Posted by
Soldier Dad on Sunday, February 11, 2007 2:47:51 AM
I have a Google News alert set up to help keep me updated on what is going on in Iraq. I was stunned today to see the top hit was an item claiming the Pentagon had admitted using "fabricated intelligence" to justify the Iraq war. It turns out the article is an opinion piece originating on the World Socialist Web Site. I had to think hard about putting in the link to the actual article as I do not want to give them the oxygen of publicity on which they thrive, but in the interest of transparency, it is at the end of this piece for those who have a strong stomach. Like all good propaganda, it is based selectively in fact but with a vilely distorted, anti-American bias. Here are the facts in (I hope) a relatively easy format:
1) The Pentagon has NOT admitted using fabricated intelligence to justify the war in Iraq
2) The
report by the IG does not once use the words "fabricated", "phony" or even imply that evidence was made up. What it does is criticise "the production and dissemination of alternative intelligence assessments..... which did not show the variance with the concensus of the Intelligence Community"
3) The investigation of the IG was done at the behest of Sen Carl Levin who put out
his own comments on the matter on Friday. Sen Levin is no friend of the Administration and wants a timetable for pulling our troops out. Nonetheless he does not accuse the Pentagon of "fabricated intelligence"
4) To summarise the actual reports, the Pentagon is actually accused of "inappropriately issuing alternative intelligence assessments" which emphasised there was a link between Saddam's regime and Al Qaeda. Intelligence is an inexact art and alternative views abound on almost all subjects. Note that the IG does not make any resultant recommendations as he believes the system has changed since this affair.
5) For anyone who does not believe there was such a link, please read the
excellent article by Deroy Murdoch which, while strident, also makes the case well. Also take note of the
court ruling covered by CBS (wow, MSM coverage which is somehow totally unmemorable) and, just for some on-the-spot coverage, another
unmemorable article by MSNBC in which the former Prime Minister of Iraq states his view that he believed there was a link.
What really disturbed me about this article was not the distortions (which I would expect from sources like this). I am deeply concerned that this trash was the top hit for a search on Iraq and its source is not immediately apparent. Once again, an MSM outlet (Google) has managed to give aid and comfort to the enemy.
The
offending article is on an innocuous looking website where you have to read the "about us" page to find that it lists "anti-capitalist collective" as one of its "Principles" and which then links at the bottom of the page to the original article
here.