Neo-Con-spiracy

The neocons continue to frantically spin the devastating National Intelligence Estimate that blew their plans to bomb Iran out of the water (see yesterday's "Neocon Job"). In particular, as Larry Johnson at TPM notes, the sinister Stormin' Norman Podhoretz, the father of neoconservatism, is imagining a dark conspiracy among Dumbya's detractors in the intelligence community to leak damaging information and to undermine the Preznit's flawless strategery to eventually attack every Muslim country in the Middle East. This slur should not go unchallenged by the Defense and State Departments and the CIA. Their intelligence professionals were burned in the lead up to the Iraq war by the cherry picking of intelligence by neocons, who were truly the ones trying to politize intellegence.

Neocon Job

Well, it didn't take long for the neocon contingent of the 101st Fighting Keyboarders to try to spin the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on the shut down of Iranian nuclear weapons program. The same neocons that were pushing false information about Iraq and then Iran are now either "skeptical" about the intelligence, or spinning that Dumbya's deceit about Iran's program was a smart move to keep the Iranians off balance. The New York Times' "The Lede" draws on a few of the more tortured statements.

The NIE story is certainly about the content of the document, which said that Iran's weapons program was shut down in 2003. But it's also about the fact that the report was completed some 6 months ago and held from the public by the neocons in the West Wing that didn't like the conclusions reached. The speculation is that the report's release was forced by an "alliance" within the Assministration, including the CIA/Joint Chiefs of Staff/State Department, that was leery of more dishonest intelligence cherry picking of data by Cheney & Co., similar to the lead up to the Iraq invasion.

Here We Go Again

Recent reports indicate that Dead Eye Dick has been surpressing a National Intelligence Estimate on Iran because it doesn't conform to his road map for war. The report, which has been held up for over a year, won't be released by the Cheney clique simply because it contains dissenting views on Iran's nuclear capabilities and intentions. Think Progress' article has a nice comparison of how this approach is identical to the manipulation of intelligence prior to the Iraq invasion.

More Progress, cont'd.

The latest declassified version of the National Intelligence Report was issued today, and has dim hopes for the Maliki government ever leading a unified Iraq. Sectarian violence continues, al Qaeda is still launching high-profile attacks, regional governors have been assassinated, and necessary reforms have yet to be accomplished. The report says sectarian violence is expected to remain high, and that "Tet offensive" -like attacks are likely to occur in September - - when Petrae, uh we mean, the White House reports on the surge's inevitable progress. Which, of course, we're making. Despite a worsening political situation. Despite intense sectarian violence. Progress. Of course.

UPDATE: Prime Minister Maliki scolded his American critics for suggesting that he should step aside. On a trip to Syria, Maliki said that he could "find friends elsewhere" if he was abandoned by the U.S.

Translation: "Eat this, bitchez!"

Artificial Intelligence

Expect there to be some industrial-level spinning by the Bush Assministration on today's release of the latest National Intelligence Estimate. Plan on assministration spokesmen, if not Dumbya himself, to get out in front of the cameras and try to link al-Qaeda activity in Iraq with threats to American soil yet again... and for the bobbleheads in the MSM to go right along with it. Wouldn't have anything to do with ratings and poll numbers, would it?