Former CIA Officials: Bush Iran Claims "Preposterous"

Four former CIA officials who provided intelligence information to past presidents described as preposterous President Bush's claim that he was unaware until very recently that Iran had stopped its nuclear weapons program in 2003.

"It's unbelievable," said Melvin Goodman, who worked for the CIA from 1966 to 1990 and now is a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy.

Goodman's assessment of Bush's assertions were very similar to those of Larry C. Johnson, who worked at the CIA from 1985 to 1989 and from 1989 to 1993 served as Deputy Director in the U.S. State Department's Office of Counter Terrorism; Ray McGovern, a former CIA official who gave daily intelligence briefings to George H. W. Bush while he was vice president; and Bruce Riedel, who spent over two decades at both the CIA and National Security Council and is the former National Intelligence Officer for Near East and South Asian Affairs

At a December 4 (Tuesday) press conference, Bush asserted:

I was made aware of the NIE last week. In August, I think it was Mike McConnell [Director of National Intelligence] came in and said, 'we have some new information.' He didn't tell me what the information was; he did tell me it was going to take a while to analyze.

Why would you take time to analyze new information? One, you want to make sure it's not disinformation. You want to make sure the piece of intelligence you have is real. And secondly, they want to make sure they understand the intelligence they gathered: If they think it's real, then what does it mean? And it wasn't until last week that I was briefed on the NIE that is now public.

McGovern was totally incredulous: "The notion that the head of National Intelligence whispered in Bush's ear 'I've got a surprise for you and it's really important, but I'm not going to tell you about it until we check it out' -- The whole thing is preposterous," he said in an interview with The Huffington Post.

Riedel agreed, saying "the president either chose to ignore what he heard or his director of national intelligence is not doing his job." Riedel said he doubted McConnell failed to "do his part of the bargain."

"To me it is almost mind boggling that the President is told by the DNI that we have new important information on Iran and he doesn't ask 'what is that information?'" said Riedel, who is now a Senior Fellow at the Saban Center For Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution.

Story continues below

advertisement

He said it wasn't the DNI's responsibility to tell the President to "stop hyperventilating about the Iranian threat."

"The President and his policy advisers - National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley in particular - have the responsibility of keeping their eye on the intelligence and to take into account new information as it comes along," Riedel told The Huffington Post.

Bush and Cheney have repeatedly warned of the dangers of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons, with no mention of the intelligence findings that Iran had stopped its program in 2003. On October 17, Bush was asked at a press conference, "But you definitively believe Iran wants to build a nuclear weapon?" He replied

I think so long -- until they suspend and/or make it clear that they -- that their statements aren't real, yeah, I believe they want to have the capacity, the knowledge, in order to make a nuclear weapon. And I know it's in the world's interest to prevent them from doing so. I believe that the Iranian -- if Iran had a nuclear weapon, it would be a dangerous threat to world peace. But this -- we got a leader in Iran who has announced that he wants to destroy Israel. So I've told people that if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from have the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon. I take the threat of Iran with a nuclear weapon very seriously.

White House Press Secretary Tony Fratto declined Wednesday to discuss what McConnell told Bush at their August meeting.

Q ...Was there any indication from McConnell of the nature of the intelligence in the meeting in August?

MR. FRATTO: I can't give you more detail on what Director McConnell said to the President.

Larry Johnson pointed out that the National Intelligence Estimate is actually the result of an analysis of information from all intelligence agencies. The material on which the NIE report was based had been acquired well before the report itself was issued to the public.

When that information first became available to the CIA and other agencies, it would automatically have been included in the Presidential Daily Briefing (PDB) months before the NIE report, Johnson said. The President, Vice President, Defense Secretary and Secretary of State are all given daily accounts of the PDB, Johnson said. McGovern and Goodman agreed.

Comments

[SteveL]

It’s not hard to figure out. The administration plays to the 30% lunatic fringe that still believes them and sooner or later it will make a talking point.

[rabun666]

August is a bad time to talk to Bush about anything that would prevent a war, HE'S ON VACATION. It was in August 2001 that Bush was briefed by two CIA agents about an impending attack on the USA which interrupted Bush's vacation. Bush dismissed them telling them they covered their asses and they could leave and he went back to vacationing. 9/11/01. Bush doesn't cotton well to having his plans for permanent war interrupted by facts which are contrary to his imagined beliefs of fictions. His inspiration for becoming president is rooted in the 1984 movie "The last Starfighter" a movie he saw at a matinee during his drinking and drugging days.

[Lemeritus]

It's lunch time here on the West Coast and I'm completely lost... what's the Official Story of the Hour? Did Bush know in August or not? Because if he knew, someone should give a heads-up to John Bolton who is over at the Washington Post making a terrible fool of himself saying the administration was completely "unprepared". Interesting op-ed piece, if you haven't read it already.

