Good News, Bad News On SWIFT Program

The NY Times follows up on the damage done by their revelation of the SWIFT program which monitored the internbational money movements of terrorists:

Europe Panel Faults Sifting of Bank Data

By ERIC LICHTBLAU

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 — A European Union panel has serious doubts about the legality of a Bush administration program that monitors international financial transactions, the group’s leader said Monday, and plans to recommend tighter controls to prevent privacy abuses.

“We don’t see the legal basis under the European law, and we see the need for some changes,” said Peter Schaar, a German official who leads the panel, in a telephone interview. The group is to deliver a final report this week in Brussels, and Mr. Schaar said he expected it to conclude that the program might violate European law restricting government access to confidential banking records.

The program, started by the Bush administration weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, allows analysts from the Central Intelligence Agency and other American intelligence agencies to search for possible terrorist financing activity among millions of largely international financial transactions that are processed by a banking cooperative known as Swift, which is based in Belgium.

The European Union panel will not call for the program to be stopped, officials said. But it is expected to recommend that additional safeguards be put in place to check how financial records are shared with American intelligence officials. For the last three years, a Washington consulting firm, Booz Allen Hamilton, has audited the program, but Mr. Schaar said his panel would recommend that an outside auditor from Europe be brought in to protect against abuses.

“That’s a crucial point for us,” he said. “There must be independent supervision. We don’t see such independent supervision under the current situation, and this must be established.”

   

Well, it could have been worse - this sounds like there will be grumbling but the program will continue essentially unchanged.  Per Bill Keller of the Times

The central argument we heard from officials at senior levels [of the Administration] was that international bankers would stop cooperating, would resist, if this program saw the light of day.

So far they have not.

Tha Captain has more and highlights this from paragraph seven:

Although one government intelligence analyst was removed from the Swift team for conducting improper searches, officials at the Treasury Department and Booz Allen say they have not found any broader instances of abuse in the program.

Comments

[Good Lt]

I'm really glad Eric Lichtblau was appointed the Secretary of United States National Security.

Why even vote? The NYT has all of our security interests at heart, so we can just trust them implicitly and without reserve.

Makes us all safer when every terrorist on Earth knows exactly what our methods and strategies are. Bill Keller for President!

/ snark off

[Neo]

Many thanks to Bill Keller and Eric Lichtblau for their reminder to all terrorists that the program goes forward.

[BumperStickerist]

Will Booz Allen be forced to change their name once our new Muslim overlords take control?

[clarice]

In From the Cold (per AJ Strata) leaks other portions of the NIE--and in toto it is so favorable to this Administration one has to wonder if the other graph wasn't leaked to the Wa Po and NYT to mousetrap those papers and the Dems . http://formerspook.blogspot.com/2006/09/more-of-what-you-wont-read-in-nyt.html

[clarice]

And from Herb Meyers who used to be in charge of producing the NIEs.

http://www.americanthinker.com/articles.php?article_id=5891

[JJ]

Uh oh. Mr. Corn has taken on Mr. Hitchens at Slate. That should make Hitchens' snap his chain. Run for fences!

[Pofarmer]

Great, the program can continue, now that every terrorist with half a brain knows they need to evade it.

Idiots.

[Sue]

The President is about to declassify the NIE. Hmmm...tells me the report isn't bad for Bush after all.

[owl]

One of the best press conferences I have ever seen....Bush and Karzai. Don't know which of the two men better.

[clarice]

I think it was a baited mousetrap--Good, it's about time.

[SunnyDay]

Yes, if it wasn't bait, the NYT just stepped in it.

Any news on those leak investigations?

[Neo]

If the NIE reads anything like the quotes posted by Spook86, the DUers will be blaming Karl Rove for the NIE leak to the NYT.

[clarice]

It was the SEPTEMBER surprise..and that was surely Negroponte's doing.

[Other Tom]

I think the Dems are going to say it was all a Rove set-up.

[Neo]

Mr. Corn has taken on Mr. Hitchens at Slate.

The piece seems to have the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the hopes of Mr. Corn.

[SunnyDay]

Release the NIE on Iraq and Terrorism!

David Corn - gets his wish. dummy.

Well, is the threat now worse because of Bush's war in Iraq? Does the NIE say the war has made the jihadist threat more dangerous? The White House could resolve this very quickly by declassifying the NIE. If the report contains nuances or success stories not conveyed by the Times report (and those of other newspapers), releasing the report will clear things up.

