Only Two Lawmakers Review Intelligence Documents

AP ^ | 6/24/03 | Lolita C. Baldor

[Jean S]

WASHINGTON (AP) - A congressional Republican says Democrats who are demanding more intelligence information on Iraqi weapons should be spending more time looking at classified material made available a week ago.

Rep. Rob Simmons, R-Conn., spent about two hours reviewing more than 1,000 pages of documents late last week and said others should do the same because it could answer some of their concerns.

"I get frustrated when members of Congress make statements about intelligence information and yet either don't serve on the committee or don't access the information that's available," said Simmons, a former CIA intelligence officer. If they did, he said Tuesday, "certain very obvious things would become apparent."

The failure of inspectors to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq has prompted lawmakers to question whether American intelligence was wrong or was manipulated by the administration to justify the pre-emptive invasion of Iraq. Democrats in particular are demanding full disclosure from President Bush and the intelligence community.

"The Bush administration has a growing credibility gap regarding the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and we must have a full accounting," said Rep. Joseph Hoeffel, D-Pa., during debate on the House floor.

Last Tuesday, House Intelligence Chairman Porter Goss, R-Fla., announced that House members who aren't on his panel would be able to review classified documents relating to Iraq's weapons program and its prewar ties to terrorist groups.

Lawmakers who want to read the material must sign a confidentiality agreement that prohibits them from disclosing the information. Intelligence committee members have access to the documents.

So far, Simmons and one other unidentified House member have signed the agreement.

Hoeffel plans to review the committee documents, his spokesman Frank Custer said, "to see what he can glean." But other Democrats say they won't bother.

"I refuse to go there," said Rep. William Delahunt, D-Mass., who has asked for an independent commission to review the intelligence gathering. "I want to see this information, but I want to have a public hearing. It's the American people who deserve an answer.

Besides, he added, "how do we know that what the intelligence community is receiving is the full story?"

Simmons said the material made available last Tuesday may be too complex for some lawmakers who have little background in intelligence gathering. As a result, he said, he asked the State Department to release a special report on Iraqi weapons capabilities and other program details.

After two hours of reading, he said, "I see no evidence of distortion of the intelligence process."

But, he added, "I do see evidence of weaknesses in the intelligence process. Certain judgments are not broadly supported by intelligence documentation, but that may go to the issue of our who are our assets and who we have reporting."

Delahunt said the only way to get to the bottom of the matter is with an independent commission.

"We're going into a campaign - there will be finger pointing and accusations," he said. "Democrats will be accused of trying to use this for political advantage, and Republicans will be attacked for trying to change facts to create a political conclusion.

"There may be a little of both, but the only way to take politics out of it is to do this independent commission."

AP-ES-06-24-03 1830EDT

[gov_bean_ counter]

Appears the Dems don't have a very solid history when it comes to reviewing evidence, eh?

[Real Cynic No More]

"... the material made available last Tuesday may be too complex for some lawmakers ..."

That pretty much says it all.

[Seeking the truth]

Democrats are evil.

We've been here before with the Democrat Senators and the evidence amassed by the Impeachment managers.

It was there for their examination.

Not one Democrat Senator bothered to look at any of it.

[Ann Archy]

Intelligence Briefing for Dummies was just handed to the Democrats and they STILL are b*tching!

[squidly]

This isn't about evidence. Evidence is irrelevant. It's about whatever they can say to impugn GWB. That's all this is about.

[caisson71]

It should be obvious, except only to the blind and deaf, that the whining and carping by Democrats is less about doing their job for the American people as it is about the 2004 elections. Democrats, all of them by now, have lost any credibility with many of us. It's not even worth listening to their arguments. In many instances, arguments from Democrats are insulting to the common thinking man. Some Democrats a really baffling and their arguments bespeaks their ignorance.

[gunnedah]

They are too damn lazy to read the material and all they want to do is complain.
Both parties in Congress spend more time away from Congress than they do there tending to business and it is high time to dock their wages for it.

[FairOpinion]

"This isn't about evidence. Evidence is irrelevant. It's about whatever they can say to impugn GWB. That's all this is about. "

===

You are absolutely right. This one almost admits it:

"I refuse to go there," said Rep. William Delahunt, D-Mass., who has asked for an independent commission to review the intelligence gathering. "I want to see this information, but I want to have a public hearing."

They don't want the truth, facts and the answer, they want to get on TV to make unsubstantiated accusations against GWB, hoping that the American People will believe them.

Democrats yet again put their political agenda ahead of the security of the American people.

[Prodigal Son]

They don't want the truth, facts and the answer, they want to get on TV to make unsubstantiated accusations against GWB, hoping that the American People will believe them.

Yep, that about sums it up.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

Jane Harman D-Ca, is on the House Intel Committee.Before the war, she seemed to be very certain Saddam had WMD. But, recently, she has changed her tune-guess she got McAuliffe's memo to start trying to trash the intel community and the military. However, she has started to review the material and in an interview she gave to CNN, she has backed away,big time, from her recent accusations that the intel failed, etc.She said she would have to reevaluate her criticisms, she had no idea how complex the whole issue of tracking the WMD was, etc. The interview was on cnn.com a few days ago and it looked like she was doing a major CYA. The Democrats refusal to even look at the intelligence reports, highlights their total unsuitability to be in any positions that concern the security of our nation.

[nothingnew]

Hey Simmons...don't confuse the Dims with facts. What are you trying to do?

FMCDH

[FairOpinion]

"The Democrats refusal to even look at the intelligence reports, highlights their total unsuitability to be in any positions that concern the security of our nation."

---

Excellent point.

[ahadams2]

this whole game is so old - all the way back in the Carter administration, the dummicrats kept declassifing stuff resulting in sources drying up, bad guys changing their procedures, and so on...and they never did figure out that *they* were responsible...

let's face it- the left is unfit to govern, period.

[CyberAnt]

Geeeeee ... I don't see anything unusual here - the dems did the same thing with the impeachment info. Nothing to see here - move along!!!

[Valin]

"I refuse to go there," said Rep. William Delahunt, D-Mass., who has asked for an independent commission to review the intelligence gathering. "I want to see this information, but I want to have a public hearing. It's the American people who deserve an answer. And I want to get on Face The Nation.

From the Hugh Hewitt show "I don't like you cause you're trying to get me killed!"

[Valin]

NRO: The million-dollar question: Where are the WMDs?

Col. David Hunt (Ret.): We have a p.r. problem on our hands, not an intel problem. I think it's embarrassing that we haven't found the WMD. But they do exist. Some are probably in the Bekka Valley in Lebanon, some are in Syria, some are buried. There was some movement across the borders before the war. We have to remember that this is the same intelligence community that brought us great successes in Afghanistan. For them to have misled the president and secretary of state after 9/11, considering how some people want their heads . . . it's just not possible.

On the Hunt: An interview with Col. David Hunt
National Review ^ | 06/25/03 | Sarah Maserati
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/935273/posts