The CIA "War" on Bush: The New Neocon Ploy

Extreme Right meet the Extreme Left. Now you both can agree. Whatever happens, it must be the fault of the CIA. Sleeper cell members, Al-Qaeda operatives, terrorists, foreign agents you can all rest easy. We've finally found the enemy and it ain't you. Nope. It's our own subversive intelligence services. If we don't have the Mullahs to kick around anymore, what better substitute than the boys over at Langley?

As I mentioned just yesterday, the neocon pushback on the NIE Iran report continues to be relentless. Now it has gelled into a visible, pointed strategy. It's all about the "CIA's war on Bush" as the geniuses over at Powerlines have put it.

On the same blog, long-time Kissinger Krony and current employee at the American Enterprise Institute, Mark Falcoff, argues the same line, explaining to us dunderheads that the CIA is divided into two clear factions. The action/operative types are just like the cool straight-shooters in the movies. And then, oh heavens, are all those pointy-headed analyst guys who...well... you just can't trust. Says Falcoff: "The estimates guys are mostly academic types who couldn't find a job teaching at a university when they got their Ph.D. Politically and culturally they are absolutely indistinguishable from the career people at the State Department. You can imagine what that means in the present context of Bush-hatred."

Oooooo, how scary indeed! If the CIA guys are so twisted, incompetent and duplicitous, what must the resident "scholars" at the lower-rung AEI think-tank be like? Mark?

And the beat goes on. The Wall Street Journal editorialized, going way over the edge, by fingering the alleged three authors of the NIE report as "hyper-partisan anti-Bush officials." Why, natch. How come the rest of us didn't figure this out? Sixteen separate U.S. intelligence agencies, working for more than a year to figure out what's really going on Iran, colluded to put their names behind what is, in reality, a Democratic election-year ploy to discredit the administration they all serve! How obvious.

Having finally exhausted the re-runs of the 2007 World Series of Poker, I flicked on Charlie Rose late last night who was chatting away with Fred Thompson. And there was Uncle Fred nimbly tapping out the same dance as the Powerline guys. I'll admit that Thompson pushed me too close to a state of narcolepsy to have actually taken notes, but I was awake enough to notice how dutifully he was trashing the CIA. If they so botched up Iraq, Thompson drawled, how on earth could we believe what they have to say about Iran?

Which doesn't answer, of course, the question of why Thompson is currently supporting a war based on the same intelligence he now dismisses. But then again none of this is about providing answers -- only excuses. Excuses to continue a tilt toward war in Iran, no matter the reality.

Comments

[Spookcatcher]

It takes money, skilled labor, general labor, vehicles, security, specific buildings, specific building materials, many types of educated technicians and scientists, and a host of other logistical considerations to begin, house, build, test, and then much time and efforts, successes and failures, in order to reach a safe point of implementation for a successful Nuclear Power Program, and even more criteria for a Weapons Program. To think that Our intelligence agencies, military applications, operatives, business interests and publicly prowestern Iranian civilians that themselves live in Iran, the Israelis, the RUSSIANS, the Chinese, the British, our Pakistan allies, and the use of OUR Satellites, which can read the address # off your maibox, and pretend we haven't been watching everything of Iran's activites, is what is so stupid by Americans. To listen to the MSM and the propaganda machinery and to not use Our common sense about how much attention is really paid to this issue by all these professionals and the safeguarding that is orchestrated hour by hour on all of our Nation's Defense, is weak minded and idiosy. We need to uncover the shadow government personnel and their facilitators, expel them publicly, and eradicate their influence on all societies!

[Justtellthetruth]

These guys (the neocons) are absolutely shameless.

They were the ones responsible for setting up the O.S.P. (office of special planning) whose sole purpose was to second guess the CIAs data on Iraqi
WMD.

Needless to say, the O.S.P. helped pervert the data into a pack of baseless lies that they then sold to the rest of the White House.

It's quite interesting that one of the underlings of O.S.P chief Douglas Feith was stung by the FBI and found to be giving Classified Documents on Iran to Memebers of AIPAC and People at the Israeli Embassy with the intention of arming them with the intel that could be used to help foment war between the US and Iran. Larry Franklin was sentenced to 12 years in federal Prison for his part, and the two AIPAC officials are facing charges of espionage against the US, although their trial has been endlessly delayed by their Lawyers.

Clearly, the FBI and CIA set up this sting due to similar activities that the OSP engaged in during the run up to the war in Iraq. It boggles my mind that the media is not Much more aggressive about pursuing this story.

Now that the CIA is back in the drivers seat, the very people who brought you the "Iraqi WMD Threat" B.S. are saying that the CIA should be second guessed again.

As I said, they are shameless. Desperate and Shameless.

One last comment: be very wary of ANY candidate that takes money and support of AIPAC. IE HILLARY. She and the others like her will keep us on exactly the same track that these Neocon nutjobs put us on in the first place.

[outnow]

Iran could switch to making weapons. Maybe this is the irony of the entire "peaceful atom" concept. The same holds true for microbiologists. These scientists could become bio-weapons terrorists. Then there are the chemists. They could become producers of weapons of mass destruction, such as nerve gas.

CIA agents could and have become "double agents." Politicians could represent the interests of other countries. Multinational corporations could have no loyalty to America. Large capital funds controlled by foreign countries could be used to buy and then dump treasuries and bankrupt our system, Computer programmers could be used to create computer viruses to destroy the internet.

