September 26, 2006

Web Reconnaissance for 09/26/2006

A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention.

John Hinderaker of Power Line writes What Else Was In the NIE Report? “In my addendum to this post by Paul, I repeated a point I've made several times before: one of the sinister aspects of leaks of classified information is that they are by nature selective. The leaker has access to lots of material, but he doesn't leak it all: he only leaks what he thinks will best serve his political agenda. The recent leaks of alleged conclusions from the National Intelligence Estimate that was completed last spring is a perfect case in point. Paul and I talked about an article in the Washington Post by a reporter who obviously had not read the report. All she could do was pass on the Democrat leaker's spin. Which, in all likelihood, she was happy to do. But what does the report really say? In From the Cold, a web site operated by a former intelligence officer with 20 years' experience, has obtained access to portions, at least, of the intelligence agencies' report. If you are interested in this story, you should read it all. Here are a few excerpts:” (read more)

Captain Ed writes Time To Release The NIE “The National Intelligence Estimate leak to the New York Times has given the Democrats yet another election-time club with which to beat Republicans, the Washington Post reports. The selective quotes have made their way into campaign speeches criticizing the Iraq War, and they hope to use them to maximum effect in their fading hopes of capturing either chamber of Congress … However, the usefulness of the report will only last as long as the larger context of the report remains hidden from the public. Already we have seen pushback from members of the intelligence community that object to the lack of that context in the New York Times. Spook86 at In From The Cold, a blogger and former intel worker with ties to the community, posted more quotes from the NIE that cast the report into a different light:” (read more)

John Hawkins writes What The MSM Isn't Telling You About That National Intelligence Estimate “Of late, we've been hearing a lot about a, "classified National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) contends that the war in Iraq has increased Islamic radicalism." However, there are some aspects of this issue that aren't getting enough attention. #1) This is a classified report and leaking it is a crime. There should be people spending the next decade in jail breaking big rocks into smaller rocks as a consequence of this report. If that means putting reporters in jail for contempt until they give up their sources, so be it. #2) Since this is an interpretation of a classified report, given by anonymous sources that presumably have axes to grind, we should be highly skeptical of any conclusions they claim were reached. After all, we have no way to verify that they're not simply cherry picking different parts of the report to reach politically motivated conclusions.” (read more)

Master Gunner of Tanker Brothers writes ...All Enemies, Foreign And Domestic “…My leaders do not ‘cheapen this war’, on the contrary, they have a very clear goal: the security of the American people and the spread of Democracy in a very volatile region as a catalyst for stability. As my Commander-In-Chief, and my Hero, has stated so eloquently before: ‘This isn't a battle of civilizations, this is a battle for civilization.’ Now, think about what I just said, and I want you to consider it for a moment before we continue.” (read more)

Jay Tea of Wizbang writes Bad Medicine “Captain Mary Hanna, US Army (Reserve), has decided that green just isn't her color. Captain Hanna signed an agreement with the United States Army back in 1997. In exchange for the Army paying for her schooling, she would serve four years on active duty, then four more in the Reserve. She's finishing up her residency at Tufts University, but now she's not so eager to fulfill her agreement. She says that since she agreed to that standard contract, she's experienced a renewal of her Coptic Christian faith, and as such she can not in good conscience participate in war or anything that offers the slightest bit of support for war.” (read more)

GayPatriot of Gay Patriot writes New York Times Fawns Over Islamists “I read this disgusting story in the Charlotte Observer’s Sunday paper. I couldn’t find the link to it there, but this is the same story as published online by the Wilmington Star News. Prepare to be outraged and on the verge of shock when reading this fawning, apologetic story about our enemies who have declared war on our nation. Islamists Calm Capital of Somalia With Restraint - Jeff Gettleman, New York Times News Service:” (read more)

Betsy Newmark writes That NIE report Robert Kagan has the best response to the leaked NIE report that the war in Iraq is making more terrorists. First he notes that we're getting this second or third hand without getting the exact quotes and the context from the report. It is all being filtered through the person who leaked it and the reporters who wrote it, but hadn't seen it. Ya think that the leaking of the report had any connection to the very slight bump in the polls that Bush and the GOP have received since Bush started his series of speeches defending the war in Iraq and the way he has been conducting the war on terror? Ya think? But then Kagan goes on to explain how hard it is to determine terrorist motivations.” (read more)

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