WTF Is It Now?!?

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WHAT "intelligence failure?"
Neglecting intelligence, ignoring warnings: A chronology of how the Bush administration repeatedly and deliberately refused to listen to intelligence agencies that said its case for war was weak.

Examples:

In 2001 and before, intelligence agencies noted that Saddam Hussein was effectively contained after the Gulf War.

Throughout 2002, the CIA, DIA, Department of Energy and United Nations all warned the Bush Administration that its selective use of intelligence was painting a weak WMD case. Those warnings were repeatedly ignored.

2003 - Instead of listening to the repeated warnings from the intelligence community, intelligence officials say the White House instead pressured them to conform their reports to fit a pre-determined policy. Meanwhile, more evidence from international institutions poured in that the White House’s claims were not well-grounded.

Even the international intelligence on Iraq's programs was far from uniform. Jacques Chirac of France told CNN last March there was "no evidence" that Iraq had a nuclear weapons program. And Vladimir Putin, Russia's president, when asked in October 2002 about the CIA's conclusions, said: "Russia does not have in its possession any trustworthy data that supports the existence of nuclear weapons or any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq."


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