Rockefeller: Hayden’s ‘Upbeat Assessment’ On Al Qaeda ‘Not Consistent’ With Intel Reports To Capitol Hill
Rockefeller: Hayden’s ‘Upbeat Assessment’ On Al Qaeda ‘Not Consistent’ With Intel Reports To Capitol Hill
During a recent interview with the Washington Post, CIA Director Michael Hayden said that al Qaeda is “essentially defeated in Iraq and Saudi Arabia and on the defensive throughout much of the rest of the world” including the areas along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. “On balance, we’re doing pretty well,” Hayden said. The Post even described Hayden’s view as a “strikingly upbeat assessment.”
But Sen. John Rockefeller (D-WV), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a letter to Hayden that he is “surprised and troubled” by his comments to the Post, adding that his assessment of al Qaeda’s worldwide strength is at odds with intelligence briefings to Captiol Hill:
The positions attributed to you are not consistent with assessments that have been provided to the Senate Intelligence Committee over the past year. If the Intelligence Community’s assessment of al-Qa’ida has changed, I would expect the Committee to be made aware of these changes immediately. If the assessment has not changed, then I ask that you explain why you would portray the terrorist movement as “on the defensive throughout much of the rest of the world, including in its presumed haven along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.” In fact, I have seen nothing, including classified intelligence reporting, that would lead me to this conclusion.
Moreover, in a speech delivered last Thursday, “posited as a presidential intelligence briefing delivered on Jan. 21, 2009,” Principal Director of National Intelligence Donald Kerr’s assessment of al-Qaeda “seemed at odds” with Hayden’s, the Post reports:
Pakistan’s “inward” political focus and failure to control the tribal territories where al-Qaeda maintains a haven, he said, is “the number one thing we worry about” … in response to a question, he said that “we don’t know enough” about what is happening in Pakistan.
“One of the concerns we have is that as Pakistan looks inward,” the western tribal areas “will be more hospitable to those who would strike us and less hospitable to us in trying to root out that problem,” Kerr said.
The Post added that Kerr’s speech “contrasted with more optimistic administration forecasts of rapprochement among Iraq’s political forces and a possible Middle East peace agreement in the next eight months.”
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
Gee, why doesnt this come as any big surprise. LOL, It just keeps getting better and better. Impeach Dictator Bush before its too late!
JJ
May 31st, 2008 at 6:08 pmUltimate Anonymity
Sorry, off topic;
May 31st, 2008 at 6:14 pmJust heard Obama has resigned from Trinity Church.
The enemy is defeated. Good. Mission accomplished. Bring the troops home.
This won’t happen because our true mission is to control that part of the world.
May 31st, 2008 at 6:20 pmDon’t these a$$wipes even talk to each other?
May 31st, 2008 at 6:21 pmIn fact, I have seen nothing, including classified intelligence reporting, that would lead me to this conclusion.
Interesting quote, that the HEAD of the Intel Committee has not seen any of this “good news” . . . isn’t Hayden a Bush Appointee?? . . . oh, never mind.
May 31st, 2008 at 6:24 pmWhat a Clusterf**k this administration is.
leftcoast…heard the same thing on CNN from Roland Martin. He submitted a formal letter. Sad isn’t it? I blame the media.
May 31st, 2008 at 6:28 pmCIA Director Michael Hayden is propping up the propaganda in Cheney’s speech, this way it prevents them from actually fixing their mistakes. Because this administration doesn’t make mistakes.. (sarcasm off)
May 31st, 2008 at 6:31 pmI seem to remember Rockefeller voting to confirm the lying POS. He also voted for telco immunity. Good job John…… Not.
May 31st, 2008 at 6:49 pmThese pentagon sock puppets only lack pom poms and cheerleader skirts. Of course it’s pretty obvious that the continuing of the debacle keeps them from sitting behind a desk in some dusty corner stringing paper clips together. Not to mention those promotions and battlefield per diem. Keep that war a comin.
May 31st, 2008 at 6:53 pmHayden sounds like a politician whose career will end without catching Osama and Zawahirir, the perpetrators of the crime of the century.
And Rockefeller sounds like a politician who is trying to justify his illegal Data Mining on U.S. citizens.
Better luck next time!
May 31st, 2008 at 7:03 pmBoy terrorists come in handy!
May 31st, 2008 at 7:04 pmThanks TP for doing the job of reporting the actual news. I wonder if this little tidbit hits the MSM anytime soon.
May 31st, 2008 at 7:24 pmCaption Contest:
“Come, suckers, and sniff the scent of Babyface’s holy bullcrap!”
May 31st, 2008 at 7:24 pmNow Hayden is going to try to claim victory in the war on terror, as a justification for continuing the war.
May 31st, 2008 at 7:41 pmThis doesn’t surprise me. We have an administration that twists the propaganda to fit the agenda du jour, most of which falls into two distinct categories:
1. We’re beating Al Qaeda and we have them on the run. We’re winning (said whenever they need to convince the public that we’re getting our money’s worth out of our activities in the Middle East).
2. Al Qaeda remains a dangerous enemy. You must all be afraid…very afraid (said whenever they need to control the populace through fear, or whenever they need to distract the public from the general criminal activities of the administration — basically, playing the 9/11 card).
