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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Hope Praytochange who wrote (750327)	9/28/2006 3:03:54 PM
From: DuckTapeSunroof	Respond to of 769667

For the article you posted: 'This has nothing to do with Chavez,'' said Oil Price Information Service director Tom Kloza. ''They (7-Eleven) just didn't want to be tied to one supplier.''

To: Hope Praytochange who wrote (750327)	9/28/2006 3:06:14 PM
From: DuckTapeSunroof	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769667

Report should serve country's best interests Article published Sep 28, 2006 news-record.com There are many more questions than answers -- and thus too many opportunities for conjecture -- in the material declassified so far from the National Intelligence Estimate. The report on global terrorism, which represents a consensus view of the nation's 16 spy agencies, is 30 pages in all, but only the three-page conclusion was released Tuesday. President Bush said he ordered the release of the report's findings to counteract earlier leaks of the classified information, made public "for political purposes." Subsequent news stories suggested the Iraq war has been a major factor in the spread of global terrorism, resentment against the U.S., and the jihadist movement. The White House insists that characterization is as wrong as the leaks that led to it. However, as various media outlets and politicians have noted, declassifying selective portions of the report has done little except fan the flames of a debate over of what isn't yet known and what it all means in relationship to the war on terror. If the full report can be released without compromising national security, that ought to happen. The American people, who repeatedly have been told the Iraq war is key to winning the war on terror, deserve further knowledge of the evidence intelligence authorities have found on global terrorism trends, whether it supports that assessment or not. And at the very least, information in the report should be used the right way -- for finding the best strategies to battle terrorism, not for political leverage. But that's a lot to expect so close to midterm elections. Sen. Carl Levin, a member of the Select Committee on Intelligence, is among several Democrats who have called for release of the full report. But White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said Wednesday that making the full report public would risk national security and the lives of agents responsible for its content. It's difficult to believe that Levin, or any member of the Intelligence Committee, would advocate declassifying information that would compromise national security interests. Arguments that the document, which amounts to a compilation of summaries from the 16 intelligence agencies, is thus unlikely to contain much sensitive information, also should be taken into account. Snow described the National Intelligence Estimate as a "snapshot," adding that it was "not designed to draw judgments about success or failure." But even a snapshot, particularly one taken by the government's top analysts, can offer invaluable perspective in determining future policies. That shouldn't be sacrificed for the pettiness of political cherry-picking. Copyright © 2006 The News & Record and Landmark Communications, Inc.