. He's not a real intelligence analyst. He's a Foggy Bottom PC hack hired by some leftist middle manager to toe the left-wing line.

Ding Ding! We have a winner!

[waRNmother.armyboots]

A top State Department expert on chemical and biological weapons told Congressional committees in closed-door hearings last week that he had been pressed to tailor his analysis on Iraq and other matters to conform with the Bush administration's views, several Congressional officials said today.

He did not immediately provide lawmakers with details about his complaints, and it remains uncertain the degree to which his concerns related to Iraq or other regional issues.
Administration officials said his most specific complaints concerned issues related to intelligence on Cuba, and he has not yet provided similar specific complaints about the handling of intelligence on Iraq.

The above contradict each other. If the title for the thread is the NYTimes own title, it was meant to mislead. Many people only scan newspapers and read the titles and first few paragraphs. The newspapers know this and bury the truth further in the article so they can point to it when someone calls them on it.

[Matchett-PI]

"A number of analysts ...were angered that senior Bush administration officials ... making it seem as if there was an imminent threat to the United States."

Their attempts to take the heat off themselves and blame Bush won't fly.

Here are President Bush' own words (in his most recent State of the Union address this year before we toppled Saddam):

"Some have said we must not act until the threat is imminent. Since when have terrorists and tyrants announced their intentions, politely putting us on notice before they strike?"

[eyespysomething]

A State Department official sympathetic to Mr. Bolton's views said of Mr. Westermann, "He doesn't have anything that he can point to, and he doesn't have anything more recent than Cuba."

Cuba? I thought this was about Iraq. Hmmm, not a misleading headline is it?

[q_an_a]

A state department official. That is how Newt begins to look good. These folks never shut up and they leak like an old chevy radiator.