McClellan: White House Officials Blocked Intelligence Report, ‘Continue To Bury Their Heads In The Sand’
McClellan: White House Officials Blocked Intelligence Report, ‘Continue To Bury Their Heads In The Sand’
Yesterday, former press secretary Scott McClellan appeared on MSNBC’s Countdown to discuss last week’s Senate Intelligence Report, which found that the White House “built the public case for war against Iraq by exaggerating available intelligence and by ignoring disagreements among spy agencies about Iraq’s weapons programs and Saddam Hussein’s links to al Qaeda.” McClellan accused White House officials of having their “heads in the sand” and said they tried to block the committee’s investigation:
The White House never wanted to have the way the case was made, the way the intelligence was used to sell the war to the American people looked into by Congress. This was delayed for quite some time and Senator Rockefeller pushed this forward to get to the truth. And, the White House can continue to bury their heads in the sand but the reality is still the same.
I think the American people see it for exactly what it is. … We came to the very same conclusion that the intelligence was used in a way to make the threat sound more grave and urgent and serious than it was.
Watch it:
Before January 2007, the Senate Intelligence Committee was headed by Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS), who used his position to delay, block, and stonewall the release of Phase II of the report:
“That [the Phase II report] is basically on the back burner.” [UPI, 3/10/05]
“I don’t think there should be any doubt that we have now heard it all regarding prewar intelligence. I think that it would be a monumental waste of time to replow this ground any further.” [U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, 3/31/05]
“To go though that exercise, it seems to me, in a post-election environment - we didn’t see how we could do that and achieve any possible progress. I think everybody pretty well gets it.” [U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, 3/31/05]
Current Chairman John Rockefeller (D-WV) said the committee faced “constant” pressure from Vice President Cheney to delay the report, and Roberts and his allies went “along with the administration.”
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We are dealing with a criminal enterprise of epic proportions.
June 10th, 2008 at 11:02 amMarcus Aurelius Says:
We are dealing with a criminal enterprise of epic proportions.
And, unfortunately, it seems Rockefeller has been part of the conspiracy.
June 10th, 2008 at 11:08 amTelco Immunity anyone?
the committee faced “constant” pressure from Vice President Cheney to delay the report, and Roberts and his allies went “along with the administration.”
Pat Roberts (R)-KS
James Imhofe (R)-OK
These Darwinian throwbacks aside, Cheney must go to jail for this. That 10 gallon hat is full of lies, folks.
June 10th, 2008 at 11:11 amCurrent Chairman John Rockefeller (D-WV) said the committee faced “constant” pressure from Vice President Cheney to delay the report, and Roberts and his allies went “along with the administration.”
These Senators don’t care about the American People, they just want to further their careers. Roberts has not only deceived but he manipulated the situation for Cheney’s agenda.
The MiddleClass.org has given him an F on his voting record also. I’m pretty sure he is up for re-election this year in Kansas. Hopefully, they have been keeping a close eye on his voting record that hasn’t helped them at all.
June 10th, 2008 at 11:13 amPat Roberts was part of the cabal to sell propaganda to the peoples congress and the American people. His criminal complacency should result in his impeachment as well.
June 10th, 2008 at 11:13 amLeave no stones unturned.
Roberts should be executed for treason!
June 10th, 2008 at 11:14 amWe all knew Roberts was stalling. The question now is what are we gonna do? What’s gonna happen?
June 10th, 2008 at 11:15 amWhat we have is a regime that had a fixed agenda already in mind from the moment that they took office. Initially, they knew that they weren’t going to be able to forward their agenda and that’s why the initial half year of the Bush Regime were seen as among the least productive in history. 9/11 gave them the opportunity and they ran with it, facts or constitution be damned.
Now the bills are starting to come due….
June 10th, 2008 at 11:16 amNOTHING is gonna happen to these people, you know that, right?
Congress ain’t gonna do diddly. A “President Obama” will limn the praises of forgiveness and forgetfulness: “We must look AHEAD, not backwards…”
And the Busheviuk mob will quietly slip back into the rotted woodwork of the elite and there await their next opportunity.
They were hired to ruin “democracy” and–with the help of Saudi money–they’ve succeeded beyond their wildest dreams…
June 10th, 2008 at 11:17 am“went along with the administration..” seems to be the motto of both houses and the press. I’ve railed recently that while McClellan coming clean is a good thing it would have been world altering back then. But maybe not. The Roberts and Times and Posts are so well entrenched in the village culture that looking beneath the surface is too much of a bother. The “press”, with the exception of a handful, is dead. They are either stenographers or b-list celebrity pundits passing talking point from their masters.
June 10th, 2008 at 11:18 amThe most horrifying news recently is Yellins claim that reporters received intense pressure to spin the war bush’s way.
Voters have a chance to reclaim some of Americas democracy by punishing the GOP in November. Journalism has a tougher job to reclaim honor.
Roberts is from flat-earth-loving Kansas. Pretty sure his re-election is secured.
And Marcus Aurelius is right - Bushco is the biggest criminal enterprise I’ve seen in the US yet.
