"But in private conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert last week, the president all but disowned the document, said a senior administration official who accompanied Bush on his six-nation trip to the Mideast. "He told the Israelis that he can't control what the intelligence community says, but that [the NIE's] conclusions don't reflect his own views" about Iran's nuclear-weapons program"


YEAH!

Bush's views don't reflect the Reality!

What's New!

But the real Irony here is in Bush's "Peace Tour" that is comprised of nothing but breathless calls to attack Iran!

Yeah! Who needs no stinking intelligence estimate when we have the brilliant minds of Dick Shady and See All Evil Bush to tell us who is a threat and who isn't.

They have a perfect record so far in Iraq.

Thank god we never had to endure the mushroom clouds from the fictitious Iraqi WMD programs.

God bless you Bushie. You are doing a heckuvajob.

What is the difference between the NIE provided to the public and the information that is considered secret due to national security?

That's right. No one knows.

The problem with past presidents making comments about sitting presidents is that they know things will be told to them that no one else will be allowed to know.

This whole thing about the NIE and any NIE made public is that it may conflict with that which is not shared.

The only way the public will be safe is if Congress refuses to provide the White House money to do things without explicit access to national security information.

Sorry, WH, but I believe the public's representatives need that information to prevent the WH usurping power. You want money - show us the nasty stuff, even if it must remain secret.

For those who trust the NIE as the only information there is, you're fooling yourselves. When information is withheld, the entire story isn't known. The NIE can declare Iraq and Iran and anyone else harmless, and yet, not be harmless because of undisclosed info.

It's a shame we must trust not just the executive branch but the legislative to protect us.

Bush makes one trip to Israel and he's been doing nothing the last few days but again beating the war drums to nuke Iran. Sorry -- I don't want our boys going to war for Israel. Iraq was enough. Let Israel's young men spill their own blood on Middle Eastern sand if Isreal feels they are in some danger and stop trying to get our U.S. boys to spill theirs. I like Israel but I'm getting real sick of them using my country all the time to wipe out their perceived enemies. What are we suppose to do -- nuke every country in the ME Israel feels might be a threat to them down the road? Protect your own country without dragging us into it. The U.S. has done enough.

Isreal = Israel

Israel = can kiss my ass.

This whole thing about the NIE and any NIE made public is that it may conflict with that which is not shared.

Ya think Bush wouldn't share anything that made the Iranians look guilty? Remember, this is the guy who knew the Iraqi "aluminum tubes are only good for processing uranium" and the yellowcake story were lies and told them anyways.
If President Amandapajamas had a dental x-ray in the last 5 years Bush would be claiming it was a weapons test.

I find any of the involved or un-involved to be believable. To believe Iran ain't happening, Israel not much better if any and who in their right mind believes the "Pubic Patch"(tm).

George W. Bush is out of control.

The NIE can declare Iraq and Iran and anyone else harmless, and yet, not be harmless because of undisclosed info.


If the NIE had information that was "classified" and therefore not disclosed, why would it say they were harmless?

Isn't the job of the intelligence community to evaluate the threats posed by other countries and by saying the other countries bear no threat while secretly they know they are would be undermining their own job. That does not make sense.

And you better beleive that if Ahmandinnerjacket bought a package of sudafed for a stuffy nose Bushy would be calling it a biological weapons program toot sweet. Dear god the leaking of that information to Brit Hume would make Niagara Falls sound pale in comparison.

The NIE arrived at this finding even though Tehran continues to operate uranium-enrichment centrifuges that many experts believe are intended to develop material for a bomb, and despite the CIA's assertion that it had, for the first time, concrete evidence of such a weaponization program.
There is only one reason to continue to operate uranium-enrichment centrifuges.

To be prepared for the time they run out of oil...

Sincerly,

Demorats.

National Security.

You don't share everything, even it benefits you politically. Or, should he be irresponsible with that, too.

Isn't the job of the intelligence community to evaluate the threats posed by other countries and by saying the other countries bear no threat while secretly they know they are would be undermining their own job. That does not make sense.

Posted by 726

It does if it is counter intelligence. False information fed to the enemy.

Remember, everything the public can read, the enemy does. Do you think there is no strategic advantage of having an enemy believe you think they are harmless?

I repeat, re Jeffndenmark's post, which I believe, George W Bush is out of control.

I know we are as always ready to hoist poor GW up on the flagpole... BUT.. the following does occur to me. Intelligence agencies can only report what they know, in terms of what they can see, what they can hear, predict.

