Bush deleted no threat of attack from Iraq line from NIE; why believe IRAN is a threat?

[yurbud]

Obama seems to be walking a fine line on Iran between placating Israel and not starting a World War. I wish he would just come out and say Iran even with nukes is no threat to us or even to Israel, as the National Intelligence Estimate in 2002 made clear about Iraq in spite of the fear-mongering in the press and from the Bush admin.

Of all the many Bush administration deceptions employed to frighten the American people into supporting the invasion of Iraq, perhaps the most important and best-kept secret is the doctoring of the National Intelligence Estimate of 2002, the "gold standard" report which combined the considered opinion of 16 US intelligence agencies. In the run-up to the invasion, there were two versions of the report: the classified report which the intelligence agencies gave to Bush, and the one that the Bush administration gave to Congress.

***

In the summary section called "Key Judgements" of the classified report which Bush was given, US intelligence said that Saddam Hussein would likely only support terrorist attacks on the US in self-defense, if he felt threatened. The classified National Intelligence Estimate 2002 (NEI 2002) read on page 8:

"Baghdad for now appears to be drawing a line short of conducting terrorist attacks with conventional or CBW against the United States, fearing that exposure of Iraqi involvement would provide Washington a stronger cause for making war.

Iraq probably would attempt clandestine attacks against the US Homeland if Baghdad feared an attack that threatened the survival of the regime were imminent or unavoidable, or possibly for revenge."

http://ralphlopez.hubpages.com/hub/Bush-Deleted-Intel-Report-Passage-Saying-Saddam-Would-Only-Attack-in-Self-Defense

[Eddie Haskell]

1. I don't doubt it, but how do you know this?

Do you have a link?

[yurbud]

2. added link to article, which has a link to declassified doc at GWU

a reliable source for this kind of stuff.

Someone forced the CIA director to release a letter saying the same thing at the time because he said it in closed door testimony but wouldn't say it publicly.

[Scootaloo]

3. Because Mister Bibbles and the Islamophobes that revere him as Messiah want dead people

And they are campaigning hard to have the opportunity to kill lots of Jews so long as plenty of Muslims die too; it's not going to be Likud, Shas, or Yisrael Beitinu party members nor their frothing American supporters that pay for it in blood, after all, so who cares?

[yurbud]

4. I don't totally follow that, but to the degree I do, I think I agree.

[Scootaloo]

5. Standard warmongering. The people who want war the most are least likely to bleed for it

In this case, it's being fueled by a near-religious set of bigoted beliefs.

[yurbud]

6. I think the bigotry is an excuse. Everything is about money

[Scootaloo]

7. I think you might be surprised n/t

[cpwm17]

8. Greed, bigotry, and selfishness are often related and the root of most evil in this world.

In this case it is mostly religious bigotry directed against the Iranians for selfish reasons. Some people are also able to make a buck in the process.