Down the Memory Hole

Weekly Standard ^ | 12/19/2005 | Stephen F. Hayes

[baystaterebel]

FOR THE SECOND TIME IN recent weeks the Department of Defense has denied a request from The Weekly Standard to release unclassified documents recovered in postwar Iraq. These documents apparently reveal, in some detail, activities of Saddam Hussein's regime in the years before the war. This second denial could also be the final one: According to two Pentagon sources, the program designed to review, translate, and analyze data from the old Iraqi regime may be shuttered at the end of December, not just placing the documents beyond the reach of journalists, but also making them inaccessible to policymakers.

As a consequence, the ongoing debate over the Iraq war and its origins is taking place without crucial information about the former Iraqi regime and its relationships with presumed U.S. allies and known U.S. enemies.

[baystaterebel]

After you read this you have to wonder what the hell is going on.

[Goreknowshowtocheat]

Either they are the most inept admin ever or the docs don't support their case. Since Limbaugh has already quoted stuff indicating Saddam hanging out with the Bin Laden group I guess Bush has an inept administration. They could bury the demoncrats with this stuff.

[jdm]

Saddam loves CNN and vice versa.

Description: Concerning mass graves found in the south: Check for nuclear radiation, identify bodies, ensure that CNN is the first news agency onsite. Any funerals should have an international impact. Signed by Hussein. Agency: DIA Document Date: Feb-01 Document #: ISGZ-2004-00224003

[misterrob]

What, no mention of the NY Times, John Kerry or Howard Dean?

[Bahbah]

Here is an intriguing snippit:

ensure that CNN is the first news agency onsite [of the mass graves].

[Milhous]

Allow me to fix this up for you.

Saddam loves CNN and vice versa.

Description: Concerning mass graves found in the south: Check for nuclear radiation, identify bodies, ensure that CNN is the first news agency onsite. Any funerals should have an international impact. Signed by Hussein. Agency: DIA Document Date: Feb-01 Document #: ISGZ-2004-00224003

There, that's better. :)

[jdm]

LOL -- that is better!!!!

[Thombo2]

So what's the Bush administration worried about?I doubt any information revealed would be embarrasing to the Bush admin or a threat to security.

[LegendHasIt]

Somehow, this reminds me of the scene at the end of the first Indiana Jones movie with the Ark of the Covenant boxed up and hidden away in a huge government warehouse...

Perhaps nothing in it would be embarassing or detrimental to the current Bush Administration, but might be to Bush 41. Or other prominent Republicans.

But more likely, it is something that the entrenched liberal bureaucrats in the CIA , State and the Pentagon itself want to keep hidden.

[EGPWS]

FOR THE SECOND TIME IN recent weeks the Department of Defense has denied a request from The Weekly Standard to release unclassified documents recovered in postwar Iraq.

So?

Whats the big deal?

Let them do their job as Dan Rather has done and work hard, take risk, totally f..k up, and stop expecting officials to do their dirty work for them and wind up holding the bag to boot.

[Thombo2]

I agree.I don't trust the CIA,Pentagon,etc.Just think, these folks are in charge of our nat'l security.Scary.

[Republican Red]

Description: Concerning mass graves found in the south: Check for nuclear radiation, identify bodies, ensure that CNN is the first news agency onsite. Any funerals should have an international impact. Signed by Hussein. Agency: DIA Document Date: Feb-01 Document #: ISGZ-2004-00224003

From Captains Quarter Blog:
CNN -- the agency that Saddam Hussein wanted to ensure got first access to gravesites in case the mass graves ever got found. Presumably Saddam ordered this because in February 2001 (when this order was written), Eason Jordan had corrupted the media outlet enough that Saddam could trust CNN to broadcast a cover story blaming the bodies on the American use of depleted-uranium shells during Gulf War I.

Captains Quarter

[operation clinton cleanup]

Perhaps an October (2008) surprise, or more likely would compromise ongoing WOT targets.