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."
SNORT.
Democrats’ New Intelligence Chairman Needs a Crash Course on al Qaeda
And it should be on youtube by lunch.
It's the Methods and Sources that should remain redacted from the Democrat Socialist Caucus members of the House of Representatives. Code Pink and the ANSWER crew, including Ramsey Clark will know these names within 6 hours of some of these anti strong America folks reading them.
Or
DMB Tell us again hust how serious was the "outing" of Valerie Plame.
Remarkably, each House member will be given five minutes to speak.
That equals 36.25 hours if the speakers do not take any timeouts. That is more than a week's work in the House Chamber. And I'm sure that every word will be highlighted on cspan and cnn.
This is what the Dem Socialists were dreaming of when they had their mock committee hearings in a basement room of the Capitol. This is a Coup of the Executive Branch of our government.
This is as devastating as when Congress voted to defund the South Vietnamese Army or when the Church committee voted to change the operation of our intelligence agencies.
voting in treasonous rats has consequences.
Because people could lose their lives if some of this information gets out. Who is going to take the chance of being a source for us if we are going to blab about it on the news.
Politicians = effin' idiots....
http://intelligence.house.gov/
http://intelligence.house.gov/Media/PDFS/HoekstraRelease020207.pdf
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Feb. 2, 2007 Contact: Jamal Ware
(202) 225-4121
Hoekstra Statement on Iraq NIE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., the top Republican on the House
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement on the Iraq
National Intelligence Estimate:
“The latest Iraq NIE in many respects tells us what we already know. The situation in Iraq is
extraordinarily difficult. There are no easy solutions.
“The NIE makes clear that we cannot continue the same stubborn strategy that has brought us
to this point in Iraq. It also makes clear that we cannot just pull our forces out as if that
decision can be made in a vacuum and without consequence.
“America has a commitment to keeping our nation and our families safe. We have a
responsibility to ensure that Iraq does not become a safe haven now or in the future for
terrorists to plot and execute attacks against the United States or our interests abroad.
“The focus for Congress and the administration should be on developing strategies that allow
us to move ahead and increase the capabilities of Iraq’s people, leaders, military and security
forces to address internal Iraqi issues.
“New standards for Iraq’s government, its military and police and for increased regional
cooperation between Iraq and its neighbors must be established. There are several paths before
us in Iraq, but it is absolutely necessary that Iraq’s citizens and leaders do more to secure the
future of their country.”
Did anyone watch The Todayshow? They made a mistake the pentagon report
More from this committee:
Contacts: Kira Maas (Reyes): (202) 225-4831 (office), (202) 225-2912 (cell)
Jamal D. Ware (Hoekstra): (202) 225-4121
http://intelligence.house.gov/Media/PDFS/Release013107.pdf
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – January 31, 2007
Contacts: Kira Maas (Reyes): (202) 225-4831 (office), (202) 225-2912 (cell)
Jamal D. Ware (Hoekstra): (202) 225-4121
House Intelligence Committee to review NSA surveillance program
Washington, D.C. – Following Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ January 17th
announcement that the Bush Administration would seek warrants for surveillance conducted
under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), the House Intelligence Committee
requested the Court Orders mandating the decision as well as material submitted to the Court
from the Department of Justice.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) and Ranking Member Pete
Hoekstra (R-MI) released the following statement today regarding this request:
“Today, the House Intelligence Committee reached an agreement with the Justice
Department about access to certain, key documents pertaining to the National Security Agency
(NSA) surveillance program.
“On January 18, 2007, we wrote to the Director of National Intelligence and the
Attorney General to request the FISA Court Orders authorizing surveillance under the
program, as well as the application and legal briefs submitted to the FISA Court by the Justice
Department.
“The fact that these documents were not immediately provided to the Intelligence
Committees impaired the Committee’s ability to fully review whether the orders comply with
the law.
“The Agreement today facilitates the ability of all Committee Members to review these
documents.
“There are still other documents and records to which the Committee requires access in
order to execute its oversight responsibilities. We have informed Justice Department officials
that the Committee’s requests for those documents remains in effect. We are hopeful that the
Administration will comply with those requests in a timely fashion and that further efforts to
secure that material will not be necessary.
“The Committee will also continue its oversight of whether the program is effective at
tracking terror suspects and whether the program adequately protects the liberties of the
American people.
“The American people expect this Committee to perform its Constitutional function of
oversight. The Committee will fulfill this expectation.”
###
Believe it or not, the webpage for the Intelligence Committee, in true left/dem fashion, is virtually blank. I guess the secretary responsible for doing the list is waiting for her nailpolish to dry - or something.
The link to Committee Members goes to last year's committee, when the Republicans were in the Majority. Sorry for the format. I am copying a .pdf page.
http://intelligence.house.gov/Media/PDFS/Release013107.pdf
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Name Party State
Peter Hoekstra Republican Michigan
Ray LaHood Republican Illinois
Terry Everett Republican Alabama
Elton Gallegly Republican California
Heather Wilson Republican New Mexico
Jo Ann Davis Republican Virginia
Mac Thornberry Republican Texas
John McHugh Republican New York
Todd Tiahrt Republican Kansas
Mike Rogers Republican Michigan
Rick Renzi Republican Arizona
Darrell Issa Republican California
Jane Harman Democrat California
Alcee L. Hastings Democrat Florida
Silvestre Reyes Democrat Texas
Leonard L. Boswell Democrat Iowa
Robert E. (Bud) Cramer, Jr Democrat Alabama
Anna G. Eshoo Democrat California
Rush D. Holt Democrat New Jersey
C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger Democrat Maryland
John Tierney Democrat Massachusetts
Glad I'm retired and out of the business. An OATH ? Does the MN congress critter take that on the Koran or on the back of a book of matches like the rest of the gang? God help us all.
Anyone who doesn't think there will be a leak or "accidental" leak, raise your hand.
This dem party is now in the position that it can give the POTUS the middle finger and get away with it.
I saw Gramma Pelosi do that verbally yesterday in her interview about the plane and this debate.
Our country isn't going to be any more "secure" against the radicals than Europe when the dems get done with it.
Really? Have they suddenly grown a spine and a set of nads? Up until now it's been "thank you sir, may I have another?"
sources and methods.. in those hands... ahhhhhhh
I like the bit about how they won't be allowed to leave with notes. Gee. And if they stick a page in their socks will they get the Sandy Berger wrist slap?
This also means our newly elected Muslim congresscritter gets to read it and pass on any information that my pertain to his friends. Of course if that happens, we only have ourselves to blame.
This is the entire entry into the Congressional Record of this decision. Two mild little weak sentences, allowing for the overthrow of our ability to even gather Intelligence in the future:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/dailydigest
OVERSIGHT PLAN: NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ESTIMATES ON IRAQ
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: On February 7, the Committee approved an Oversight Plan for the 110th Congress.
The Committee also approved Member requests to view the National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq.
My God! This is just insane!!
They are literally putting the lives of our warriors in deeper danger by allowing this power to be taken out of the hands of our Commander In Chief and into the hands of traitors in the congress.
This is beyond a slippery slope....we done SLIPPED!!
God help us all, but especially our military!
Militant
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