Tenet didn't want to make his agency appear to have been hoodwinked, Bush wanted to make a case for invading Iraq, and Powell doesn't want to be blamed for making the case for war. In all, all three want to point to someone else as the one who is at fault.
Rumsfeld and Tenet Defending Assessments of Iraqi WeaponsBy DOUGLAS JEHL and ERIC SCHMITT (NYT) 1362 words
Late Edition - Final , Section A , Page 1 , Column 3
ABSTRACT - Central Intelligence Director George J Tenet will mount strong public defense of prewar judgments made by American intelligence agencies about Iraq and its illicit weapons stockpiles as Defense Sec Donald H Rumsfeld offers his own defense of Bush administration's prewar intelligence; will make speech at Goergetown Univ seeking to correct 'misperceptions and downright inaccuracies' concerning what intelligence community reported and did not report regarding Iraq.
Rumsfeld testifies before Senate Armed Services Committee, saying he believes American-led search team in Iraq might still find illicit weapons there despite comments by former weapons inspection leader David A Kay that no stockpiles of such arms existed in Iraq at time of American-led invasion last Mar; dual defenses come after Secretary of State Colin L Powell comments that he is not sure he would have recommended invasion if he knew that Iraq did not possess stockpiles of illicit weapons; Pres Bush is trying to deflect criticism of the intelligence; photo (M)
posted by Richard at
Monday, May 17, 2004
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