By Matt for the TIB Network:
We should be hearing from that panel headed up by Republican Lawrence Silberman and Democrat Charles Robb that was tasked to evaluate the intelligence failures in Iraq. They are also looking at the intelligence that we have on Iran and North Korea. It isn't looking good, but the classified report is due March 31. An unclassified report should follow.The WMD Mailbag Correspondent sent me a link to a NYT story published on IHT's website, but it was difficult to cut and paste, so I'm using NewsMax's story below, but read them both:
Because of the secrecy and classified nature of the discussions, individuals involved in the weapons inquiry declined to comment on the record.The long and short of it is that our intelligence agencies still have a lot of work to do... In the end though, intelligence work isn't evidence; it's best guesses. People need to remember that.
Yet the commission is known to be critiquing issues relating to intelligence on weapons proliferation in Iraq before the 2003 invasion, as well as current knowledge on Iran and North Korea, which are accused of developing covert nuclear programs.
When asked Wednesday whether U.S. intelligence is solid enough to make judgments on Iran's nuclear program, an issue for the commission, Bush said the United States must work with its allies, "which believe that the Iranians want a nuclear weapon and which know that Iran possessing a nuclear weapon would be very destabilizing."
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The commission is also expected to reach conclusions on the threat from transnational terrorist organizations who are seeking weapons of mass destruction, such as al-Qaida, and the motivations of regimes that pursue - or pretend to pursue, as was the case in Iraq - weapons of mass destruction.
The panel led by Republican Laurence Silberman and Democrat Charles Robb is also looking at issues of improved congressional oversight and the management of intelligence agencies. Bush has asked the commission to look at the merits of the new national intelligence director's post and a center focused on tracking the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, created in an extensive intelligence reform bill he signed in December.
