The NIE We Won’t See?

The NIE We Won\’t See?

Remember that NIE on Iraq that Rep. Jane Harman talked about before the elections? Well, it may
not see the light of day. I\’m sure you\’re anything but shocked. One reason
is that the news is bad. Again, not surprising, but it also looks like they
escaped making conclusions, because we wouldn\’t want to have the truth rumbling
around with between 21,000
– 48,000 troops about to be put back in the Mesopotamian meet grinder.

Here\’s the trailer:

A long-awaited National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq, presented to President Bush by the intelligence community yesterday, outlines an increasingly perilous situation in which the United States has little control and there is a strong possibility of further deterioration, according to sources familiar with the document. In a discussion of whether Iraq has reached a state of civil war, the 90-page classified NIE comes to no conclusion and holds out prospects of improvement. But it couches glimmers of optimism in deep uncertainty about whether the Iraqi leaders will be able to transcend sectarian interests and fight against extremists, establish effective national institutions and end rampant corruption. The document emphasizes that although al-Qaeda activities in Iraq remain a problem, they have been surpassed by Iraqi-on-Iraqi violence as the primary source of conflict and the most immediate threat to U.S. goals. Iran, which the administration has charged with supplying and directing Iraqi extremists, is mentioned but is not a focus. … Iraq at Risk of Further Strife, Intelligence Report Warns

If you want to know how bad it\’s gotten, I\’ve also got some clips of the Anderson
Cooper – Michael Ware interview, which comes from a special edition of Cooper\’s show. He goes for a kind of Charlie Rose atmosphere. Try to see it if it airs again. Great stuff. I covered some of it on my radio show and have
it in podcasts
or a few video clips if you prefer, which are below:

Anderson Cooper – Michael Ware on \”surge\” in Baghdad Anderson Cooper – Michael Ware on Al Qaeda in Iraq Anderson Cooper – Michael Ware on last chance in Iraq

After seeing those clips it\’s easy to understand why the Iraq NIE didn\’t come
out before the November election and why it may never be declassified. While
Congress is debating symbolic resolutions on Iraq it is dangerous for the Administration.

For Bush – Cheney, secrets are key.