"The president and his advisers undertook a relentless public campaign in the aftermath of the attacks to use the war against Al Qaeda as a justification for overthrowing Saddam Hussein."

While Democratic and Republican committee members battle it out over the implications of the Phase 2 report, Pat Roberts' role in obstructing the investigation of the Bush administration's uses - and misuses - of intelligence in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq is beyond dispute.

First, a little background. In the aftermath of the invasion of Iraq, the absence of weapons of mass destruction there called into question President Bush's pre-war specter of a "gathering threat" (March 6, 2003), "the smoking gun that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud" (October 7, 2002), among other pre-war claims. By October 2003, the interim report of the Iraq Survey Group came up empty, findings confirmed by the final Duelfer Report a year later.

In response, President Bush and his Republican allies in the Senate took great pains to provide the illusion of fact-finding, while ensuring that no outcome detrimental to the President could come to pass before Election Day 2004, if ever.

Let's start in Congress. On June 20, 2003, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence began its work. Led by Republican Chairman Pat Roberts (KS) and Democratic Vice Chairman Jay Rockefeller (WV), the SSCI promised a two-phase report on the march to war in Iraq. Phase 1 would examine the failings of the American intelligence community. Phase 2 would investigate the uses of pre-war intelligence and whether the administration had manipulated it to create a causus belli. Conveniently for the Bush White House, the potentially damaging Phase 2 inquiry would not come until after the election.

Not surprisingly, the SSCI Phase 1 Report released in July 2004 sought to lay the blame for faulty intelligence at the feet of the CIA. Chairman Roberts concluded that "what the President and the Congress used to send the country to war was information that was...flawed" and "most of the key judgments in the October 2002 national intelligence estimate on Iraq's WMD programs were either overstated or were not supported by the raw intelligence reporting." But Roberts also presumed the conclusion of the as-yet-uncompleted Phase 2 report, "the committee found no evidence that the intelligence community's mischaracterization or exaggeration of intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction capabilities was the result of politics or pressure."

During the very same press conference, Vice Chairman Rockefeller in response expressed his frustration and alarm over Roberts' statements:

"And I have to say, that there is a real frustration over what is not in this report, and I don't think was mentioned in Chairman Roberts' statement, and that is about the -- after the analysts and the intelligence community produced an intelligence product, how is it then shaped or used or misused by the policy-makers?� So again there's genuine frustration -- and Chairman Roberts and I have discussed this many times -- that virtually everything that has to do with the administration has been relegated to phase two. My hope is that we will get this done as soon as possible."

Rockefeller had good reason to worry. As it turns out, Senator Roberts simply had no intention of ever pursuing the Phase 2 inquiry into the Bush's administration's use - or misuse - of pre-war intelligence. On July 9, 2004, Roberts told reporters, "We will proceed with (that work in) phase two. It is a priority. I made my commitment and it will get done." But on March 10, 2005, a straight-faced Roberts changed his tune:

"It got to be a problem in regard to a subjective point of view. If you ask any member of the administration, 'Why did you make that declarative statement?' ... basically, the bottom line is, they believed the intelligence and the intelligence was wrong. In addition, we were in an even-numbered year and you know what that means. So, we sort of came to a crossroads and that [Phase 2] is basically on the back burner."

Roberts' stonewalling for the Bush administration didn't end there. Upon the release of the Silberman-Robb Commission Report, Roberts on March 31, 2005 concluded, "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." Satisfied that the pretense of an investigation was provided while the Bush administration was still protected, Roberts added, "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."

As for the Silberman-Robb Commission, it was designed to avoid the very issues Senator Roberts had so steadfastly refuse to investigate. As with the 9/11 Commission, President Bush initially opposed the formation of an independent panel to investigate Iraq WMD intelligence. And just as with the 9/11 Commission, Bush flip-flopped, caving to public pressure for an inquiry. But Bush's panel, led by Judge Laurence Silberman (the same judge who overturned Oliver North's felony conviction), would not include the subject of intelligence manipulation within its charter. The report concluded that the CIA had been "dead wrong" about Iraq WMD. But as Silberman himself noted:

"Well, on the [that] point, we duck. That is not part of our charter. We did not express any views on policymakers' use of intelligence -- whether Congress or the president. It wasn't part of our charter and indeed most of us didn't want to get into that issue because it's basically a political question and everybody knows -- you can look at the newspaper and see what people said and make your own judgment."