Some of what we don't know about the NIE is how that information was compiled, what were the sources. And perhaps knowledge of that would lead one to believe that the idea Iran has no program in place knowingly misleading.

It could be Iran has no nuclear weapons according to uncle bob...But maybe GW knows Uncle Wahibi has a thing going with his cousin, and that as a result they are much closer to the truth, and they are saying WWIII is coming!!.

That all being said, this is of course GW Bush we are talking about...And in terms of credibility on much of anything, hes in serious default.

"We were wrong when we said that Iraq had WMD's so it is safe to assume that we are wrong when we say that Iran isn't making nukes"

- The NeoCons

Only Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, the "Dennis the Menace" of his party, said he opposed a nuclear strike on moral grounds and because he believed Iran "has done no harm to us directly and is no threat to our national security."

Did he win anything for answering the question correctly?

Oh, sorry, REPUBLICAN debate. Stupid question on my part.......

Yet they are not willing to say that nuclear weapons have no place in modern confrontations.


To be fair,Jeff,has anyone asked the Dems that same question?

Do you think anyone will?

Do you think there is no strategic advantage of having an enemy believe you think they are harmless?


Then if that is the case, every time Bushy opens his mouth in front of a microphone and spouts about how Iran is a threat he is counteracting that brilliant plan.

Either they are harmless and he is at best a wrong dumbshit hayseed.
Or, they are not harmless, but our security agencies want them to beleive that we think they are and he is at best a big mouthed fool.
Either way he looks like a fool.

Even if your excuse is correct, why would they? It is not like they are running around saying "North Korea Does not have a Nucular Program" to throw them off now are they?

Step up to the truth, Bushy is pushing for war with Iran and he will lie and manipulate in order to get it. The difference is that now the public is wise to his lies, well at least most of the public.

Oh, sorry, REPUBLICAN debate.


Thanks for pointing that out....

Do you suppose anyone will ask the Dems that same question,Manypaths?

The National Intelligence Estimate is a guess by the same agencies that failed on 9/11 and countless other times. I would not place the safety of this or any nation on the results

But maybe GW knows Uncle Wahibi has a thing going with his cousin, and that as a result they are much closer to the truth, and they are saying WWIII is coming!!.

Well then if Uncle Wahibi is credible at all, then Bushy has a DUTY to inform the CIA and let the professional evaluate the intel.

Oh wait, lets see the US ALREADY HAD a counter nuclear program working in Iran with Valerie Plame and Uncle Wahibi had his lootenant publicly out her to Bob Novak in retaliation for an op-ed.

Again, playing politics with NATIONAL SECURITY is very bad. Yet the treasonous scum walk freely.

You don't share everything, even it benefits you politically. Or, should he be irresponsible with that, too.

If Bush said the sun rises in the East, there would be strong reason to doubt him. There's an interesting article in the WaPo that points out the new NIE is one of the first that Cheney hasn't had a chance to edit.
And if you think there's the slightest chance Bush wouldn't jump on any indication that Iran was building a bomb as an excuse to try and go 0-33, you're crazier than him.
The only question is, after getting their asses handed to them in Lebanon, is Israel prepared to take on the big guys?

You don't share everything, even it benefits you politically

Really?

Then what was the administration doing in the buildup to the Iraq war? I seem to recall some very detailed information about aluminum tubes, yellow cake, etc being put into the public realm to scare the sheeple into going to war.

Of course all that sparkling groovy "intel" was nothging more than a pack of lies.

The only question is, after getting their asses handed to them in Lebanon, is Israel prepared to take on the big guys?

Posted by northguy3 at 2008-01-14 06:22 PM

Its not just the Big guys but given the Russkis have a fleet in the med with nuke capability plus they having a long visit with Syria the pieces are moving in one way.

If israel attacks then expect an overwhelming hit of rockets from Lebannon and it could become difficult to counter act.

Fighting on one front is hard on multiple there will be big casualties.

If an Israel attacks fails with its aircrew getting shot down what then ? or its target ratio is only 40% what then ?

Israeli threat is gone if they fail on anything and means there are then more at risk rather than less.

Remember, everything the public can read, the enemy does. Do you think there is no strategic advantage of having an enemy believe you think they are harmless?

yeah... and maybe Bush is fooling them into thinking that what they think they know, they don't really know. And by saying it out loud he is making them question whether or not they can trust that he doesn't know that they know what he thinks they know -- but they don't, do they?

