Comments on: Germany: About That Intelligence …

By: The Mahablog » He Knew

The Mahablog » He Knew — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 16:18:31 +0000

[...] I bet you remember Curveball, too. German intelligence tried to tell the Bushies that Curveball was nuts, but the Bushies weren’t listening. The next day, Sept. 18, Tenet briefed Bush on Sabri. “Tenet told me he briefed the president personally,” said one of the former CIA officers. According to Tenet, Bush’s response was to call the information “the same old thing.” Bush insisted it was simply what Saddam wanted him to think. “The president had no interest in the intelligence,” said the CIA officer. The other officer said, “Bush didn’t give a fuck about the intelligence. He had his mind made up.” [...]

By: The Mahablog » Old News

The Mahablog » Old News — Wed, 12 Apr 2006 12:36:10 +0000

[...] Warrick goes on to say that the Bushies had been looking for mobile labs because of stories told by the now-infamous Curveball. Good ol’ Curveball was shown photographs of the trailers, and he identified them as mobile labs. Others had doubts. So the Defense Intelligence Agency put together a team of specialists to resolve the issue. The specialists flew to Kuwait, where the “labs” were stored, to examine the labs. Within four hours it was clear to the entire team that the trailers were not mobile weapons labs. [...]

By: JS Narins

JS Narins — Wed, 23 Nov 2005 18:58:03 +0000

Hi again. Long time no comment.

Anyway, why the hell are you on Pajama’s Media?

Trying to earn them some dough?

The vast moronic conspiracy?

Don’t play ball, Maha, please.

By: Patrick Lasswell

Patrick Lasswell — Mon, 21 Nov 2005 19:10:24 +0000

Sen. McCain says that he asked everybody if they had been pressured. http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110006517

The intelligence analysts have been asked openly under oath if they were pressured and universally answered that they were not. Is this a case where we have to invent the truth to find what we are looking for? Is that what you are asking of the Senate?

By: Brainster

Brainster — Mon, 21 Nov 2005 17:48:14 +0000

You need to work on your reading comprehension, Maha. “We’ve already discussed the reason the bipartisan Senate investigation found no evidence of political pressure regarding WMDs — they weren’t looking for it.”

Except that’s not what the article you link to says:

“Bush is correct in saying that a commission he appointed, chaired by Judge Laurence Silberman and former Sen. Charles Robb, D-Va., found no evidence of “politicization” of the intelligence community’s assessments concerning Iraq’s reported weapons of mass destruction programs.

But neither that report nor others looked at how the White House characterized the intelligence it had when selling its plan for war to the world and whether administration officials exaggerated the threat. That’s supposed to be the topic of a second phase of study by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.”

By: submandave

submandave — Mon, 21 Nov 2005 17:23:19 +0000

“[Democrats] were trying to pressure the Republicans in charge to get off their butts and start looking [for political pressure regarding WMDs].”

Perhaps they weren’t “looking” because there was no reason to do so? Maybe they investivation they did and the testimony presented sufficiently demonstrated that there was no reason to assume just on the basis of several Democrats crying “the mean, stupid evili genius Bush tricked me, WAHHHH” that there was fire where there was no real smoke.

It reminds me of an old David Letterman bit with Larry “Bud” Melman:

Dave Letterman: So what exactly are your secrets to comedy?
Larry “Bud” Melman: First, persistence. If the audience doesn’t laugh, tell the joke again.
[mild laughter]
DL: OK, anything else?
LBM: Yes, persistence. If the audience doesn’t laugh, tell the joke again.
[mild laughter]
DL: OK, I got that, but do you have any other advice?
LBM: Yes, persistence. If the audience doesn’t laugh, tell the joke again.
[loud, obviously forced laughter]
LBM: See.

By: The Mahablog » THE story

The Mahablog » THE story — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 16:50:01 +0000

[...] Update to today’s bombshell revelation that Germany warned the United States about phony WMD claims before the invasion … see Laura at War and Piece. [...]