National Intelligence Estimate Reflects Positively on the Bush Administration
National Intelligence Estimate Says Iran Stopped Pursuing Nuclear Weapons in 2003
The President’s critics and the Left are spinning this report as evidence the Bush administration is a neo-con war machine. Yes, the President will likely have to soften his position on Iran or at least use this as an opportunity to gain some “breathing room.” But IMHO, the NIE report reflects positively on the President.
Here’s why:
Instead of keeping the NIE under wraps the President released the report.
In 2003, the President commenced with the invasion of Iraq. It is no coincidence that Iran stopped pursuing WMD at that time. This bolsters the idea that striking in the heart of the middle east was the strategically correct move to make after liberating Afghanistan.
The NIE’s revelations kind of make Hillary Clinton look stupid after telling the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in February 2007:
“U.S. policy must be clear and unequivocal: We cannot, we should not, we must not permit Iran to build or acquire nuclear weapons,” the Democrat told a crowd of Israel supporters. “In dealing with this threat … no option can be taken off the table.”
And calling Iran…
“a danger to the United States and one of Israel's greatest threats, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said "no option can be taken off the table" when dealing with that nation.”
The NIE shows just how incompetent our intelligence community can be. And therefore puts a damper on the Left’s accusation that the President lied in order to garner support for OIF. Instead he was forced to rely on faulty intelligence supplied by the very same agencies that author the NIE’s.
At the very least it shows the extent to which the intelligence community is willing to go to cover-their-own-butts (“CYA”).