retired_0PETE1

As unsurprising as it is, it is still shocking that he knew yet still risked so many lives by sending them on a wild goose chase.

retired_autumn

Plausible deniability is like a religion in DC. Not sure that Powell was intentionally saying, "I don't want to know." He might have just been trusting. It's not his job to collect satellite info.

GWB's taken the government to places no reasonable person would've thought possible, so Powell could easily have been duped. But then again, when people were starting to complain about how Bush went to war, Powell kept his mouth shut about what he knew.

retired_justin05

Personally I reckon Bush still thought WMD would be found when he started the war so I disagree with the article.

retired_the gizmo

maybe the most sort of objectively interesting thing in all this is bush's charisma. tenet was a clinton appointee and bush still got him to roll. powell a man of immense reputation and bush still got him to roll. all down the line in the build up to the invasion, the people that you would think would be unmoved by bush's reckless singlemindedness ended up falling in line.

it's easy to say that everyone in politics is tainted, and therefore not to be trusted, but I honestly dont believe that. there were good people in the state department, the cia, the military...all throughout the government that either fell in line or stayed silent. it makes you wonder what kinds of pressure they were under that you don't know about.

retired_autumn

Tbf, I agree with that. But they don't appear to have tried to verify his account, which they could've attempted. </BLOCKQUOTE>

"But the CIA officers working on the Sabri case kept collecting information. "We checked on everything he told us." French intelligence eavesdropped on his telephone conversations and shared them with the CIA. These taps "validated" Sabri's claims, according to one of the CIA officers. The officers brought this material to the attention of the newly formed Iraqi Operations Group within the CIA. But those in charge of the IOG were on a mission to prove that Saddam did have WMD and would not give credit to anything that came from the French. "They kept saying the French were trying to undermine the war," said one of the CIA officers. " </BLOCKQUOTE>

I meant decisionmakers. Not analysts.

retired_selvinel

Must say, quite surprised Tenet just kept his mouth shut and allowed himself to be shot down. I can at least respect that, not wanting to undermine his President and administration in public.

retired_the gizmo

I think bush thought he'd be able to find *something* once he got boots on the ground, but I don't think he really cared one way or another, other than protecting himself from political ramifications.

retired_the gizmo

then he puts out a book trying to absolve himself of all responsibility without naming names or telling the truth, making him look even more like the worm he turned out to be.

DebSchiff

We're all so proud :***)

retired_selvinel

then he puts out a book trying to absolve himself of all responsibility without naming names or telling the truth, making him look even more like the worm he turned out to be. </BLOCKQUOTE>

Oh I don't disagree with that. I'd like to think his intentions at the time were honourable, even though I'm sure they weren't.

His omission of Sabri doesn't do much to help his image at all.