[Gary Maxwell]

Nuances or success stories not conveyed...

The mind numbs. It will not just have nuance. You idiot.

No this will be a complete and utter assault on the credibility of the NYT and their DNC comrades. And Democrat intelligence committee types in both Houses already know it, so watch for folks to be unavailable for comment starting right now.

[clarice]

I have never seen a better piece of political jujitsu..Never. (That's what the Dems get for using the old playbook one too many times.)

[Sue]

Gary,

You may have already seen it. The Dems wanted to go into a closed house session to discuss the NIE. Luckily, the Reps stood up to them this time...http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/09/26/D8KCML182.html>Source

[Gary Maxwell]

Thanks Sue I know the Republicans said no, we can discuss whatever you like right here in the open thank you very much. Did not have the full details.

Question. Where have these Republicans with a spine been say the last two years or so?

[Dale in Atlanta]

Tom: have you seen this? This would be a great subject to blog:

http://www.centcom.mil/sites/uscentcom1/What%20Extremists%20Say/Letter%20Exposes%20New%20Leader%20in%20Al-Qa`ida%20High%20Command.aspx?PageView=Shared

[SunnyDay]

Sue - you beat me to it.

Evil Rove has outdone himself this time. :)))

[Sue]

Gary,

I don't know, but something tells me this NIE leak is going to hurt the democrats who jumped on it and help Bush. ::grin::

[Sue]

John Cornyn, one of my senators, pushed for the declassification of the NIE. He has read it.

[Gary Maxwell]

Sue this is like that Fed Ex commercial. You and I are saying the same thing ( me on the other thread ). But in the FEDEX commercial its the boss ( read Sue here ) and everyone agrees. " No I went like this." Makes all the difference they say on the commercial. Pelosi is going to ignor the content and go for the secotr of the electorate who gets their news from Keith Olbermann apparently. Watch for another embarrassing split in the Democrat on this one. Jane Harman can not possibly pretend that Pelosi is correct.

[JM Hanes]

TM!

Typepad makes it easy to switch your center column from a fixed width to a dynamic width. That would put an end to this infernal plague of truncated URL's! Is there any reason for not doing so?

[Sue]

Schumer is saying that Bush is going to pretend the NIE says something that it doesn't say, like he did with the prior NIE.

[cathyf]

I'm having a Fitzie Flashback moment:

Bush Disputes Iraq War Worsens Terrorism
Email this Story

Sep 26, 2:23 PM (ET)

By BARRY SCHWEID

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush on Tuesday said it is naive and a mistake to think that the war with Iraq has worsened terrorism, as a key portion of a national intelligence assessment by his own administration suggests. He said he was declassifying part of the report.

So anyone believes that the AP actually knows what the NIE key findings are? They are such propaganda tools... It's like they honestly have no idea of the difference between the news and their opinions.

[maryrose]

No one should trust anything that comes out of Schumer's mouth. Al D"amato was right-he is a schmuck!

[Soc]

The SWIFT program is there: The drug war has been doing it for years. The problem is CIA and the spies in SWIFT. CIA takes all the cash first chance they get: ask Brewsters Millions.

[PeterUK]

What were the trends in terrorist attacks leading up to the invasion of Iraq? It is obvious they were increasing in intensity, viz 9/11,perhaps our resident trendologist Mr Ballard could tell me.
Of course,by some odd process wars do seem to increase conflict,but the objective seemed to have been to keep terrorist attacks off American soil,it this the strategy has succeeded.
An interesting take on the jackals of the media at EUreferendum

[topsecretk9]

Are the Dems now saying they don't want it declassified? That is a far cry from what Josh Marshall got them to say yesterday...

[RHSwan]

TS9,
The only parts the Dems want declassified are the parts that make Bush look bad. They want the parts that make Bush look good highly classified.

[PeterUK]

Robert Kagan
"For instance, what specifically does it mean to say that the Iraq war has worsened the "terrorism threat"? Presumably, the NIE's authors would admit that this is speculation rather than a statement of fact, since the facts suggest otherwise. Before the Iraq war, the United States suffered a series of terrorist attacks: the bombing and destruction of two American embassies in East Africa in 1998, the terrorist attack on the USS Cole in 2000, and the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Since the Iraq war started, there have not been any successful terrorist attacks against the United States. That doesn't mean the threat has diminished because of the Iraq war, but it does place the burden of proof on those who argue that it has increased."

