Letters to the Editor
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@WT - Yes!
I wonder if it isn't evidence of continuing bad blood between Cheney's neocons and the intelligence agencies.
My first thought was, "Payback's a bitch."
Cheney's chuds abused them, demanded they find props to decorate their nasty little script then blamed them when the play didn't live up to the hype.
maybe we've gotten an early Christmas present.
My understanding is that Santa keeps score. ;->
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WT, I'd also flag this
Chris Floyd (one of Glenn's substitute teachers awhile back) doesn't strike me as the most optimistic person in the world, yet has a fairly encouraging take on the NIE release. I haven't read his post in full yet, but I think its worth a look, if you haven't seen it.
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Oink!
At the risk of being a thread-hog, I'd note one other thing. For those interested, MoveOn recently released an appeal to sign a petition asking Congress to forestall an attack on Iran.
http://pol.moveon.org/pac/noiranwar/
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@ bystander
Yes, Chris -- the Jeremiah of our neocon New Jerusalem. If he sees light at the end of the tunnel, there's no way it'll be an oncoming train. I'll have a look, thanks.
And thanks also to all who responded. Food for thought, but given the hour, I think I'll save it for breakfast.
G'night.
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Tedium is I
Last link, honest. I'm shutting down and logging off after this.
Question: Will Bush's intenational isolation (and ours) work for, or aginst a strike on Iran?
Degree of isolation described here:
The New Yorker
Follow the Leaders
by Hendrik Hertzberg December 10, 2007
Regime change was one of the stated goals of the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Unlike cleansing the place of weapons of mass destruction and breaking up the alleged Baghdad-Al Qaeda nexus, it was a reality-based goal; and, unlike the other two (which were as unattainable and unnecessary as ridding the moon of green cheese), it was actually accomplished. Saddam Hussein’s regime has indeed been changed—though what it has been changed into, of course, is not quite what was intended.
And regime change, it turns out, is infectious—a militarily transmittable disease, almost invariably fatal, so far, to any political party or head of government so careless of hygiene as to have had intimate relations with the Bush Administration’s Mesopotamian misadventure....
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--bystander
Question: Will Bush's intenational isolation (and ours) work for, or aginst a strike on Iran?
Against, on both counts.
One can't help but think that the rash of resignations to spend more time with families of ex-WH aides is starting to take its toll. I don't know how it could have happened, but even with a year's head start, the WH is reacting as though the release of this report was as much a surprise to them as everyone else. They aren't the well-oiled machine they were as little as 6 months ago.
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McClatchy are half wrong - - 14 months ago, it was the REPUBLICAN-controlled Congress who ordered the publication of a non-classified version of the NIE.
bystander:
This from McClatchy:
The Democratic-controlled Congress ordered the production of the NIE
- - bystanderActually, it was the REPUBLICAN-controlled Congress who passed a bill ordering the production of the NIE. President Bush signed (or should I say "signed") that bill into law, then disregarded the law for over a year, despite protests from the (now) Democratic-controlled Congress.
http://irannuclearwatch.blogspot.com/2006/10/new-national-intelligence-estimate-on.html
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
New National Intelligence Estimate on Iran UnderwayAlthough there is already a new National Intelligence Estimate underway, before leaving for their elections campaigning recess, Congress passed new measures to hold the administration accountable for Iran policy. Section 1213 of the Defense Authorization bill requires the President to provide Congress with a report on his strategy regarding Iran, and the Director of National Intelligence to submit to the Congress an updated and comprehensive national intelligence estimate on Iran no later than 90 days after the enactment of the bill.
SEC. 1213. INTELLIGENCE ON IRAN.
(A) SUBMITTAL TO CONGRESS OF UPDATED NATIONALINTELLIGENCE ASSESSMENT ON IRAN.
[...] an unclassified summary of the key judgments of the National Intelligence Estimate should be submitted.(B) PRESIDENTIAL REPORT ON POLICY OBJECTIVES ANDUNITED STATES STRATEGY REGARDING IRAN.
[...] in unclassified form with a classified annex [...]- - Carah Ong - - Wednesday, October 04, 2006
http://irannuclearwatch.blogspot.com/2007/12/long-awaited-national-intelligence.html
Monday, December 03, 2007
New Intelligence Estimate Calls for Credible Diplomatic Option to Extend Iran's Nuclear Weapons HaltOn October 31, the long-awaited and much delayed National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iran was published after more than a year of Congressional and public demands for its release.
[...] Key findings of the NIE were released on December 3 to the public
[...] Iran hawks argue that attacking Iran yesterday might be too late. The NIE’s 3 to 8 year best-case-scenario timeline, grounded in technical expertise, clearly articulates there is no imminent threat from Iran and demonstrates that the time for diplomacy is now. It is now clear why the Iran hawks in the Bush administration spent a year trying to stop this report from seeing the light of day. It blows a devastating hole in any argument for military action. [...]
- - Carah Ong
Maybe the GOP wouldn't have followed up the way the Dems did, but you have to give the GOP credit for enacting the law that required publication of the Iran NIE. I'm surprised that McClatchy didn't get the chronology quite straight.
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Never Anonymous
Re: the NIE, I suspect Pedinska's payback theory may be correct; I certainly (vindictively?) hope it is.
No payback needed from bebop's posse for Pamela, who seems quite reasonable after all. Skipping bebop's posts is only your own loss, though. Glenn (and bebop) are good arbiters of when it is too much, you'll see. He is our free-form poet and it's possible you'll learn to love him as we do (flirting, bebop). He knows his soup (and blueberries), that's for sure.
One of my favorite letters of his (from an earlier incarnation) was this one:
http://letters.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2007/03/02/cpac/permalink/ca53015ca7a71ea40a37f1cb98b917bd.html
If you read Glenn's original post, you'll understand.
Or not! At any rate, welcome.
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SusamMc
I remember your response. You used the four letter word.
Love.
I tried to leave a comment on Chris Floyd's site. The words keep 'a' swirling 'round and 'round, but ain't seemed to find a safe landing place yet....'*'
Floyd's crew must be conked-out. Snore.
You know. Thanks.