Is the ‘intelligent community’ intelligent?
When we are in troubling times we should be able to trust our intelligence community, our government, and our press. Unfortunately, such trust is at times misplaced. Have we learned anything?
RE: Venezuela
“A cache of controversial computer files closely tying Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez to communist rebels seeking to topple Colombia's government appear to be authentic, U.S. intelligence officials say.”
Wall Street Journal May 9, 2008
RE: Iraq
“Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction.”
Dick Cheney August 26, 2002
RE: Venezuela
“A review by The Wall Street Journal of more than 100 new files from the computers suggests that Venezuela has broader and deeper ties to the FARC than previously known.”
Wall Street Journal May 9, 2008
RE: Iraq
“Our intelligence officials estimate that Saddam Hussein had the materials to produce as much as 500 tons of sarin, mustard and VX nerve agent.”
George Bush January 28, 2003
RE: Venezuela
“The files suggest that Venezuela offered the FARC the use of one of its ports to receive arms shipments, and that Venezuela raised the prospect of drawing up a joint security plan with the FARC and sought basic training in guerrilla-warfare techniques.”
Wall Street Journal May 9, 2008
RE: Iraq
“Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised.”
George Bush March 18, 2003
RE: Venezuela
"There is complete agreement in the intelligence community that these documents are what they purport to be," a senior U.S. official said. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has been sharing its assessments with the White House, this official said.”
Wall Street Journal May 9, 2008
RE: Iraq
“Saddam's removal is necessary to eradicate the threat from his weapons of mass destruction.”
Jack Straw Foreign Secretary 2 April, 2003
RE: Venezuela
“Washington's stance is likely to hurt Venezuela's already deeply strained relationship with the U.S., its biggest trade partner. It could also add pressure for the U.S. to declare Venezuela a state sponsor of terrorism, alongside Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria, and impose sanctions.”
Wall Street Journal May 9, 2008
RE: Iraq
“Iraq both poses a continuing threat to the national security of the United States and international peace and security in the Persian Gulf region and remains in material and unacceptable breach of its international obligations by, among other things, continuing to possess and develop a significant chemical and biological weapons capability, actively seeking a nuclear weapons capability, and supporting and harboring terrorist organizations.”
Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, February 5, 2003
RE: Venezuela
“The documents are among more than 10,000 files that Colombian intelligence services say came from three computers belonging to Raúl Reyes, the FARC's former second-in-command. Mr. Reyes was killed in March when Colombia's military staged a contentious cross-border raid into Ecuador, where he was camped.”
Wall Street Journal May 9, 2008
RE: Iraq
“There is no doubt that the regime of Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction.”
Gen. Tommy Franks March 22, 2003
RE: Venezuela
“According to the senior U.S. intelligence official, the Colombian government delivered ‘thousands’ of the controversial documents to Washington in March. Since then, American technical experts have studied them for signs of forgery and to assess whether they correspond to the methods the FARC typically uses to communicate. "There are no indications whatsoever that they've been fabricated by the Colombians," the official said.”
Wall Street Journal May 9, 2008
RE: Iraq
“I have no doubt we're going to find big stores of weapons of mass destruction.”
Kenneth Adelman, Defense Policy Board , March 23, 2003
RE: Venezuela
“The official said that the most troubling information in the files suggested the FARC's willingness to purchase virtually any type of weapon from any source. The official said Mr. Chávez's government has increasingly been willing to help the FARC reach international buyers. The official cited the FARC's particular desire to acquire surface-to-air missiles…”
Wall Street Journal May 9, 2008
RE: Iraq
“Well, there is no question that we have evidence and information that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, biological and chemical particularly . . . all this will be made clear in the course of the operation…”
Ari Fleisher March 21, 2003
RE: Venezuela
“During a speech Wednesday on Latin American relations, President Bush brought up the FARC situation. "Colombia faces a hostile and anti-American neighbor in Venezuela, where the regime has forged an alliance with Cuba, collaborated with FARC terrorists, and provided sanctuary to FARC units."