[Sue]

Now democrats are saying that Bush is not releasing the parts that are even more grim that what has been released already. Why on earth would someone release the least grim portions of the report? Anyway, the new talking point by the dems is Bush is cherry picking what to release. Nothing about the leak being cherry picked though.

[Patton]

The "TERRORIST THREAT" is a meaningless unquantifiable Bullsh-t phrase.

All it means is a bunch of islamic radicals are pissed off because they are finally getting their ass kicked and the US is fighting back and not rolling over.

Gee, the Nazi threat increased during WWII, if we had just given them Europe, there would have been ZERO threat.

And of course that Revolutionay war increased the threat of attacks from the British..A BIG DUH!

Its clearly a feel-good phrase the Democrats pounced on and leaked to the media, thus allowing Bush to play the statesmen and direct his head of National Intelligence to review the report to see what can be released to the public, thus giving Bush a huge excuse to release the rest of the report.

Democrats seem to fall for the bait every single time.

[topsecretk9]

Anyway, the new talking point by the dems is Bush is cherry picking what to release.

That's because they got bit in the ass.

[Sue]

I don't know this blogger, http://www.lifelikepundits.com/archives/002877.php>Lifelike Pundits, found him/her through ABP, but I liked the graph about the NYTs.

[clarice]

the declassified NIE report:

http://www.dni.gov/

[topsecretk9]

I keep trying and get nothing.

[topsecretk9]

here is a hosted link

http://hotair.cachefly.net/audio/2006-09/NIE.pdf

[Rick Ballard]

Here it is

[Sue]

Thanks Top.

[Neo]

I noticed two items that caught my eye.

First, I have obviously have been spelling al Qaeda incorrectly, as it should be al-Qa’ida.

Secondly, there is a some of bad news for our European friends (and enemies).

The jihadists regard Europe as an important venue for attacking Western interests.

We assess that such groups pose less of a danger to the Homeland than does al-Qa’ida but will pose varying degrees of threat to our allies and to US interests
abroad.

[topsecretk9]

Lopez's inbox...This is all the vaunted Intel community that leak for their own advantage can come up with? In a nutshell, time to scrap the behemoth and useless intel agency.

[Rick Ballard]

Here it is in pdf at Wizbang and HTML at Flares

[Rick Ballard]

Zarqawi has become a minimal problem as have some key Ansar al-Sunnah leaders. April was such a long time ago....

[clarice]

Thanks, Rick.

[Patton]

Former FBI agent: Clinton never approved a plan to kill bin Laden

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/09/26/coleman.cnna/

If you can believe CNN

[Neo]

topsecretk9:

My first take was that it was remarkably unremarkable,

but, at least, I can spell al-Qa’ida now.

[Patton]

Can you believe Hilliarys STUPID comment that if Clinton had recived a briefing with the headline BIN LADEN DETERMINE TO STRIKE INSIDE THE US, he would have done something

(Guess that means he actually DIDN'T do 'something').

What Hilliary ignores is the briefing actually said Bin Laden has been determine to attack inside the US SINCE AT LEAST 1997.

Of course Hilliary claims Clinton would have done somehting of he had received a briefing, NOT had he experienced an attack on the WTC say like in 1993!!

[topsecretk9]

more from Kathryn Jean Lopez's in box at the corner

Subject: NIE

Ms. Lopez,
I am the former CIA analyst whose email was posted by Mario Loyola yesterday on the Corner. I'm not surprised by your reaction (and the reaction of your readers) to the NIE. The CIA long ago stopped trying to provide top-notch analysis to policymakers. Instead, the focus is on not being wrong. As a result, the analysis that comes out of Langley tends to be nothing but mush that can be interpreted to mean almost anything to anybody, or, if you prefer, means absolutely nothing. That is why I am no longer at the CIA.

So, essentially the only thing they seem to be good at is leaking in a partial and/or dishonest manner that hurts Bush. Great.

[doug deeper]

gaah! i hate tv news!

our local nbc affiliate in chicago did some (mis)reporting on the NIE. first, the clumsy and awkward "anchor" said matter-of-factly that the NIE "pointed out the threat of terrorism has increased since the start of the iraq war", and that the administration "disputed" the NIE. they continued with footage of 3 or 4 dem senators calling Bush a doody head, and follow up with old footage of GWB saying a terror threat still exists, which i guess is supposed to implicate him as a liar.

and the "reality based community" has the nerve to badmouth fox as being biased.

