Three Days, Three Changing Stories on NIE from the White House

Another day, another explanation of what the president knew and when he knew it with the National Intelligence Estimate on Iran.

In just three days, the White House has gone back and forth three times on what the president knew, and when he knew it, in regards to the NIE:

• On Monday, National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley said the president was told about this report "in the last few months."

• On Tuesday, the president said, "In August, I think it was John - Mike McConnell came in and said, We have some new information. He didn't tell me what the information was... And it wasn't until last week that I was briefed on the NIE that is now public."

• On Wednesday, White House press secretary Dana Perino said that in August, the president was told of the NIE. More importantly, despite the president's contention that he was not briefed on what might be in it, Perino said he was told that when the report was analyzed, it might show that "Iran does in fact have a covert nuclear weapons program, but it may be suspended."

This doesn't fly with those of us who served and who have many friends still in harm's way. We need immediate hearings. We need to know if the president lied and played politics with our lives.

Did the president know, or not, whether he and his administration were ramping up rhetoric on Iran when our intelligence said there was no immediate nuclear threat? The type of rhetoric he and his administration spread on Iran does nothing to preserve the fragile calm among Shia forces, loyal to Iran, who can strike at our troops at a moment's notice. We need to know if the president painted a target on the backs of our troops for domestic political purposes.

Today, we launched an effort at VoteVets.org, to get answers. By clicking here, you can send a letter to the chairs of the House and Senate Select Committees on Intelligence, demanding they hold immediate hearings on the matter. I know everyone has their gut feeling on what happened, but we can't go on gut feelings - we need facts and we need answers that only hearings can provide.

While the president tap dances around the truth, our troops are dodging RPGs and bullets. His rhetoric on Iran could have worsened the danger they're in, if not for the release of this report. We need to know what he knew and when he knew it, and why he thought it was wise to use language that only served to aggravate Shia forces loyal to Iran.

Do your part. Demand hearings now.

Comments

[speakingtruth2power]

The tapes were held back and eventually destroyed because they implicated the old Pak./Saudi connection with 9-11 that the Bush crime family didn't want exposed.

For this Vietnam vet who always believed our CIA was used in the drug/arms trade, I think back to the BCCI days when the coke (crack)flowed into our inner cities.

Changing the story is nothing for these treasonous war criminals, when they get caught in five consecutive and contradicting lies, they say 'mistakes were made' and our press and Congress drops the story.

[FOXYLADY]

SO, BUSH WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NEW INFORMATION ABOUT IRAN IN "AUGUST" AND 'NEVER BOTHERED TO FIND OUT WHAT IT WAS"??? MY GOD, HOW STUPID OF THIS BAFFOON TO NOT BE "INTERESTED" IN WHAT THE NEW INFO WAS... I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS STUPID PERSON THAT WE HAVE AS A PRESIDENT!! MY GOOD GOD, THIS GUY AND HIS HONCHO CHENEY SHOULD BE "TAKEN OUT/TAKEN DOWN" NOW...RIGHT AWAY....BEFORE THEY DO ANY MORE DAMAGE....THEY'VE MADE A MOCKERY OF THIS COUNTRY TO THE REST OF THE WORLD...WE NEED ANOTHER "REVOLUTION"...ANOTHER "TEA PARTY" OF SOME KIND.......

[wrabbitt]

If the person on cameras mouth is moving they are lying, or changing the story to fit the lie better. We have been here before, " I'm no Crook" i'm not lying, I'm not bad i'm just drawn that way, the check is in the mail,

[janmB]

I can't believe I'm saying this but I think the ones surrounding GWB are setting him up. (I used to think they protected him )

We all know GWB is "disengaged " from reality and not very swift of mind but where are the ones stopping him from making a complete @ss of himself ?

Once GW started ranting about IRAN then some others jumped on that bandwagon too. DIdn't THEY have a clue or didn't they think the public would ever find out it was a SHAM.

[Kirby]

The great deceiver is at work.

Is Bush an oxymoron or a foxymoron?

[deminmo]

Jon,
Did you happen to hear about the comment
Sen. McConnell made? That those who have died
in Iraq were not draftees, they were professional soldiers? This is another guy that
should not be in Washington.

[nexus1961]

O.K. .....
After Perino's "performance" yesterday, I am
officially declaring that the whole "what is the meaning of is" crap they hounded Clinton about surpassed in both Irony and Duplicity.

[deminmo]

Keith Obermann had some comments on his show
Thursday, and at the end he said the President
lied and was not fit to be President. But
how much did he lie? We supplied Saddam with
weapons to fight against Iran. What happened
to 160,000 arms in Iraq? Did Iran start on a
nuclear weapon or finish one in 2003? Are they
an immediate threat or a possible one? Is the
President on the path to war with Iran, even
over the threat of impeachment, or lack of
support from voting members of the UN?
He is talking to Israel about Iran, and will
make a trip to Israel in early January. Do
we believe it's to discuss Palestine?

Way too many questions. And NO one telling
us the truth.

[spottedcat]

I sent the email and got an automated reply stating that Sen. Rockefeller is not responding to emails from anyone other than West Virginia residents.

[fullkelly]

I was with the Third and First Marines in the 60s and was always told that a good leader is one who never asks anyone to do anything that he or she (the leader) would not do himself. Then I read about GW Bush's little draft dodging stint in the TXNG and I get a little bitter.
Oh yes , I know about Bill Clinton too, but Bill isn't running this country today, GW BUSH is, and the things he is asking our armed forces to do is to say the least -SICKENING!

[RumiSouth]

Spin For Dummies, P.15: When square facts won't fit in the round holes of your narrative, pound them with a hammer until they fit.

[kirafa]

AS someone who grew up during the Vietnam Era and became a democrat the day my cousin was sent home in a body bag, I find myself more and more discouraged. So I ask, WHO AM I SUPPOSED TO VOTE FOR? The day the Supreme Court decided Bush would be our President, I cried because I knew he would be horrible, but I never dreamed the American people would let it go on this long. Clinton was impeached for sex and this man is responsible for so much more. An illegal war, the tearing down of the constitution, ignoring the Geneva Convention, lying to the American people and this is all I can think of in my angered state. But I don't even hold him responsible, I hold myself and the rest of us who read the blogs and push buttons to respond to activist requests. We aren't doing enough. We need to be on the streets screaming to high heaven, we made our voices heard in the 70's and we can do it again. As for the WHO DO I VOTE FOR question, I raise it again, because the candidates I see have allowed this to happen as well, Pelosi with "impeachment off the table", Hillary with Kyl Lieberman, Obama with his "present" status. Sure Kucinich will take a stand, but look at this ratings, it is almost a wasted vote. I feel betrayed and helpless so .... what do you do?

[DenverCurmudgeon]

From the Jerusalem Post December 7, 2007:

"The report was first made known to Israel several months ago during one of the regular meetings of the Israeli-US Strategic Dialogue led by Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz and Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns. During one of the sessions, an Israeli official recalled, Burns spoke about the "traditional" and known assessments regarding Iran's nuclear program, and told Mofaz that they might be changing soon with the publication of the NIE report."

[ajax2]

The WH isn't done yet. They still need to show that Bush is relevant and that he somehow didn't know that Iran wasn't pursuing nukes for years. It will take all the kings horses and all the kings men to put Bush together again. I suggest putting Bush on a shorter leash with a larger transceiver on his back. Or tie a rope to his wrist.

[Kungfublood]

Bush is a liar not a dancer (.)