We have heard both song and dance routines many, many times over the past few years. Is it any wonder that the propaganda catapult gets loaded up with completely incongruent information at the same time?
May 31st, 2008 at 7:42 pmWho to believe? Hayden, who’s rosy assessment seems at odds with reality? Or the hapless Rockefeller, who’s been pushing relentlessly for immunity for lawbreaking telecoms and Bush’s warrantless eavesdropping on American citizens?
Now more than ever we need representatives who are both competent and honest.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
May 31st, 2008 at 7:56 pmPaul W:
Now more than ever we need representatives who are both competent and honest.
I think we need to make a real 3rd party. Start by getting locals elected, fill the Houses, get enough in replacing the Bush enablers ( yes, even many Democrats ). After we have enough seats, then run someone for President. The way the previous “3rd parties” have done, just running presidential candidates is ridiculous and ineffective.
Change is first made in the House and the Senate in this country. They are also the balance that is supposed to have prevented
May 31st, 2008 at 8:46 pmBizarroBush World.We need to start working on getting the Bush lapdogs permanently out of office, immediately after Nov.
Just get the damn Republicans out, and maybe Pelosi, that would be a start.
They want us to believe that they are “on their last throws…”. Now… where did I hear that before…?
May 31st, 2008 at 8:47 pmHere is the official Mission Statement from the CIA website:
Mission
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an independent US Government agency responsible for providing national security intelligence to senior US policymakers.
So, why the hell does the Director of the CIA wear an Air Force uniform?
Independent? Conflict of interest? Whose mission is he really pursuing? I’d feel better if he wasn’t wearing all that jewelry.
May 31st, 2008 at 8:52 pmWhich perfectly justifies the troop increases in Afghanistan. In Bush world.
May 31st, 2008 at 8:53 pmHayden rode the Cheney-Rumsfeld train and seriously compromised the intell community.
May 31st, 2008 at 9:40 pmTired of being lied to Says:
So, why the hell does the Director of the CIA wear an Air Force uniform?
Well, because Bush appointed him and the Senate approved, 98-2 =P
May 31st, 2008 at 10:07 pmIt helps to be currently winning the present war before undertaking another. Hayden’s comment is clearly greasing the skids for the next Bush trigger finger attack.
May 31st, 2008 at 10:35 pmWith that “checkmark” next to al Qaeda, Bush can turn his attention to the next biggest threat:
http://www.jpost.com/ servlet/ Satellite?cid=1212041430322&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Over 7,000 fans of attacking Iran meet in Washington this week and all the Presidential hopefuls will be there.
June 1st, 2008 at 9:30 am“Bruce Hoffman, terrorism expert at Georgetown University, said Hayden’s comments needed to be seen in the context of American domestic politics. ‘In an election year with a two term administration that is very sensitive to its historical record this is not unexpected,’ he told The Observer. ‘Al-Qaeda may not have had a successful attack in three years but it is too early to declare victory.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/ world/ 2008/ jun/ 01/ alqaida.pakistan
June 1st, 2008 at 10:14 amToo bad Jello Jay’s cred is shot. He states the obvious about Hayden, while tap dancing furiously for telecom immunity. You’re either with us or against us, Jell, make up your mind.
June 1st, 2008 at 10:41 amRobert Fisk has a column on this topic in “The IndependentUK.” Well worth the read:
http://www.independent.co.uk/ news/ fisk/ so-alqaidas-defeated-eh-go-tell-it-to-the-marines-837843.html
June 1st, 2008 at 11:43 amHayden: Take off that FU(KING UNIFORM!!!! You do not work in the kemlin, or Berlin. You don’t work in Korea or China. We use to have a civilian government. TAKE OFF THE FU(KING UNIFORM!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 1st, 2008 at 12:17 pmRight..what was it Bush said when asked what his “job” was…”catapult the propaganda”…? Occasionally this jerks tell the truth..(even if it is a mis-speak)
June 1st, 2008 at 2:30 pmIf you believe this guy who was spying on us, I got some ocean front property in Missouri I want to sell you. He’s do or say anything to stay in power. He reminds me of Darth Vadar only he wears a blue uniform. I don’t trust this guy any further than I could throw him, which is not far. He puts loyality first, uniform second, and country way down the list in last place after propaganda and a spying on the American people. I’m sorry but he’s lied to us before and I’ll never trust him again. No general would do what he did and call himself a true patriot. He knew that spying on innocent Americans was against the US Constitution, but he followed those illegal orders and gladly did it because it gave him power he craved all along.
June 1st, 2008 at 8:26 pmWhere does Bush keep finding these yes men? Haden still wears the military uniform. That should be fine as he is in a position that should be politically neutral. But Haden honors neither the uniform nor the neutrality of the position he serves — following in the footsteps of former Joint Chief’s Chairmen Gen. Meyers and Gen. Pace. It is heartbreaking to see the uniform dishonored in the manner of these General’s.
June 2nd, 2008 at 1:37 amGen. Hayden should get his story straight with his fellow terrorist fighters. Afghan President Karzai says Western forces bungled war with Taliban.
http://in.reuters.com/ article/ southAsiaNews/ idINIndia-33863420080602?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:10 am