June 10th, 2008 at 11:20 amBeing vested in karmic belief, I’m certain that these criminal enablers will get their just rewards sooner than later.
June 10th, 2008 at 11:22 amThat said, the war crimes tribunal should cast a wide net.
Yea, they make the mafia look like juvinile crayon-wielding graffiti artists in comparison!
June 10th, 2008 at 11:25 amTo go though that exercise, it seems to me, in a post-election environment
Ahh yes, the all important post election environment.
June 10th, 2008 at 11:31 amFrosty Cupcake Says:
Roberts is from flat-earth-loving Kansas. Pretty sure his re-election is secured.
Not only is the earth flat Frosty….. It is only 6000 years old too…..LOL.. Oh and you are right. Roberts is secured here… But don’t be to hard on us good people in Kansas. We do after all have a awesome Governor Kathleen Sebelius…. We are trying to turn Kansas blue but I have to tell you it is like pulling teeth trying to convince these Republicans that they are cutting their own throat when they vote Republican. I really feel sorry for so many of my fellow Kansans,many who are family members and good friends,that are great hardworking people who just don’t get it. We Kansas Democrats are working hard though Frosty…. Trust me…
June 10th, 2008 at 11:54 amNothing New again.
We all know the administration is full of immoral war criminals but the Democrats are to scared to impeach.
VOTE ALL OF THEM OUT - Every house member and Senator who voted for this war needs to be ousted.
If I knew the administration was full of shit, why didn’t these lawmakers know?
June 10th, 2008 at 12:05 pm“…intelligence was used in a way to make the threat sound more grave and urgent and serious than it was.”
I’m sorry but this wording is still not strong enough. There was no threat. There was no threat. There was no *&^%$#! threat! It is not the case that there was somewhat of a threat and the administration exaggerated it. There was no threat! Neither Kuwait, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Saudi Arabia, nor Jordan thought Iraq was a threat in 2002-03.
June 10th, 2008 at 12:13 pm“I don’t think there should be any doubt that we have now heard it all regarding prewar intelligence. I think that it would be a monumental waste of time to replow this ground any further.” [U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence,
Translate “waste of time” to “doesn’t want the truth uncovered.”
http://progressiveworldreview.com
June 10th, 2008 at 12:14 pmsee video and pass it on: Tell Congress that Bush and Israel Have No Legal Justification to Attack Iran
June 10th, 2008 at 12:19 pmTOLL-FREE NUMBER FOR CONGRESS (just ask for your representatives’ offices)
1-800-788-9372
National call-in day to tell your members of Congress to stop an attack on Iran
And 911 appears to be an inside job as well - Pathetic - Watching war criminals go free.
June 10th, 2008 at 12:29 pmAMERICA IS RULED BY A MILITARY JUNTA
June 10th, 2008 at 12:36 pmCALL THE JUDICIARY TODAY.
Ask this question:
“Can you actually conceive the idea of a former White House Press Secretary telling the world that a President went to war for lies and fabrications and the House of Representatives who as the body which is duty bound to bring charges for high crimes might do absolutely nothing about it? “
Or another question to republican :
“Is the House of Representatives member of the Judiciary committee going to obfuscate and refute the testimony of a loyal member of the White House inner circle and many others starting with Richard Clarke and Paul O’Neill including the memos and other revelations including those by military commanders by refusing to act in the best interest of this nation by bringing George Bush and Dick Cheney to account for crimes of death and destruction of blood and treasure? “
I spent one hour yesterday calling and the staffers are ripe for the plucking. Let their ears burn. Acting now is probably the only chance we might have for justice that is long overdue. Here is the list. Click on the name and dial the number. Burn those lines folks. Burn them.
http://judiciary.house.gov/CommitteeMembership.aspx
June 10th, 2008 at 12:44 pmHow do you convince Congress, complacent for so long, that something needs to be done? For years my reps have put party over the Constitution and refused to even acknowledge the basic duty of Congressional Oversight. Why change now? They don’t care that the law continues to be broken, at least until you’re talkig about a democrat.
June 10th, 2008 at 12:57 pmHurray for #17: Reasons for the invasion of Iraq will remain murky until Americans recognize and admit that Saddam was entirely contained and had no way at all to harm us.
June 10th, 2008 at 1:03 pmOnly then would we have a chance of facing the truth or dealing with the criminals who instigated America’s crime.
fortunately for the bush/cheney crime family their compilicit enablers in the war-profiteer run american media buried the story, which barely saw the light of day..more proof yet again of the “liberal media” myth..
June 10th, 2008 at 2:27 pm.
Of course when I step in horseshit it’s never deliberate. If I see that you’re about to step in that horseshit and CHOOSE to say otherwise or nothing at all, THAT IS DELIBERATE.
Dear Scott,
NOW is not the time to mince words…
.
June 11th, 2008 at 1:41 amWe Want Bush Impeached, We Support the Kucinich Resolution. See the video and pass it on
June 11th, 2008 at 7:53 amPlease help get the word out by spreading this video around which promotes in its video description the links to the petition and this blog entry. Make more people aware of the Kucinich Resolution.