This is GENIUS!

I take back every 'My Pet Goat' reference I ever made...

I seriously doubt anyone overseas puts much weight in anything he says, they're watching the calendar the same as the rest of us.

Damm Jeff,

"Wire Services - US President George W. Bush promised Israel's opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu that the United States will join the Jewish state in a nuclear strike against Iran, Israel Radio reported today."
www.godlikeproductions.com

You have got to be fucking kidding. How many times are you going to post a liberal blog and consider it proof?

The intelligent people (any species OK) tell the world to "Ignore this cretin, work to resolve things".

"Pubic Patch" even deigned to answer.

And I quote(?) Fuck You.

A man of few words and even fewer living brain cells.

RC This can't be abusive. We need a "TRUTH" category.
that way you can call it as it seems without being called to account for it.

A number of fine people asked me to include their feelings but the site won't take anything but links. However, I believe just explaining that the folks with living brain cells stand united with their hands raised in salute to GWB (Aka "The Pubic Patch". As if one person the dirty digit is extended to His Holyness Pubic Patch the First.

George W. Bush is out of control.

Posted by sitdown

Thank you Captain Obvious!

Given Bush's track record on being 'correct', I think they can rest easy in Israel.

If a National Intelligence Estimate was applied to George Bush, the report would be inconclusive due to a complete lack of data to evaluate.

Throughout all this rhetoric of "Israel Good, Iran Bad" rarely if ever is it discussed Israel's own cache of nuclear weapons systems (which Israel has never formally acknowledged possession), nor Israel's refusal to sign the NNPT (which Iran has).

Nor is it ever presented in concrete terms just what threat Iran poses to the US.

To complicate the whole rather ridiculous situation, while Israel has Big Stick America on its 6, Russia/Putin has emphatically stated that any attacks by Israel and/or the US on Iran will be considered an act of aggression against Russia.

The Bear is back.

Nor will other nations stand idly by while the US and Israel play out their little pissing contests against the rest of the world. Though Israel and the US do not import any oil from Iran, the EU, China, Japan, and many other nations do and would be quite put off if a major supplier of their crude was rudely shut down.

And I will continue to wonder why that "shitty little nation" merits the never-ending largesse of the US to the tune of 10s of billions of US taxpayer dollars each year. What the frak are we getting out of it?

"Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain."

Of course Bush would tell them to ignore the NIE...after all he did.

ahhhhhhhh I long for the day when what Bush says does not matter anymore....(sighs dreamily).... that day cannot come too soon.

The National Intelligence Estimate is a guess by the same agencies that failed on 9/11 and countless other times. I would not place the safety of this or any nation on the results

Posted by Dreadnaught

The NIE didn't fail us on 9/11. It informed the SoS, and the CoC that; "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in America". Bush chose to ignore the report. His consideration of the real National Security threat was completely and purposefully missed. This time around is no different.

The NIE was right in 2001. It is correct now as it relates to Iran. And again, it is Bush that is wrong.

Olmret then ordered Dubya to go and make him a sandwich, clean the shed, and take out the garbage. How long are we gonna be the lap dog of some shitty little country in the ME? Sever, and let's stop handing them shit tons of my tax money while we're at it.

Throughout all this rhetoric of "Israel Good, Iran Bad" rarely if ever is it discussed Israel's own cache of nuclear weapons systems (which Israel has never formally acknowledged possession), nor Israel's refusal to sign the NNPT (which Iran has).
And I will continue to wonder why that "shitty little nation" merits the never-ending largesse of the US to the tune of 10s of billions of US taxpayer dollars each year. What the frak are we getting out of it?

>>> Great questions, and points. Enough is enough.

To complicate the whole rather ridiculous situation, while Israel has Big Stick America on its 6, Russia/Putin has emphatically stated that any attacks by Israel and/or the US on Iran will be considered an act of aggression against Russia.
>>>>
This is a HUGE concern.
Russia should be our friend.
Thanks End Times nutcases for choosing the wrong ally.

Your president is a fucking joke...'cept he's not funny, he's dangerous.

I really thought we were saved from these fools (Bush etc) when that NIE came out that Iran was not developing weapons. I suspect that a true patriot leaked the thing and we were never supposed to see it. Undaunted the MIC continues beating the drums. If you are inclined to pray, pray to whatever gods you hold sacred that theses fools are stopped. If this starts it may well kill us all.