Clapper "cherry-picked" for his "assessment" on Syria

"Contrary to the general impression in Congress and the news media, the Syria chemical warfare intelligence summary released by the Barack Obama administration Aug. 30 did not represent an intelligence community assessment, an IPS analysis and interviews with former intelligence officials reveals. The evidence indicates that Director of National Intelligence James Clapper culled intelligence analyses from various agencies and by the White House itself, but that the White House itself had the final say in the contents of the document. Leading members of Congress to believe that the document was an intelligence community assessment and thus represents a credible picture of the intelligence on the alleged chemical attack of Aug. 21 has been a central element in the Obama administration’s case for war in Syria. That part of the strategy, at least, has been successful. Despite strong opposition in Congress to the proposed military strike in Syria, no one in either chamber has yet challenged the administration’s characterisation of the intelligence. But the administration is vulnerable to the charge that it has put out an intelligence document that does not fully and accurately reflect the views of intelligence analysts. Former intelligence officials told IPS that that the paper does not represent a genuine intelligence community assessment but rather one reflecting a predominantly Obama administration influence. In essence, the White House selected those elements of the intelligence community assessments that supported the administration’s policy of planning a strike against the Syrian government force and omitted those that didn’t. In a radical departure from normal practice involving summaries or excerpts of intelligence documents that are made public, the Syria chemical weapons intelligence summary document was not released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence but by the White House Office of the Press Secretary."  Gareth Porter

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Nathan Hale told the British soldier who put the noose around his neck that he regretted that he had but one life to give for his country.  A statue of Hale standing with his hands tied behind him is placed in front of the old building at CIA headquarters as well as this one at Yale.

James Clapper, Lieutenant General (ret.) USAF is currently Director of National Intelligence for the United States of America.

According to Porter, Clapper "cherry-picked" across the IC to find bits and pieces of opinion and "data" with which to construct a document that he then did not sign.  This is why the document was issued by the WH press office rather than as an IC assessment.  Perhasps he has some fear of the judgment of history.

This procedure of constructing public "reality" through control of the narrative is identical to that followed by the Iraq Group in Cheney's White House and the Office of Special Plans in Rumsfeld's office.  The level of contempt displayed for the citizenry is equal to that of the Bush Administration.

We are coming to the end of the Republic that our fathers built.  The Principate approaches.  pl  

 

http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/09/obamas-case-for-syria-didnt-reflect-intel-consensus/

Comments

[turcopolier]

babak

I have no problem with "rhetoric" as a tool. I have a great of trouble with the notion of sustituting this tool for the study of content in the academy. pl

[turcopolier]

babak

IMO you are overly concerned with sexual politics. What do you make of the fact that most reported sexual "assaults" in the US military are male on male? pl

[SAC Brat]

Having been around many foreign nationals that became US citizens, I've always thought the test given for citizenship by the INS would be a good start in applying for a voter registration card. Or resurrect Universal Military Training. http://www.historians.org/projects/GIRoundtable/UMT/UMT_TOC.html

[Babak Makkinejad]

Yes, I agree.

Now it is the young men of substance who study the content in the academy and go on to solve the problems at the end of the chapter while other young men and women are partying.

[turcopolier]

babak

Yes, but the very structure of higher education is being altered to accomodate and create philistinism. For exampl the English Department at my alma mater is now "The Department of English, Rhetoric anbd Humanistic Studies." How convenient! Put all the disdained subjects in one department and then starve it until you can drown it. pl

[kao_hsien-chih]

It is much the same in other fields.

I am well-aware of the colonel's disdain for "political science," but, traditionally, this was a discipline (for a large segment of its practitioners) dedicated to the understanding of what goes on in politics--"we are trying to understand politics, not become politicians" used to be the de facto motto for much of the field. Its transformation into an industry (seemingly) dedicated to dispensing grandiloquent advice to politicians about what we "should" do to the rest of the world is largely a post world war 2 phenomenon. Last couple of decades, though, saw the latter category of charlatans increasingly displace the former as academia increasingly tries to become "relevant" and "practical."

[YT]

The Principate approaches...

[Alba Etie]

Yes - we should all have to pass basic Citizen's of these United States competence test , a very good idea.

[Alba Etie]

Col Lang
It is my opinion that Robert H Heinlein is a Classic American Author - just as much as Samuel Clemons or James Fenimore Cooper . I had forgotten that in Starship Trooper you have had to serve to vote . In the Moon is a harsh Mistress - the moon colony rebelled for many of the same reasons we are faced with today . Some day when I retire I will reread Heinlein's works I remember that Farnham's Freehold is quite likely germane to current discussions here at SST .

[Alba Etie]

Rape should be a capital offense - period .

[Ishmael Zechariah]

Alba Etie,

The Colonel has already responded to your question. These folks will not leave quietly. They are afraid of the aftermath. We will need surgery.

Ishmael Zechariah

[greg0]

Troll Hunter! I enjoyed it immensely.

Thanks for holding this administration's feet to the fire.

I'm surprised how insulated the media seem from public opinion. I prefer internet access to cable or satellite TV, though; I like to pick my news and not be force fed. (Had to look up 'Principate' on Wikipedia. The definition will not be found on cable TV!)

[fred]

Haven't seen that movie yet but just read Alan's book of poetry,
"Expended Casings" while sitting by the campfire a few miles West of Gettysburg.
It is well worth reading if you haven't. Done so already.

[turcopolier]

fred

Alan is an older version of the young man in Walker Percy's "Lancelot" who is depicted as sitting in the moonlight on a mountain top in the Blue Ridge near Glasgow with a rifle across his knees. Alan has a way of saying things that old men like some of us here try to treasure but also to conceal from ourselves. In one of his poems he speaks of what it is like to stand with comrades around a rubber poncho laid on the ground, a poncho that bears the reverently placed "something" that was a friend a few minutes before. "Love makes memory eternal." pl

[Alba Etie]

Mr Zechariah ,
God Speed Sir - and we wish you a speedy recovery from the surgery .

[Medicine Man]

Thanks for the heads up on that, Fred. I've sent myself a link to peruse later.

[Charles I]

Amusing me to no end the address I got included "Unlucky Mountain". . . On your reccco I watched Trollhunter it is absurd, delightfully so. . . check out this version of Beowulf: Beowolf and Grendel, its gloomily bloodily fantastic, has great Trolls in it.

movieeveryday.blogspot.ca/2006/08/beowolf-grendel-2006.html

[Charles I]

SST come to be a big part of my academy.. . Clifford K used to leave a trail of cites kept me busy all winter trying to hunt down some connection with all his Guilds and Leagues and my old obsession with General Chennault and the Soongs. . .

[Charles I]

thanks for the tip

[Tyler]

I took some inspiration from Heinlein for my novel but tried to avoid the lengthy political expositions that he was known for.

Verhoeven is a hack and should have been hung from his toes for that film.