August 19, 2004

"Left unresolved for now is whether intelligence was intentionally misconstrued to justify military action," Bereuter said.

Powerful and courageous condemnation...from a
Republican congressman from NEBRASKA...Rep. Doug
Bereuter (R-NE) wrote them in a letter to his
constituents...There are no more red states or blue
states, there are only red, white and blue states for
the national referendum on the CREDIBILITY, COMPETENCE
and CHARACTER of the increasingly unhinged and
incredibly shrinking _resident...BTW, Bereuter (who
LNS Foreign Correspondent Dunston Woods as dubbed Rep.
Barricuda) is Vice Chairman of Porter Goss' House
Intelligence Committtee...Hmmm...

Ted Barret, CNN: Breaking ranks with his party and
reversing his earlier stance, a senior Republican
lawmaker who is retiring said Wednesday the military
strike against Iraq was "a mistake," and he blasted a
"massive failure" of intelligence before the war.
The unexpected four-page statement came from Rep. Doug
Bereuter of Nebraska, who until earlier this month was
vice chairman of the House Intelligence Committee -- a
panel that reviewed much of the evidence the Bush
administration cited before going to war.
"I've reached the conclusion, retrospectively, now
that the inadequate intelligence and faulty
conclusions are being revealed, that all things being
considered, it was a mistake to launch that military
action, especially without a broad and engaged
international coalition," Bereuter wrote in a
four-page letter to his constituents.
"The cost in casualties is already large and growing,
and the immediate and long-term financial costs are
incredible."
"Left unresolved for now is whether intelligence was intentionally misconstrued to justify military action," Bereuter said.

Repudiate the 9/11 Cover-Up and the Iraq War Lies,
Show Up for Democracy in 2004: Defeat Bush (again!)


http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/08/18/congressman.iraq/index.html


Retiring GOP congressman breaks ranks on Iraq
Nebraska's Bereuter calls war 'a mistake'
From Ted Barrett
CNN Washington Bureau


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Breaking ranks with his party and
reversing his earlier stance, a senior Republican
lawmaker who is retiring said Wednesday the military
strike against Iraq was "a mistake," and he blasted a
"massive failure" of intelligence before the war.

The unexpected four-page statement came from Rep. Doug
Bereuter of Nebraska, who until earlier this month was
vice chairman of the House Intelligence Committee -- a
panel that reviewed much of the evidence the Bush
administration cited before going to war.

"I've reached the conclusion, retrospectively, now
that the inadequate intelligence and faulty
conclusions are being revealed, that all things being
considered, it was a mistake to launch that military
action, especially without a broad and engaged
international coalition," Bereuter wrote in a
four-page letter to his constituents.

"The cost in casualties is already large and growing,
and the immediate and long-term financial costs are
incredible."

Bereuter was particularly critical of the prewar
intelligence, which described an arsenal of weapons of
mass destruction in Iraq. But no such weapons have
been found since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

Bereuter voted in support of an October 2002
resolution authorizing the use of force in Iraq, but
he said that vote was based on what he had been told
about the weapons threat from Iraq.

"Left unresolved for now is whether intelligence was
intentionally misconstrued to justify military
action," Bereuter said.

After 26 years on Capitol Hill, Bereuter is retiring
next month, and he will become the president of Asia
Foundation.

Congressional Republicans appeared surprised and angry
at Bereuter's comments.

Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Illinois, a member of the
intelligence panel, described Bereuter as "very
bitter" for having been passed over in recent years to
head the intelligence and international relations
committees. He suggested Bereuter's comments were a
parting shot to House GOP leaders and President Bush.

An aide denied Bereuter was motivated to write the
letter because he didn't get the appointments.

Rep. James Gibbons, R-Nevada, who is also on the
intelligence panel, said Bereuter's new conclusions
are wrong.

"The facts don't change. Iraq was a dangerous place,"
Gibbons said. "Mr. Bereuter is entitled to his
opinion."

Bush officials tried to downplay the congressman's
statement.

"He is not an opinion maker or someone who has taken a
leadership role. I don't think you can take this as a
sign his comments are a barometer of other Republican
thinking," one Bush political aide said.

Bereuter's critique of the administration on Iraq was
sharp.

He said the administration was wrong to disband the
Iraqi army -- because so many of its members joined
forces with the insurgents -- and was wrong to rely on
the Defense Department instead of the State Department
to spearhead reconstruction and the interim
government.

He also said the administration was wrong to ignore
military leaders who warned many more troops would be
needed in Iraq to maintain the postwar peace.

"Now we are immersed in a dangerous, costly mess and
there is no easy and quick way to end our
responsibilities in Iraq without creating bigger
future problems in the region and, in general, in the
Muslim world," Bereuter said.

Bereuter said it was important for the executive and
legislative branches of government to learn from the
"errors and failures" relating to the war in Iraq and
its aftermath.

Some Democrats see Beureter's comments as a political
plus in part because he argued the president should
have gone to war in Iraq with a broader international
coalition, as Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic
presidential nominee, has said.

But Bush aides pointed out a key difference between
the two that could benefit the president politically:
Kerry, answering a direct challenge from Bush, said
recently he does not regret voting to authorize war.

Bush officials said they are in constant contact with
congressional Republicans. They said they want to to
keep these lawmakers engaged in the president's
campaign, and behind his argument that even knowing
what he knows now, war in Iraq was the right thing to
do.

CNN's Dana Bash contributed to this report.





Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/08/18/congressman.iraq/index.html

Posted by richard at August 19, 2004 01:53 PM