[PeterUK]

The plain fact is the threat is going to increase until they submit or we submit.

[Jane]

Can you believe Hilliarys STUPID comment that if Clinton had recived a briefing with the headline BIN LADEN DETERMINE TO STRIKE INSIDE THE US, he would have done something

Vintage Hillary and a sign that the gloves are off. What she says will be taken as truth by the moonbats and she will steadfastly refuse to speak to any press who might ask her to defend it. Another lie codified by the Clinton clan.

[topsecretk9]

Hitchen's earlier point seems apropos now

It's wearisome at this late date to read again the bland assertion that Saddam Hussein did not do things because it would have been unwise or irrational for him to do so. On that very basis, our intelligence establishment concluded that he would not invade Kuwait, would not set fire to the oil fields, and would not perform any number of other insane actions. His megalomania and volatility were consistently underestimated, with real consequences in the real world. No policy based on the assumption of his rational conduct ever worked. Now, the passage of time has allowed some glib people to represent him as the victim of a frame-up. What an offense to the historical record that is.

And on and on and on...

[Sue]

There are 4 underlying factors fueling the spread of the jihadist movement. Iraq is only one of them. Another quote that the left doesn't want to address:

...Should jihadists leaving Iraq perceive themselves and be perceived, to have failed, we judge fewer fighters will be inspired to carry on the fight.

But let's go ahead and cut and run. That should stop the spread of terrorism...

[PeterUK]

One of the main factors driving the jihad is they want what we have got,it is easier to take it than build it,thus all the glorious millennia old civilisations of the Middle East got subsumed.

[owl]

They are freaking out. As a resident TV watcher, this has been some day and a half.

Thought something stunk on Clinton. I believe he had plans to attack FOX NEWS and Bush at the very first opportunity...a man with a plan.....but he lost control and got petty. He wanted to make the point that the reporters 'never ask Bush these questions'. This gives the legs to such as David Gregory and his tag team CBS buddy Axle. I think it was meant so not one Repug goes on any TV show or gives an interview without having to answer Clinton's allegations.

I think it was part plan and part panic. Gets party control back into Clintons hands.

I have seen 4 Dem Senators, Jane Harmon, Hillary and Maddy. All in one day. They are screaming (Maddy) to 'ask them...ask them'...almost screaming. Hillary pointing at Bush as saying her husband would never have ignored that daily brief.

Guess we could call this campaign 'Pointy Fingers. Or... We Know How to Change A Subject and We Put Our Media Up Against Your FOX.

[Neo]

This is hardly Rovian. It's a Seinfeld.

Leave it to the MSM to take the most juicy cut and then claim the rest of the cow is even juicier.

I wonder just what they would have talked about had the House had a "secret session" today. One can only guess who would have been strangled under Congressional cover.

[Sue]

The NIE has some interesting points. Some point towards democratic talking points, others towards republican talking points. That they released it, now we can have a fair and balanced debate on its contents. It took the wind out of the sails of democrats. They would have been better off had they leaked other parts also. It would have made Bush's decision to declassify it more difficult.

[Sue]

If they are going to point to the parts of this document that claim Iraq has become the cause celebre they are going to have to answer the part that says if we leave and jihadists perceive themselves and be perceived as winning, it will create more terrorists.

[Sue]

Well, the http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/26/washington/27prexycnd.html?hp&ex=1159329600&en=5656b1b311db33ab&ei=5094&partner=homepage>NYTs isn't backing down.

[Sue]

The http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/26/AR2006092600163.html>WaPo article is somewhat of a pull back. Not much though.

[topsecretk9]

--Well, the NYTs isn't backing down.--

They never admit when they got punked.

[Neo]

The is a story afoot that there is a second damning Iraq report, but when you read the story, it sure seems to be talking about the first.

Harman disclosed the existence of a classified intelligence community report that gives a grim assessment of the situation in Iraq, and called for it to be shared with the American public -- before the November elections.

First, it's this grim report .. then .. it's another grim report. I bet they have some "beachfront" property for sale in New Mexico, too.

The Democrats most recent episode of the "Politics of Fear" needs a quick rewrite and the Democratic Grim-O-Meter definitely needs some recalibrating.

[Sue]

No. And they didn't get punked, per se. The NIE says what they said it said. I would like to know if they saw the document(s) or if someone just clued them in.

