LEAKS - NOBODY DOES IT BETTER
Posted on 02/09/2007 12:29:41 AM PST by STARWISE
To the surprise of the Bush administration, the House Intelligence Committee voted unanimously Wednesday night to allow all 435 House members to see the classified version of the National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq sent to the White House last week. The report is classified in part because it contains information about sources and methods used in intelligence-gathering.
The document will provide fuel for a House debate, scheduled to begin Tuesday, on a resolution of disapproval of President Bush’s plan to boost U.S. troop strength in Iraq. Remarkably, each House member will be given five minutes to speak. The decision to provide such broad access to the microphones is based on the fact that each member got the chance to speak before the Iraq war began, according to House leadership aides.
In announcing the vote to allow all members access to the classified portion of the NIE, the committee said those examining it “will be required to review the document in the Committee's secure offices in the Capitol and sign a secrecy oath.” The members will not be allowed to leave with notes, congressional sources said.
The White House was not informed or consulted about the decision. Such access for members is rare but not unprecedented. The document had been made available to members of several committees with jurisdiction over the intelligence community, but other lawmakers would have needed to request permission to read it. The committee had received written requests from one Republican and one Democrat, plus some other informal inquires, and decided it would be better to allow blanket access instead of voting on each request, congressional sources said.
The report runs about 90 pages, and the Office of the National Intelligence Director released 3 1/2 pages of “Key Judgments” last week. The report, called “Prospects for Iraq’s Stability: A Challenging Road Ahead,” was approved Jan. 29 by the heads of the government’s 16 intelligence agencies. It paints a generally bleak picture of conditions in Iraq and warns that without successful efforts to rein in insurgent violence and political extremism, the overall security situation “will continue to deteriorate” at current rates for the next 12 to 18 months, the period covered by the report.
The decision raised fears among some Republicans that members not used to dealing with classified information might play fast and loose with what they saw. But Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, chairman of the Intelligence Committee, said in a statement: "It is critical that all Members of Congress understand the consensus view of the Intelligence Community on the gravity of the situation in Iraq and the consequences for U.S. troops and our long-term national security interests."
LEAKS - NOBODY DOES IT BETTERThis doesn't even count the fact that they stopped the NSA surveillance of terrorists phone calls...and the NY Times front page story last year...about how the banks in Denmark (I believe) were cooperating with the USA in closing down, and tracking down terrorists money???
Well..that country has decided NOT to deal with the USA, and help us anymore because this was disclosed.
So...the dems/MSM had already taken out a big chunk of our intelligence gatherings programs before they let them read this report.
Pre-2006 no clear image for the independents to judge Dems vs. GOP. Post-2006 Dem action starts to define an image for 2008. Release the info, let common sense (among the voters) prevail.
Actually...the same group that brought us the "supposed" bad pre-war intelligence is the same groups putting this report together..
AND, the dems are already screaming that the intelligence that we are getting about Iran's weapon build up is FALSE..and Bush and Cheney are concoting it to take us into "another unwarrated" war.
????
common sense, voters???
Puh-leeeze...I pay attention to the world's dangers and I don't want ME to have this information.
Don't you remember how close we were to jon carry, or Al "Chicken Little" Gore as POTUS???
a HUGH percentage of American voters don't use their "common sense"...that is why we can't go by a popular vote...that would catastrophic.
Wonderful. Now everyone in the world has a TS-SCI clearance.
Exactly. If it was a lie, it was a lie INVENTED BY THE DEMOCRATS.
Well - there's a bright side.
Maybe it's bad intelligence.
WOW! Ain't that the truth.
You really hit the nail on the head with that one Potlatch.
Great graphic.
Ahh, thanks so much. So few seem to appreciate the graphics around here that it is a pleasure to get a comment!!
>Is this the first time the liberals have taken out our intelligence network?<
I don't believe this is the first time they have tried. It's been an ongoing process since before the war.
From the dismantling of the military during the Clinton years to the Valerie Plame fiasco and the revelation of various methods of intelligence gathering in the NYT. The left has been trying to derail any efforts to run a war or defend ourselves now or in the future.
There is more than one way to take over a country. And when you can't defeat it militarily you can bring it down from within. In order to bring down the US you have to get your people in key places. The military, the government, the press, the schools, and the courts.
Until a couple of years ago I would have scoffed at anyone who suggested that this is what was happening here. I think we've seen the culmination of years of work.
I don't know if I'll see it in my lifetime but there will be a catalyst to this. Sooner or later there will be the straw that broke the camels back. It may get pretty ugly.
I wouldn't trust 435 members of Congress as far as I could throw them.
Your very welcome. :)
I for one am always searching your account to see what new ones you've come up with. I envy your talent.
Gosh, you're gonna make me cry, lol! How seldom graphics even get a reply! Thanks so much.
I have to say, I reallly don't trust my security and that of my loved ones to this gaggle we have in the House of Representatives. I think if we're going to release classified information like this, we really don't stand much chance of being able to defend our country.
How many agents will die because of this??
How many methods will be compromised?
Why did we ever try to elect this moron in the first place??
Algore would have done the same thing....
The White House was not informed or consulted about the decision. Such access for members is rare but not unprecedented.
The White House could take steps to prevent this, regardless of the vote, the President has powers to do so, and he hasn't.
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