Intelligence Failures and Gay Marriages

Whew what a week. First we had the report on the intelligence failure from the United States. Then we had the gay rights issues and now finally the intelligence failure report from the United Kingdom. Well I do not think it was any coincidence that these reports came out within one week of each other (bury the story… bury the story). And in the midst of all this what is Mr. Bush and Republicans main concern? To implement a controversial amendment to the constitution to ban gay marriages!

Both the intelligence reports from the two front runners of the coalition of the willing indicated the intelligence flaws which any news reader could have guessed a few months ago (that is there were neither weapons of mass destruction nor links between Iraq and Al Queda before the war). But both country’s press and political authorities have given George Bush and Tony Blair a clean sheet saying that they went to war because the intelligence reports were flawed. Now come on… who are they trying to pull a fast one on? Isn’t this a failing of the National Security Apparatus of both the countries? And what about our country’s Senators who are now giving reasons (Senator Rockefeller says the senators received the NIE a few days before the vote on the war and he regrets having voted) for their votes.

It is the job of our Senators and the National Security Council (Chaired by Ms. Rice) to question and ensure that the Intelligence estimates coming from the CIA are in the very least collaborated and accurate. How difficult is it to ascertain if Iraq had the capability to launch missiles which reach London (to quote Tony Blair) in 45minutes! I am appalled that essentially these reports and the corrective actions suggested (or to be suggested) will basically point to a flawed system without holding anyone accountable. And George Tenet who has anyway quit is now being assigned some of the blame conveniently!

So basically United States and United Kingdom went to war in Iraq to first destroy the infrastructure of that country and then reconstruct that country. Why? As we can see there were no WMD, no links to Al Queda and it is not the policy of either country to assassinate political leaders. So that leaves humanitarian reasons. Now from a humanitarian reason stand point there countries in a more desperate need for intervention than Iraq. And if it was not for oil I do not understand why else other than the fact the coalition of the willing decided it wanted to expend some effort in reconstructing Iraq that they went to war.

In the meantime innocent people are dying (but it is all in the big cause… oh I forgot I have not yet heard what this big cause is …. It must be in the same place where Dick Cheney has kept the evidence linking Al Queda and Iraq) and Mr. Bin Laden is enjoying sleep in a cave in the mountains of Tora Bora or wherever. And we have to watch a confused Mr. Tom Ridge stand and announce a new day with a new alert level based on some unspecific information. By the way what color alert are we on today… does anyone really care anymore?