[MayBee]

MSNBC just delivered a newsflash to my inbox:
"MSNBC Breaking News: Iraq war a 'cause celebre' for jihadists, declassified intel reports says"

So that's what they get out of it. Helpful.

[Syl]

Breaking News:

9/11 was a 'cause celebre' and recruiting tool for the Americans.

Eat that, Democrats. It's the way the world works. A**holes.

[Sara (Squiggler)]

Everyone is missing the last section, which, in my opinion, is the Numero Uno reason that terrorism is on the rise and has been at a steady pace in the last five years ... the INTERNET.

Instant global communications has completely changed how we all do business for business, pleasure or in war. It is the terrorists golden goose.

[Jane]

I read somewhere - (and of course I can't remember where and I apologize for the lack of credit if it was here) that the NIE report is just a bunch of people refusing to take a stand so they can't be called to task if they are wrong - IOW A bunch of wusses covering their collective asses. And from what has been reported it sounds like talking points, not news.

But something that gets me more atwitter: Libby has a closed hearing on evidence tomorrow. Let the speculating begin!

[topsecretk9]

--I would like to know if they saw the document(s) or if someone just clued them in.--

The writer said he didn't see them.

[Sue]

Oops. I skimmed it. My bad.

[topsecretk9]

--that the NIE report is just a bunch of people refusing to take a stand so they can't be called to task if they are wrong--

Liiiiike a person whose name starts with a V and ends in a E

[Sara (Squiggler)]

Krauthammer says the NIE reads like a high schooler's essay and that for the huge amounts of money it cost to produce, we should get better. I tend to agree with his point that there isn't a single thing in the declassified section that any of us couldn't have written from what we know from news reports, reading first hand accounts of military types and listening to announcements and speeches and then applying a little common sense.

Unfortunately about 48% of the electorate has reading and common sense skills of rote readers and video game players and their understanding of geo-political happenings is contained in the 15 second soundbite.

[Neo]

So the NYT was fed the most juicy cut, but who's idea was it that the rest of the cow is even juicier.

[maryrose]

Duh Hillary your Tammy Wynette act of standing by your man has gotten old. Clinton had 10 tries at Bin Laden and couldn't close the deal because he was afraid everyone would disapprove of him and be mad that he did it. Clinton's still looking for mommy's approval.

[Sara (Squiggler)]

Jane -- that was a letter at The Corner written by a reader who was former CIA.

[maryrose]

Plameologists Unite-per Jane Libby has a closed hearing tomorrow!

[Sara (Squiggler)]

Here it is from Lopez:

Ms. Lopez,
I am the former CIA analyst whose email was posted by Mario Loyola yesterday on the Corner. I'm not surprised by your reaction (and the reaction of your readers) to the NIE. The CIA long ago stopped trying to provide top-notch analysis to policymakers. Instead, the focus is on not being wrong. As a result, the analysis that comes out of Langley tends to be nothing but mush that can be interpreted to mean almost anything to anybody, or, if you prefer, means absolutely nothing. That is why I am no longer at the CIA.

[Sara (Squiggler)]

Why a closed hearing?

[Lew Clark]

To understand where the Dems/left are coming from, you have to remember which side of the stadium they sit on. The GWOT is much worse for their side. Their main man, Bin Laden is dead or still hiding out in a cave. Their number two man, Saddam, is in prison and standing trial for mass murder. Their "hero of the resistance" in Iraq is dead. Key members of their "minute men" are dead or captured. Worthless, stupid, backward little brown people are voting on their governments in free and open elections. Those Jews just kicked another arm of their "Army of Liberation's" butt. Things have really gotten worse for their side of the GWOT since the Iraq war began. Thus they are spot on when they say "In our opinion things have gotten and continue to get worse. Why at this rate, we will be the only Bush enemies alive or at large in a couple of years."

[Syl]

Okay, let's just cover what has happened SINCE this report in April.

(1)Zarqawi was killed.

Pro: He's dead, Jim.
Con: The al Qaeda (still spelling it the old way) elements in Iraq supporting Zawahiri's view that they should be killing more Americans and fewer muslims now has the upper hand.

Analysis: The damage has already been done. Most Iraqis are simply sick of the violence. Killing only half as many Iraqi muslims as previously will have no positive effect on the Iraqi attitude towards violent jihad.

(2)Al Qaeda leaders are being captured and killed in Iraq.

Example: Umar Faruq, head of southeast Asia operations and formerly captured by the Indonesians, held (and spilled many beans) at Bagram, and escaped to Iraq, was killed recently by the Americans.

