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Politics : GOPwinger Lies/Distortions/Omissions/Perversions of Truth -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bill Jackson who wrote (1075)	2/9/2004 10:05:26 AM
From: longnshort	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 173976

Tenet Knocks Clinton for Decimating CIA Tenet Addresses Growing Intelligence Concerns By Jeff Gannon February 6, 2004 WASHINGTON (Talon News) -- Central Intelligence Agency Director George Tenet spoke out Thursday after questions about pre-war intelligence and the calls for his ouster had grown too loud to ignore. In a speech at Georgetown University he tried to explain how the United States intelligence community evaluated Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs over the past decade, leading to a National Intelligence Estimate in October of 2002. The NIE formed the basis of President Bush's argument to wage war against Iraq, in which he cited "a growing, gathering threat." Tenet clearly refuted claims that anyone from the Bush administration put pressure on the agency to draw a particular conclusion when he said, "No one told us what to say or how to say it." Tenet also stated that none of his analysts ever said there was an "imminent" threat. He indicated that they instead "painted an objective assessment for our policymakers of a brutal dictator who was continuing his efforts to deceive and build programs that might constantly surprise us and threaten our interests." The CIA director dismissed the notion that the search for weapons of mass destruction was close to being complete. "Despite some public statements, we are nowhere near 85% finished. The men and women who work in that dangerous environment are adamant about that fact," Tenet said. Tenet took on the most fundamental question being asked about Iraq: was American intelligence "right" or was it "wrong?" Tenet answered, "In the intelligence business, you are almost never completely wrong or completely right." Tenet, who was appointed head of the intelligence agency by President Clinton in 1997 surprised the audience when he said, "When I came to the CIA in the mid-90s our graduating class of case officers was unbelievably low." This was the first time he admitted to the agency's dire circumstances that resulted from neglect, mismanagement or willful dismantling. He indicated that after years of rebuilding, more clandestine officers then ever are being graduated, but that it would take an additional five years to finish the job. Tenet pointed to the confession of A. Q Khan in Pakistan to selling nuclear secrets and Libya's decision to give up its WMD programs as evidence of the CIA's ability to discover and deal with threats. Aware that President Bush capitulated to demands for an independent commission to investigate intelligence failures Tenet said, "I welcome the President's Commission looking into proliferation. We have a record and a story to tell and we want to tell it to those willing to listen."