Wall Street Journal May 9, 2008
RE: Iraq
“We know where they are. They are in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad.”
Donald Rumsfeld March 30, 2003
RE: Venezuela
“…according to one 2005 email, from Jorge Briceño (known as Mono Jojoy, a top FARC military commander), the rebels at that time had some 370 guerrillas and urban sympathizers operating inside Venezuela.”
Wall Street Journal May 9, 2008
RE: Iraq
“Saddam's removal is necessary to eradicate the threat from his weapons of mass destruction.”
Jack Straw Foreign Secretary 2 April, 2003
RE: Venezuela
“One email, apparently sent by a FARC commander known as "Timochenko" to the guerrillas' ruling body in March 2007, describes meetings with Venezuelan naval-intelligence officers who offer the FARC assistance in getting "rockets." The Venezuelans also offer to help a FARC guerrilla travel to the Middle East to learn how to use the rockets.”
Wall Street Journal May 9, 2008
RE: Iraq
“We have sources that tell us that Saddam Hussein recently authorized Iraqi field commanders to use chemical weapons — the very weapons the dictator tells us he does not have.”
George Bush February 8, 2003
RE: Venezuela
“In another email dated early 2007, FARC commander Iván Márquez describes meetings with the Venezuelan military's intelligence chief, Gen. Hugo Carvajal, and another Venezuelan officer to talk about "finances, arms and border policy." Mr. Márquez relates that the Venezuelans will provide the guerrillas some 20 "very powerful bazookas," which Colombian military officials believe is a reference to rocket-propelled grenade launchers.”
Wall Street Journal May 9, 2008
RE: Iraq
“One of our top objectives is to find and destroy the WMD. There are a number of sites.”
Pentagon Spokeswoman Victoria Clark March 22, 2003
RE: Venezuela
“…another Venezuelan general is described as offering the port of Maracaibo to facilitate arms shipments to the guerrillas. The general suggests piggybacking on shipments from Russia — from which Venezuela itself is buying everything from Kalashnikovs to jet fighters — to "include some containers destined to the FARC" with various arms for the guerrillas' own use.”
Wall Street Journal May 9, 2008
RE: Iraq
“There are people who in large measure have information that we need . . . so that we can track down the weapons of mass destruction in that country.“
Donald Rumsfeld April 25, 2003
RE: Venezuela
“The proposals to obtain weaponry are part of a broad program of economic and political support for the FARC from Mr. Chávez's government, some of which was detailed in emails that were made public in the days just after the cross-border military raid that yielded the computer files.”
Wall Street Journal May 9, 2008
RE: Iraq
“We are asked to accept Saddam decided to destroy those weapons. I say that such a claim is palpably absurd.”
Tony Blair, Prime Minister 18 March, 2003
RE: Venezuela
“Many documents talk about how to fit generous offers of Venezuelan aid to the FARC's long-term "strategic plan" of taking power in Colombia. In one document dated January 2007, one top FARC commander speaks of a "loan" for $250 million to buy arms which the FARC will pay back once it has reached power.”
Wall Street Journal May 9, 2008
RE: Iraq
“I am confident that we will find evidence that makes it clear he had weapons of mass destruction.”
Colin Powell May 4, 2003
RE: Venezuela
“Interpol, the international police organization, has yet to give its view on the files' legitimacy. Colombia asked Interpol to perform an independent forensic analysis, and next week, Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble is scheduled to travel to Colombia to present the findings.”
Wall Street Journal May 9, 2008
RE: Iraq
“We'll find them. It'll be a matter of time to do so.”
George Bush May 3, 2003
"No, we’ve had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved with September the 11th,"
George Bush September 17, 2003
“If we‘re successful in Iraq… We will have struck a major blow right at the heart of the base, if you will, the geographic base of the terrorists who have had us under assault for many years but most especially on 9/11. “
Dick Cheney
Is anyone paying attention?