The Tenet Fiasco - Discussion Thread

self

[Cathryn Crawford]

George Tenet's admission last night that it was his mistake that caused President Bush to use faulty intelligence in his State of The Union address is interesting at the same time as it is convienent. In the statement itself, which is lengthy and filled with reasons as to the intelligence failure, Tenet wholeheartedly takes responsility for his agency.

"Let me be clear about several things right up front. First, CIA approved the President's State of the Union address before it was delivered. Second, I am responsible for the approval process in my Agency. And third, the President had every reason to believe that the text presented to him was sound. These 16 words should never have been included in the text written for the President. "

On the face of it, this admission seems like the perfect solution to the growing problems for both the Bush and Blair administration. It's all CIA's fault, they can claim. But is that really viable?

On the face of it, perhaps. But Bush is the President. He has to take final responsibility, doesn't he?

If Bush can truly claim to know absolutely nothing, then don't we have a serious problem - wouldn't that imply that Bush is either incompetent or is simply not paying attention?

For discussion purposes - has Bush been conned by Tenet? And if he has, isn't that rather serious?

And if he wasn't conned by Tenet, what is the alternative?

[Cathryn Crawford]

I'm sorry the link didn't work. It was the FNC link.

Here's the link to CNN's copy - the content should be the same.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/07/11/tenet.statement/index.html

[Sparta]

Yes I've read Miss Crawford's columns,blog,and her posts she's definitely a Bush hater who wants to destroy him and America. (/sarcasm)

[Peach]

Even Bush supporters are coming in smelling blood, so the fact that some of her previous journalistic efforts showed some support for President Bush does not deflect from my position she should have stated she writes for the press when she made the comment "the press smells blood".

[PhiKapMom]

Maybe it doesn't mean anything to you, but when someone puts up a vanity like this one and fails to disclose they are a member of the press, I don't take kindly to that as you can see.

Some nice Freeper just gave me the link to her article about President Bush and this Administration on Iraq which I have posted on here.

[Cathryn Crawford]

Sort of a cop out isn't it when we checked it out ourselves.

Yet another good point.

[Lauratealeaf]

I enjoyed watching Nancy Reagan bring the U.S.S.Ronald Reagan to life today. You would think that there would be more interest in that fact. You would think there would be more celebration in having a new aircraft carrier named after its 40th President in the Pacific Fleet.

But, no, Cathryn Crawford wants to add some crutches to those tiny little caterpillar legs and throw some more accusations at President Bush. (and her little friends are hopping right after her) And, I have no doubt it is President Bush she is going after. But, unfortunately for Cathryn and her democrat friends this is a nothing-burger.

[Ben Bolt]

LOL ! Sure it is . Reading William McKinley 's & Doug Thompson's thread will give you all of the answers you seek .

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Obviously, Bush is not going out around the world gathering covert intelligence...he depends on the CIA to get that information to him.

Exactly, Amelia. And doesn't every agency with issues addressed in any SOTU speech have to sign off on them?

I don't understand why people are so eager to assume President Bush is a liar, or a buffoon, or someone who can't pay attention. Maybe this is just as simple as it looks on its face.

[deport]

Just curious of you as a member of the media..... why didn't you include the sixteen (16) words that has the media "smelling blood"? If you had, then tell the world what the lie was regarding the statement and info as supposedly known at that time?

The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed in the 1990s that Saddam Hussein had an advanced nuclear weapons development program, had a design for a nuclear weapon and was working on five different methods of enriching uranium for a bomb. The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa. Our intelligence sources tell us that he has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes suitable for nuclear weapons production. Saddam Hussein has not credibly explained these activities. He clearly has much to hide.

[lelio]

Let's find out who arranged for Wilson to go to Niger.

I guess you and I (after 100+ postings) are the only ones that find that interesting. Did Cheney send him over there? Did he go on his own accord? Did he meet with anyone? Is he making this up?

[Dog]

No it wouldn't ......Woodward was a hack reporter before he fell into Watergate. Hey we could help her come up with a title..

The Impeachment that didn't happen..

[AAABEST]

Threatening to whom? Our "kind" has the liberals and libertarians on the run - according to the polls and the other real polls, the conservative talk radio audiences and the conservative book buyers. I don't know where you classify yourself but if you are one of "them", as you say, then you are in the threatened minority. "Us" is doing just fine.

Why is it that I picture you wearing a Kevlar and flack jacket as your typing this laughable run-on paragraph? Thank you for making my point.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

.....that's the subliminal message they hope voters will take away from this lengthy dissection of one sentence in President Bush's State of the Union speech. A sentence that meant nothing at the time, and means even less 6 months later.

As you correctly stated, that is a typical leftist tactic. They took a one-line throw away compliment to a near dead Strom Thurman to oust Trent Lott as Speaker. George Bush is so popular primarily because of his courage and his integrity. They are trying to put a chink in that armor. If they can create a crack they can possibly make him politically vulnerable.

Is that something nice people would do? Is that something someone who cared for this country would do? Well, we are talking about Democrats here.

[OldFriend]

As I see it......since the original statement relied on British intelligence and could not be confirmed by our own intelligence (Blair refused to give us their sources) it was logical for the President to stop referring to the uranium purchases from Africa.

This is about as important as the panty wetting over the aircraft landing and the BRING EM ON......comment.

If the dems and their America hating cohorts in the media want to have hysterics, I say let them. We need only to go out, speak the simple truth and move on........

[PhiKapMom]

We support Bush so we don't know what we are talking about according to some on here!

It just makes sense to me you disclose your are a journalist if you post a vanity and refer to it as the Tenet Fiasco -- what fiasco!

[Peach]

Just the title of the thread says it all - the Tenet fiasco. Anyone who knows how intelligence gathering works understands that at least half of it is guesswork. I don't call it a fiasco at all.

[Dog]

Here is the answer..

In an effort to inquire about certain reports involving Niger, CIA's counter-proliferation experts, on their own initiative, asked an individual with ties to the region to make a visit to see what he could learn. He reported back to us that one of the former Nigerian officials he met stated that he was unaware of any contract being signed between Niger and rogue states for the sale of uranium during his tenure in office. The same former official also said that in June 1999 a businessman approached him and insisted that the former official meet with an Iraqi delegation to discuss "expanding commercial relations" between Iraq and Niger. The former official interpreted the overture as an attempt to discuss uranium sales. The former officials also offered details regarding Niger's processes for monitoring and transporting uranium that suggested it would be very unlikely that material could be illicitly diverted. There was no mention in the report of forged documents or any suggestion of the existence of documents at all.

[Mo1]

However, the real question is: Which is preferable - Pax Americana, or less-than-perfect and sometimes brutal governments?

Saddam/Iraq was a less-than-perfect and sometimes brutal governments?

[OldFriend]

Yup, the President stole the yellow cakes for himself. Right there in the study where the billing records were found.

SSShhhhh, don't tell anyone.

[Peach]

ha ha. Love the title: The Impeachment that Didn't Happen.

McAwful gave himself away yesterday on FNC by yelling "Bush is gone". Don't they wish.