[Truthsfire]

So? So he was told this summer that Iran might have suspended their nucyular arms programs. Does that mean that Iran "almost certainly" suspended their nucyular arms program? Does it mean they "pretty much for certain definitely" did? Does it prove they maybe wouldn't kind of think about moving toward the idea of perhaps having nucyular arms in the future sometimes? And even if they don't have NUCYULAR arms -- they maybe could still lob stones across the globe and knock out somebody's car window!! Didja ever think about THAT huh didja??

Obviously the only sane thing to do is to BOMB THEM BOMB THEM ALL BOMB THEM TO HELL. After all, we can come up with a good reason for it all LATER, just like we did in Iraq. I think I heard somewheres that this Ahmadinejad guy tried to kill Bush's pappy a while back.....

[watchingthings]

They made easier on Chimpy. He's so use to lying that, by telling him, they made it easier for him to lie again.

[lungfish]

This was posted downthread and I think there is something to it... Maybe he has some serious health issues - reminds me of Reagan in the last year or two of his second term...

http://www.adbuzz.com/bushbuzz.htm

[lucnyc]

There are still a lot of the 30 percenters out there who buy everything this administration says hook, line, and sinker. Even when faced with insurmountable evidence. These same people are now saying that it's the CIA'S fault, and that they provided GWB with faulty intelligence. I can't believe this crap. I don't know who's dumber, the President or them.

[AZM]

Gonna make it tough for Georgie to go out with a bank!!

[OckhamsElectricRazor]

It has degenerated from the Bush Administration to the Bush Regime and now to the Bush Junta. Can the country afford to wait til Jan 2009 for a change?!

[sugarmoes]

BUSH IS A GOOD CHRISTIAN MAN/LEADER/DECIDER/HUGGER/WARRIOR/COMMANDER/LIAR!!!!!!!!

[bluesnot]

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2007/120507.html

Which candidate is going to protect us best from neocon herding? Apparently not Sen. Clinton.

[Jane22]

Pathological liars often require therapy! George appears to be one of these! Perhaps, he needs to speak with his "Christian" mentors about how to overcome this serious "sin". Proverbs has some good advice for those such as Mr. Bush, who manifests a distinctly Immoral Way of Life. George: See: Proverbs 26:11-28. In fact, the whole book has lessons for those who can comprehend WISDOM. Peace

[outnow]

If we attack Iran, we would have three wars going in the Middle East at a time that out military tells us that the army is breaking from two.

Cheney wants to foment a "war of civilizations" so that he can secure total control of the oil.

Our vital interest there is the free flow of oil out of the Gulf, an interest shared by Europe, Japan, China, and all the other nations in the region, including Iran, whose economy depends on the export of oil and natural gas.

The question is whether preventing an Islamic revolution is best served by keeping U.S. troops in the region or by pulling out and relying on U.S. naval and airpower to prevent any nation from achieving hegemony in the Gulf and with it the control of the life blood of the global economy.

Tehran made an offer, through the Swiss embassy, an offer to negotiate with the United States a grand bargain - an end to sanctions, access to Western drilling equipment, and security guarantees from the U.S. in exchange for full rights under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, return of billions of dollars paid to us by the shah fro weapons never delivered, and to end the acts of aggression by Israeli special forces within Iran, the MEK in Iraq, and U.S. forces for stirring up minorities against the government, i.e., an end to the policy of regime change.

Attacking Iran would lead to regional instability.

We want Iran to desist from aiding Hamas, Hezbolla and other groups who use terrorism against the U.S., Israel. and other Arab nations. Cheney and the neocons vetoed the offer and have keep it and the NIE under wraps.

Cheney indeed is is own branch of government. These actions are treason. He has intentionally missed this window of opportunity and wants to cause WW III.

[VastRightWingConspiracy]

.
When your a chronic, habitual liar living in a fantasy world like DickNBush, you just can't keep your lies straight.
.

[eagleclaw]

"Larry Johnson pointed out that the National Intelligence Estimate is actually the result of an analysis of information from all intelligence agencies. The material on which the NIE report was based had been acquired well before the report itself was issued to the public.

When that information first became available to the CIA and other agencies, it would automatically have been included in the Presidential Daily Briefing (PDB) months before the NIE report, Johnson said. The President, Vice President, Defense Secretary and Secretary of State are all given daily accounts of the PDB, Johnson said. McGovern and Goodman agreed"

BUSH USES THE THOSE PDB'S TO WIPE HIS ASS.

PDB'S? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' PDB'S!

SAME SHIT HE PULLED IN THE PRIOR MONTHS OF 9/11, LIKE "BIN-LADEN DETERMINED TO STRIKE". THEY PROBABLY HAD A GOOD LAUGH OVER THAT ONE.