Expert Said to Tell Legislators He Was Pressed to Distort Some Evidence (NY Times - registration required) (http://nytimes.com/2003/06/25/international/worldspecial/25INTE.html) . . . . The officials described what they said was a dramatic moment at a House Intelligence Committee hearing last week when the weapons expert came forward to tell Congress he had felt such pressure.

By speaking out, they said, the senior intelligence expert, identified by several officials as Christian Westermann, became the first member of the intelligence community on active service to make this sort of admission to members of Congress.

The House Intelligence Committee was examining questions concerning the Bush administration's handling of prewar reports on evidence that Iraq had illegal weapons and ties to terrorist groups.

Mr. Westermann, officials said, is an analyst in the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research, a small but important office at the State Department that is intended to provide the secretary of state with intelligence analysis independent of the C.I.A. and other agencies.

Mr. Westermann told lawmakers last week that while he felt pressure, he never actually changed the wording of any of his intelligence reports . . . . It's not a direct hit, but it may be time for a few people in the Executive Branch to commence with the sweating.

I chuckled when I heard a couple senators talking about holding these hearings on Lehrer last week. I certainly didn't expect this.

Of course, the story will develop.

:m:,
Tiassa :cool:

Even before the war started many in the Intellegence service where umming and uring saying that they felt the administration was over stating if not out right making up ad hoc intellegence to fit in with their "Propoganda" even if it contradicted the evidence they were giving them.

As such i posted a while ago saying if i was in Intel i'd be very pissed off at the mo as they now turn around and say this is YOUR fault YOU gave us exagerated and false intel.

Hello!!! WTF!!!! has everyone already forgoten that it was the intel services being blamed now that were the ones complaining about the intel being presented, to the point at first even the Head of the FBI resigned and was unfortunatly taken a job as security guard at the Twin towers prior to 9/11 i belive and is now dead (Convienient yes?)
And then when that was not enough the Administration created their OWN departments away from the FBI etc that because they werent willing to give the evidence that they adminstration wanted.

But i can see it already we all know they will get away with it by chopping the heads of some poor mug that was trying to tell them to step back and slow down so they will kill 2 birds with one stone.
1 get rid of someone not willing to give them what they want and 2 they have a scape goat.

Besides if any of them had of steped out of line and gone right thats enough that is not the intel we gave you or you are interpreting this as you wish in contradicition of other evidence we gave you which you are clasiffying and basically your lying.
They would be branded a traitor or a terrorist and disapear into a nice black hole.
Damed if you do, Damed if you dont.