New Intel Panel Report Blasts Iraq Pre-war Evidence

(The Politico)  The Senate Intelligence Committee has released another damaging report on pre-war intelligence suggesting that Bush administration officials exaggerated the threat of Saddam Hussein's regime and manipulated evidence related to weapons of mass destruction.

To some extent, the report says what many people already believe _ the intelligence used to start the five year war was flawed from the beginning.

The 172-page bipartisan report says the administration "on numerous occasions, misrepresented the intelligence and the threat from Iraq." The document rejects any pre-war connection between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda, disputes Vice President Dick Cheney's contention Hussein wanted to give WMD to terrorist groups for attacks on the United States and attempts to put to rest the long-held contention that 9/11 hijacker Muhammed Atta met with Iraqi agents in Prague in 2001.

"These reports represent the final chapter in our oversight of prewar intelligence. They complete the story of mistakes and failures – both by the Intelligence Community and the Administration – in the lead up to the war. Fundamentally, these reports are about transparency and holding our government accountable, and making sure these mistakes never happen again,” Rockefeller added. 

Rockefeller's detailed statement on the Intelligence Committee report can be found here.

Even though the report is described as "bipartisan," Sen. Christopher Bond (R-Mo.), the top Republican on the panel, has not put out a separate statement on the report.