new yorker interview w/ seymour hersh

[zimv20]

link (http://www.newyorker.com/printable/?online/031027on_onlineonly01)

some good insights into how the administration gets and interprets its intelligence data, and why it's problematic

[Sayhey]

Thanks zim, Hersch is one of the people whose opinion I respect the most on Iraq and the workings of this administration. I find this part particularly chilling,

One of the great questions is “Were they lying? Did they know the truth?” And the answer, I think, to a large degree, is that, whatever they may have suspected, they didn’t know the truth, because the truth was simply impossible for them to see. The system had been set up so that they saw only what they wanted.

When ideologues and zealots are running our military and foreign policy we are in serious trouble.

[Desertrat]

I find it intriguing how bi-partisan this whole deal is, keying on "The system had been set up so that they saw only what they wanted."

It includes Nancy Pelosi's "Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology..." on 12/16/98

And Bob Graham's "There is no doubt that...Saddam Hussein has reinvigoated his weapons programs." on 5/12/01

Or Al Gore's "We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country." on 9/23/02

There's more in 2002 from Sen. Byrd, Sen. Jay Rockefeller, Rep. Henry Waxman and Sen John Kerry.

Sen. Hillary said on 10/10/02 that "It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons."

Hey, with advice like that, who wouldn't believe Intel about WMD in Iraq?

:D, 'Rat