Spy Chief McConnell Admits He Misled Congress

MSNBC :

In a new embarrassment for the Bush administration top spymaster, Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell is withdrawing an assertion he made to Congress this week that a recently passed electronic-surveillance law helped U.S. authorities foil a major terror plot in Germany.

The temporary measure, signed into law by President Bush on Aug. 5, gave the U.S. intelligence community broad new powers to eavesdrop on telephone and e-mail communications overseas without seeking warrants from the surveillance court. The law expires in six months and is expected to be the subject of intense debate in the months ahead. On Monday, McConnell--questioned by Sen. Joe Lieberman--claimed the law, intended to remedy what the White House said was an intelligence gap, had helped to "facilitate" the arrest of three suspects believed to be planning massive car bombings against American targets in Germany. Other U.S. intelligence-community officials questioned the accuracy of McConnell's testimony and urged his office to correct it. Four intelligence-community officials, who asked for anonymity discussing sensitive material, said the new law, dubbed the "Protect America Act," played little if any role in the unraveling of the German plot. The U.S. military initially provided information that helped the Germans uncover the plot. But that exchange of information took place months before the new "Protect America" law was passed.

Read the whole story: MSNBC

Comments

[GiveMeStrength]

Correction: Why isn't he being forced to resign? 7 years of Bush World has impacted my ability to write.

[GiveMeStrength]

Riddle me this Batman; why is he being forced to resign?

[LIR]

It's all about selling lies, don't you know, at the cost of being honest with the country...­if it means making their illegal programs have legitimacy, they will make it up as they go along. How much longer will this shit continue?

[MissingAmerica]

I once had a great book, "Think Like a Man, Act Like a Woman, Work Like a Dog." There was a great line which this administration should use as its mantra: "Never tell a lie, and, if you must, never tell more than one a year, because nobody's memory is that good." This administration needs to stop lying to us. It would appear the only way that will happen is through impeachment. Saturday is impeachment day, yall. Sign the petitions and toot the horns on Saturday. Bush and Cheney need to be forced into early retirement for the global good!

[GiveMeStrength]

When does the shit end with these guys?

[andyboy]

Son of a beach.

I wonder which telefon company has the multi-billion dollar top-secret contract for data mining and telephone surveillance in Europe?

Nice work if you can get it.

I know if I was a terrorist I'd do all my sensitive business right over the phone. Who would think the line might be tapped? Our National Security guys are brilliant.

I'm so proud.

I'm going into the surveillance camera business. Going to try and get that contract to carpet the entire USA with them.

[andyboy]

"Officials said they believed McConnell gave the wrong answer because he was overwhelmed with information and merely mixed up his facts. Nonetheless, some officials said, as news of McConnell's misstatements spread, it would be in the intelligence director's best interests to correct his testimony—advice he is now heeding."

And like a Good German, McConnell is there...

Oh and Gee Whiz everybody! The cat is out of the bag. Darn it to hell! Now Al-Qieeda (pronounced Ki-ee-duh) knows we are listening in to their phone calls all over Europe. Dammit!

Fuck!

Sincerely,

Donald Rumsfeld.

[SonnyBono]

He "misled" the Congress? No, bunky, he LIED to Congress and to the people he is supposed to work for - no, not Bush & Company, the rest of us. I wonder if Senator Lieberman had the guy under oath? Nah, I don't think that good old Joe, aka Cheney's butt-boy would put a Bush flunky under oath. And the spin-specialist at the White House say he (McConnell) was confused by the amount of information and misspoke - maybe he is too stupid to be in charge of anything but W probably has a real nifty nickname for him and doesn't feel threatened by him.

As someone has already said - Somebody please give him a blow-job so we can impeach him!

[BushBites]

Bet Lieberman tried to hide the correction.

[Ammobob]

Wow! What a gaffe! This guy needs to be IMPEACHED! Claiming the renewed aspect of the surveillance program played a part in unraveling a terrorist plot, when it actually DIDN'T. He lied. He LIES! He's a LIAR!

Taken credit where credit is not due. It's not like he invented the Internet.

IMPEACH! IMPEACH! IMPEACH!

[zenhead]

A key element appears to be: "good old fashioned police work" was cited as the key factor in first becoming aware of these people in Germany. That affirms that a "law enforcement & intelligence" approach to terror has bagged most of the bad guys we've captured.
It's possible electronic intelligence CONFIRMED this plot in Germany. Confirmed. Initially, spotting one terrorist casing the American base set the rest in motion. Electronics confirmed the suspicion.
Once identified, because he was too obvious in his casing the American base, this man was identified, then physically surveilled. Then, electronically. McConnell told A truth, but not THE critical truth of how this plot was INITIALLY UNCOVERED.
Tradecraft is key. The hothouse environment of post September 11, anti-terrorism, is withering, I'm sure. Those who surveille, for instance, if more compartmented, should not be the ones who do the bombing. But, in their rush to make things happen, "fresh" jihadists, such as these Germans and Turk, moved too fast.
Out there, somewhere, though, are operatives who are more patient, and much less obvious in their surveillance of targets. And, frankly, I don't believe those terrorists, who might be seen as "creme de la creme," are focused on transportation targets.
A long term approach to a new terror attack would be chemical or biological. A "12 Monkeys" scenario would appear to be one alternative. Ricin in a water or food supply. And, for the U.S., I believe 20 or so suicide bombers in malls during the holiday season would throw the country into a full blown panic. Especially if American born and raised terrorists, as the Brits, Spanish, Italians, Germans, etc., have, do the deed.
Once our own people begin serving as terrorists, and once women become terrorists, we've got serious problems. It's far easier for a woman to penetrate physical security situations ... you only have to do it a few times to increase the paranoia for society as a whole.
There will be enormous disclosures of illegal activity once Bush-Cheney are shoved out the door.

[helonias]

Sounds like he needs to be water boarded so we can find out all the other stuff that may or mat not have happened.

[Steamboater]

"Officials said they believed McConnell gave the wrong answer because he was overwhelmed with information and merely mixed up his facts."
I don't understand. Was this McConnell talking about Germans really doing all the work to get those guys or an attempt by Larry Craig to get his guilty plea overturned? These republicans use the same excuse to get out of the hole they've got themselves in.

[joebaggadonuts]

What I found interesting is that it was Joe Lieberman who he had to call to get the second version of the story straight before issuing his retraction.

Also, the fact that it took several junior officers to say they were going to commit career suicide to make this happen; that was most interesting. You see, it takes effort and individual sacrifice to derail evil from its course, just like it takes effort and sacrifice to build sufficient levies to save New Orleans, or to make sure the bridges in this country are safe to cross and properly maintained, or to impeach the Administration, or to make peace.

[KLeethemedianstrip]

So the really serious question is: How are we supposed to truly stay safe when the Bush administration and its minions keep lying about everything?

I mean this is like saying the new lock on my front door kept out the guy who was trying to break in my house when in fact my neighbor really shot him on the porch.