That judgment is what the Phase 2 report finally provided today. As McClatchy summarized, the report determined:

"Statements by the President and the Vice President indicating that Saddam Hussein was prepared to give weapons of mass destruction to terrorist groups for attacks against the United States were contradicted by available intelligence information," the report concluded.

Claims by President Bush that Iraq and al Qaida had a partnership "were not substantiated by the intelligence."

The president and vice president misrepresented what was known about Iraq’s chemical weapons capabiliies.

Rumsfeld misrepresented what the intelligence community knew when he said Iraq's weapons productions facilities were buried deeply underground.

Cheney's claim that the intelligence community had confirmed that lead Sept. 11 hijacker Mohammed Atta had met an Iraqi intelligence officer in Prague in 2001 was not true.

Four years ago, Pat Roberts with a straight face declared his committee's probe "a priority," adding of the critical Phase 2 report, "I made my commitment and it will get done." As it turned out, not so much. As for the truthfulness of President Bush and Vice President Cheney, that too was a fraud perpetrated on the American people.

—Perrspective 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (9) |

9 Comments

You're doing' a heckuva job Patty!!

Can't wait to find out whatever facts you've obscured under the guise of principles such as truth, honor, justice, liberty....

Posted by Homer on June 5, 2008 7:59 PM

roberts has always been a right wing "hack". as with many others of his ilk their demeanor and mannerisms prove that 'you cant judge a book by its cover'does not apply.unfortunatly im afraid they have so corrupted the true nature of democracy with increased intensity since their "ronald reagan deification". truth will continue to be lies, and lies will continue to be truth. i think their power is to deeply entrenched and the apathy and ignorance of too many of the eligible voters for so long has make the mountain to steep too climb.

Posted by richj on June 5, 2008 8:46 PM

roberts has always been a right wing "hack". as with many others of his ilk their demeanor and mannerisms prove that 'you cant judge a book by its cover'does not apply.unfortunatly im afraid they have so corrupted the true nature of democracy with increased intensity since their "ronald reagan deification". truth will continue to be lies, and lies will continue to be truth. i think their power is to deeply entrenched and the apathy and ignorance of too many of the eligible voters for too long has make the mountain to steep too climb.

Posted by richj on June 5, 2008 8:50 PM

I suggest that you reread the Regime Strategic Intent section of the Duefler Report. I believe it clearly states that Saddam intended for everyone to think that he had WMD. Additionally the American people should demand that all members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committee resign, they definitely failed in their oversight function.

Posted by Chuck on June 5, 2008 11:00 PM

Think it might be IMPEACHMENT time?

Posted by mary on June 6, 2008 4:24 AM

"Additionally the American people should demand that all members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committee resign, they definitely failed in their oversight function."

I'd agree with the republicans on the committee resigning, since they were clearly in the tank for Bush. The democrats had little say in the report's release, or conclusions. We now see the negative effects to the country of having a rubberstamp republican majority, and in November, hacks like Roberts willbe lookingfor another job.

Posted by barfly on June 6, 2008 4:48 AM

From Kansas here, and I'm not surprised at all. Pat Roberts is a scum, getting re-elected on the basis of his 'Christianity' and the old people think it's the 'other' Pat Roberts time and again. *barfs*

Posted by Karen on June 6, 2008 6:42 AM

all of this crap can be traced directly back to "turning the page" after watergate.

if you let criminals walk, they will come back and try it again.

if we let these criminals walk, we WILL end up with what we deserve, because they WILL be back.

Posted by karen marie on June 8, 2008 3:26 PM

Thank You for posting the facts. You would think this information would be everywhere but it's not. The phase 2 report is something that every American should see. The current administration should face serious consequences for their actions and the only way that will happen is if the truth gets out. Thank You

Posted by Drew on June 9, 2008 10:38 PM

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