Global warming, peak oil, avian flu, lead in the Barbie Doll, hijacked jets, etc., etc. The list goes on forever.

The threat from Iran is very small in comparison to the threat from China, for example. But Nixon went to China. No, Cheney's real motivation is financial, ideological, fanatical, delusional, but his limited analysis of threats discounts all other real threats we have faced and are facing.

Congress must rein these evil men in by impeachment and criminal prosecutions must follow. There have now been millions of deaths in Iraq and many more to follow. All to fatten Cheney's already bloated person, and to fatten his wallet. Americans are idiots and traitors.

The armed services are not Cheney's private oil army. He is a war criminal and should face justice.

[MitchW]

Weather the intel is true or not - It provides enough political cover not to have to attack Iran. Note how Iranian shipments of weapons to Iraq have dropped off, reduced chaos et al- followed by the "get out of jail free" NIE report card.
Conincedence? I think not.

[DrPaulProteus]

If there is a "CIA War" on Bush, it's about time someone stood up to him. If only the "opposition party" would show some of the same opposition.

[mgsorens]

When the NIE does an apparent 180 degree turn, it ought raise some questions.

It is surprising that most bloggers and journalist haven't read the NIE summary. Here is a quote. "Iranian entities are continuing to develop a range of technical capabilities that could be applied to producing nuclear weapons, if a decision is made to do so." And: "We assess with high confidence that Iran has the scientific, technical and industrial capacity eventually to produce nuclear weapons if it decides to do so."

[cobraxus]

during the run-up to war with Iraq members of the intelligence community who questioned the neocons were accused of being anti-semetic.I'm sorry but there's only one way to interpete that.
P.S.
slightly off-topic but how does Lou Dobbs feel about all these neocons whose first loyalty is to Israel?

[AmericaIsATerroist]

What a paranoid idiot. America, you are doomed.

[RevMetheus]

Of course they are trying to discredit the CIA, how else are they going to fully realize their DOD Intelligence efforts and make sure all their friends get the bulk of the kickbacks? How else are they going to fully control the info that comes in and out?

[dissolvethecorporation]

The CIA needs to bring in 'Team C' to purge neocons out of every level of government and society. Hell, ship 'em all to Dubai.

[taylorndncar]

you probably won't remember this, marc, but the eight years of clinton, dismantled the military and the intelligence community. when the republicans came into office, they had to rebuild the whole defense system. to verify any CIA value, you have to go to the FBI and the FBI isn't saying anything, are they...! we are a few steps behind the rest of the world in foreign intelligence,...but, we are aggressive..!

[llozano]

Nothing is going to deter Bush and company from continuing down the road to war with Iran. Already the goal posts have been moved. As it stands now it is not enough that Iran does not have a nuclear weapons programs now they have to explain why they don't have one. If they cannot explain it to George Bush's satisfaction then they are still in violation and subject to sanctions and possible invasion. I am waiting for the Congress, even just one member of Congress to say "no Mr. President, your game is over now!" I won't hold my breath.

[Purple Girl]

So the two factions of the CIA are Patriots and Traitors- big surprise. Sounds like the Patriots have taken control. Good. that's better than Congress.

Take em' down boys!! the other regimes you've toppled were only exercise drills for this big show!!!

Ya know the world has gone mad when I'm cheering for the CIA. Maybe all our public money will actually work to help US.

[WilliePilgrim]

It's becoming so obvious and apparent that even Newt Gingrich is seeing it; the GOP has swallowed its own BS and everyone knows it. BS in, BS out and the rest of us get a lesson on the cred-worthiness of the crapheads that are consistently able to subduct their human decency for a slice of the pie...a big slice...which I guess they share with the movers and shakers of the big political parties as they play golf together and salivate over the rewards they're sure to get.
I have to admit that the only alternative that I see now is Ron Paul.

[Not Blind]

This administration has hand-picked "intelligence" to suit their pre-conceived plans. They used "Curveball" a mentally unstable liar, as their justification to promote their war in Iraq, when Cheney had drawn maps of oil fields immediately upon taking office. Given the PNAC manifesto which awaited a cataclismic event, to set their plans in motion, one needs to wonder about 9/11. Why were many military bases ordered to "stand down," instead of intercepting the 2nd, 3rd and 4th hijacked planes? Why is it only United 93, which targetted the White House went down, while all the others hit their intended targets? Why is it the administration ignored FBI reports and memos about the hijackers' activities a month before the attacks? Why is it only Israeli citizens, employed and working in the WTC towers were "warned" not to go to work that day? Why is it many physicists and engineers insist the WTC towers imploded (fell as a demolition job)? Why is it the Saudi Royals, related to Bin-Laden, were whisked out of this country immediately (while planes were grounded) without the FBI or any law enforcement officials being able to interview them (per President's orders)? Why were there Israeli nationals at Liberty Park video-taping the WTC attacks (as if they knew where and when to be) and celebrating?
I'm not a conspiracy theorist or paranoid. There are far too many questions that have yet to be answered. Why did Cheney try to prevent the 9/11 Commission's hearings and investigation? We have published and known evidence Iran does not have a nuclear weapons program. We had facts and evidence that Iraq did not have WMD's or nuclear capabilities, but suppressed those. If Rove had been around, the NIE report would have been shredded or re-written to accomodate the Bush/Cheney plan to bomb Iran. The administration does not like this report, similar to the ones on Iraq, but since they couldn't keep the lid on this one, they're attacking the civil servants, who are probably tired of being scapegoats after-the-fact for failed policies.