...more recent posts
Best Christmas lights ever. At least for some definition of the word 'best'. (.wmv file.)
In February 2002, after a briefing on the status of the war in Afghanistan, the commanding officer, Gen. Tommy Franks, told me the war was being compromised as specialized personnel and equipment were being shifted from Afghanistan to prepare for the war in Iraq -- a war more than a year away. Even at this early date, the White House was signaling that the threat posed by Saddam Hussein was of such urgency that it had priority over the crushing of al Qaeda [...]daily kos
At a meeting of the Senate intelligence committee on Sept. 5, 2002, CIA Director George Tenet was asked what the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) provided as the rationale for a preemptive war in Iraq. An NIE is the product of the entire intelligence community, and its most comprehensive assessment. I was stunned when Tenet said that no NIE had been requested by the White House and none had been prepared. Invoking our rarely used senatorial authority, I directed the completion of an NIE.
Tenet objected, saying that his people were too committed to other assignments to analyze Saddam Hussein's capabilities and will to use chemical, biological and possibly nuclear weapons. We insisted, and three weeks later the community produced a classified NIE.
There were troubling aspects to this 90-page document. While slanted toward the conclusion that Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction stored or produced at 550 sites, it contained vigorous dissents on key parts of the information, especially by the departments of State and Energy. Particular skepticism was raised about aluminum tubes that were offered as evidence Iraq was reconstituting its nuclear program. As to Hussein's will to use whatever weapons he might have, the estimate indicated he would not do so unless he was first attacked.
Under questioning, Tenet added that the information in the NIE had not been independently verified by an operative responsible to the United States. In fact, no such person was inside Iraq. Most of the alleged intelligence came from Iraqi exiles or third countries, all of which had an interest in the United States' removing Hussein, by force if necessary. former fla sen bob graham (d)
Note, that classified NIE was not available to every congressperson. Just to members of the Senate and House committees on intelligence.
Graham asked Tenet to produce an unclassified version of the NIE. But what the CIA produced was a propaganda piece absent any of the reservations or caveats presented in the classified edition of the document. The vast majority of senators and congressment, much less the American people, did not see the full classified document.
Hence, Bush's claims that congressional Democrats had access to the same intelligence that the administration had is pure bullshit.
better concept than content - romeo and juliet in emoticons.
I don't think this has been posted, worth a look and a chuckle in my humble opinion:
http://www.bigad.com.au/movie.html
74 degrees. im an outdoorsman. which is to say yes the windows are open.
This is a president who even in the best of times is insular, out of touch, and completely unwilling to have alternative points of view brought to him. Now, according to administration sources he's kicked out everyone else in his Oval Treehouse except for his mom, and three people who remind him of his mom? Shudder.
the jewish brain (it was a cover story in new york magazine not the new yorker you idiot!)
Superballs. Quicktime required. 18 MB.
Probably want to right click and save as..., or, on Mac, ctrl-click and save as...
whats kansas's fucking problem
Super sped up satellite feed of the entire hurricane season, with each storm named and its' path traced. Wow.
check out poor George.
"Mr. WILKERSON: I'm privy to the paperwork, both classified and unclassified, that the secretary of State asked me to assemble on how this all got started, what the audit trail was, and when I began to assemble this paperwork, which I no longer have access to, it was clear to me that there was a visible audit trail from the vice president's office through the secretary of Defense down to the commanders in the field that in carefully couched terms -- I'll give you that -- that to a soldier in the field meant two things: We're not getting enough good intelligence and you need to get that evidence, and, oh, by the way, here's some ways you probably can get it. And even some of the ways that they detailed were not in accordance with the spirit of the Geneva Conventions and the law of war.
psueing the bloggers
"play dirty. we're bigger than you!"
alright. nobody doesnt like a good halloween radio show! right?
listen to jonsey live now
or better yet listen to last thursday's dave the spaz show (perfect halloween party music)
have you seen google earth? "pritty...pritty...pritty" cool.
San Fransisco in Jell-O. Short video on the final page.
Wunderground weather blog is tracking Wilma. Great page.
asses and aspens all acluster.
Pretty nice 360 degree panorama of NYC skyline.