Analysis: Iraq is still importing many terrorist leaders to fight the jihad against the Americans. This is somewhat of a counter balance to the exportation of foot soldiers from Iraq.

(3)The recent Israeli/Hezbollah war.

Analysis: The ripples from the recent conflict are pitting the forces of democracy against the violence of Hizbollah. This is still playing out. But the Arab leaders are becoming more concerned about the rise in influence of Iran. This may be helpful to America.

(4)Rise of sectarian violence in Iraq.

Analysis: The pitting of shia vs sunni is a rising phenomenon. This is extremely troublesome in Iraq because it is hindering the Democratic process there. It is a test of the new government which must respond in a manner that allows all sectarians a route through political process to obtain a peaceful solution.

However, the sectarian violence itself does not specifically effect the jihad against America and the West since it is a problem internal to the muslim community.

But the success (or failure) of the Americans to work with the new Iraqi goverment to quell the sectarian violence will affect the perception of the jihadis as to the strength or weakness of our resolve.

Anything else?

[Jane]

Why a closed hearing?

I believe it is to go over evidence that will be allowed at trial - as a result of the last ruling.

[PeterUK]

"4)Rise of sectarian violence in Iraq.

Analysis: The pitting of shia vs sunni is a rising phenomenon."
There has been sectarian violence in the region for centuries,the Shia have always hated the Sunni,their oppressors.

[Rick Ballard]

Anything else?

I think that an assessment of the governates passing under Iraqi security forces control is an honest metric for inclusion as are readiness status reports for Iraqi forces.

Are Iraqi security forces being created at a higher rate than new terrorists?

[clarice]

italiacto

Watching the Allen-Webb fight and the Clintonistas assault, I believe this will be the dirtiest mid terms in history.

[clarice]

Italiacto

[Specter]

Squiggler,

I feel bad. You just put me in the 48%. I play video games.....

I think more than anything the problem is that people get their news from sound bites on TV and may be even radio. We know where that leads.

[Rick Ballard]

Geesh.

[Sara (Squiggler)]

But Specter, you have common sense and you are definitely NOT a rote reader. LOL.

[topsecretk9]

Oh my Buddha...I just listened to Olberman's 852 minute self-important diatribe, one striking thing? How stunningly afraid the Clintons are to actually answer anything remotely, even mildly tough-ish and how cultist all of his defenders race out not only to defend him but whine and cry anyone would DARE puncture Clinton's safety bubble...my gawd, is Clinton really, really THIS much of a fraidy cat?

(cultish, heh) Hotair I think has Olbermann

OH, and Olbermann goes off on Chris Wallace for "hiding behind his email" to ask so a heinous question ( I know, what a joke) but all I could think of was Olberman uncontrolled, unprofessional emails he sends out to the general public, so maybe it an anger management thing Olberman relates to in Clinton.

[Sue]

Olberman called Chris Wallace a monkey.

[Pofarmer]

So, they waited till now to leak info from an NIE from April?

I'm sure it's not political, just some do gooder somewhere.

[topsecretk9]

--I'm sure it's not political, just some do gooder somewhere.--
All of congress has seen this? Back in April?

[topsecretk9]

Seixon has a new cornholio post up

http://www.seixon.com/blog/archives/2006/09/corn_on_the_art.html#more

[Specter]

Man...if this was a set-up I bet it was designed to find the mole.....

[clarice]

I think it was a mousetrap and the mice bit.Think of it--the leaker is discredited, the press which ran it are discredited and the Dems who tried to make something out of it look like fools.

In any event, read it and tell me why we need a CIA to spew out this useless drivel.

[Sue]

I am going to respectfully disagree. This was a planned leak by someone on the left. The only thing not clear, IMO, was did they leak earlier than planned? The republican momentum was getting out of control. Their "October" surprise was moved up a few weeks, IMO. I don't think they counted on Bush declassifying the key judgments of the NIE. But, and this is a serious but, they have framed the debate no matter what the NIE says, just as they did with Wilson. This document cuts both ways. I just hope the republicans get loud and vocal about the cut and run aspect of it.

[MayBee]

the leaker is discredited, the press which ran it are discredited and the Dems who tried to make something out of it look like fools.

I don't know, clarice, if they'll allow themselves to be discredited. The headlines I've been seeing are the Cause Celebre!- type.
Much like the "Bush admits existence of CIA prisons" headlines of a few weeks ago.