Where's the Outrage?

Tuesday evening news Roundup

• I am not sure what we did by giving Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson $700 billion to spend. The stock market isn’t happy. The stock market fell approximately 5% today. So far in 2008, the stock market has lost 32% of its value. This is the worst loss in value since 1937. Want more dire warnings?  Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has hinted that the Fed may lower interest rates. I thought that low interest rates were one of the reasons we got into this problem!
• Hedge funds, on average, lost over 4% in September. Early trading in Asian markets looks like the bad news is going to continue.
• With the Food and Drug Administration looming over their heads, the pharmaceutical companies that make pediatric cough and cold remedies have voluntarily agreed to want that their products should not be used for children under four. Recent studies have suggested these remedies do not help young children.
• More bad news for the John McCain camp. New intelligence estimates suggest that sectarian violence could break out at any time in Iraq. In spite of John McCain’s proclamation that we have won, the national intelligence estimate states that “victory” is not certain. Of course, this should be obvious to anyone who’s paid any attention over the last five years.
• 17 Chinese born Muslims that have been detained in Guantánamo Bay for over six years have been ordered to be released by a US federal judge.
• One of the best heavyweight bouts is not being shown on HBO.  Wells Fargo and Citibank are battling over Wachovia. Towards the end of last week, Citigroup had stepped in to buy Wachovia Bank. From out of nowhere, Wells Fargo came up with a different and possibly better offer. An announcement was made that Wachovia would be sold to Wells Fargo.  Citibank filed an injunction. The battle is continuing behind closed doors. By the way, did you notice that Bank of America, the bank that bought Merrill Lynch and Countrywide, reported a 68% drop in their revenues compared to last year’s third quarter?

Tags: Economy, Iraq, National Intelligence Estimate by ecthompson
View Comments

So, a new National Intelligence Estimate on Iran is released. Rumors that the VP’s office has tried to suppress this document for over a year. Bush takes the Sargent Schultz (Hogan’s Heroes) defense. We speak with Faiz Shakir from the Center for American Progress and the blog, Think Progress, about the NIE and the Bush administration. We cover this and other topics. Enjoy!!

Remember I’m on iTunes and several other podcasting services.

 

 The Errington Thompson Show 12-08-07 [50:09m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, National Intelligence Estimate, Podcasts by ecthompson
View Comments

The White House is either stupid or lying. Keith Olbermann points out that these are the only 2 options for anyone who has followed politics.

 

 Special Comment - NIE and the truth [8:32m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Countdown, National Intelligence Estimate by ecthompson
View Comments

First, I applaud NBC Nightly News for trying to place the newest National Intelligence Estimate into context. I have spliced yesterday’s Nightly News together with tonight’s.  I think that the picture of what’s going begins to come into focus.

Secondly, so, what happened?  How did this happen?  Didn’t we hear World War III rhetoric just recently?  I find it very interesting that the intelligence community put this report out.  You know that the Bush administration had to have fought to keep it under wraps.

I would like to add since Hillary Clinton was getting beaten up in an NPR debate that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard is a terrorist organization.  We have known this for more than 10 years (Read Richard Clarke’s book Against All Enemies.)  So, that isn’t the question.  The question is why do we label this organization now.  It is fact that the IRG has supported several terrorist groups in the region.  Why does the Senate in concert with the White House vote on this now?  If it isn’t to support Bush’s case for “strong, aggressive” action then what was the purpose?

Finally, it is time to pull in the reigns on the Bush administration.   Yes, there are problems in Iran.  Yes, they have a leader who is crazy and playing to his base (the Iranian leader…who did you think that I was talking about).  We, the American people, has an opportunity to get our foreign policy right.  I think that the Intelligence Community has no desire to be the scapegoat again.  This is why they forced the issue and wouldn’t cave under pressure.

Update:  There are those on the other side of the political spectrum who claim that Progressives are dancing in the streets.  Stating that Progressives believe that Iran poses no threat to the region or to anyone.  Wrong.  There are those that hear whatever they want to hear.  The key is we need diplomacy.  Real diplomacy to get Iran to open its borders so that we can see what’s inside.  With the crazy man at the helm we have to assume that he means some of what he is saying.  Hopefully, through engagement we can convince Iran that being a rouge nation is only fun on TV.

———

From WaPo:

President Bush asserted today that Iran’s nuclear program remains a danger to international security despite an assessment in a new U.S. intelligence report that the Tehran government stopped work four years ago on a suspected effort to build nuclear weapons.

In a White House news conference, Bush argued that Iran continues to develop the capability to enrich uranium and that this know-how ultimately could be transferred to a new clandestine weapons program.

“Look, Iran was dangerous,” Bush said. “Iran is dangerous. And Iran will be dangerous if they have the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon.”  (more…)

 

 Iran and our NIE [5:22m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, National Intelligence, National Intelligence Estimate by ecthompson
View Comments

No duh. The National Intelligence Estimate told us this a while ago. The British have figured out that we need to change direction or lose the War on Terror. I’m wondering if President Bush will read this report.

—————-

From Yahoo.com:

Six years after the September 11 attacks in the United States, the “war on terror” is failing and instead fueling an increase in support for extremist Islamist movements, a British think-tank said on Monday.

A report by the Oxford Research Group (ORG) said a “fundamental re-think is required” if the global terrorist network is to be rendered ineffective.

“If the al Qaeda movement is to be countered, then the roots of its support must be understood and systematically undercut,” said Paul Rogers, the report’s author and professor of global peace studies at Bradford University in northern England. (more…)

 

 Do we torture? [1:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: National Intelligence Estimate, War on Terror by ecthompson
View Comments

Oh, let me count the ways -

• Al Qaeda is on the run.
• We have taken away their sanctuary.
• Bin Laden is hiding a cave somewhere
• he has been marginalized.

A sneak peak at the National Intelligence Estimate reveals that Al Qaeda may be stronger than in 2001 and they are alive and well in Pakistan. How many lies has the Bush Administration told? Enough to make me want to spit!!!

I have said this time and time again. I wrote it in my book – A Letter to America. I said that we didn’t finish off Al Qaeda. Give the middle finger to Al Qaeda in Iraq. They don’t matter (at least not now). Bin Laden matters. His structure matters. These guys should either be rotting in a jail somewhere (after a fair American trial) or they should be dead.

The fact that we are still talking about Osama Bin Laden is a failure of leadership. It is a dereliction of duty. It is treason. Now, where is Ann Coulter and that loud mouth from the Weekly Standard, William Kristol? I would love for them to explain this. On second thought, I can’t take any more lies. Send them to Gitmo as enemy combatants.

——–

From WaPo:

Six years after the Bush administration declared war on al-Qaeda, the terrorist network is gaining strength and has established a safe haven in remote tribal areas of western Pakistan for training and planning attacks, according to a new Bush administration intelligence report to be discussed today at a White House meeting.

The report, a five-page threat assessment compiled by the National Counterterrorism Center, is titled “Al-Qaida Better Positioned to Strike the West,” intelligence officials said. It concludes that the group has significantly rebuilt itself despite concerted U.S. attempts to smash the network. (more…)

 

 Return of Al Qaeda [2:16m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Al Qaeda, National Intelligence Estimate by ecthompson
View Comments

This is a specialty of the Bush Adminstration.

 

 Countdown - Ignoring the facts, again [6:55m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, Countdown, Domestic Issues, National Intelligence Estimate by ecthompson
View Comments

The White House asked for a rewrite. Politics, politics, politics. Please, Mr. President, don’t let the truth sneak out.  We can’t handle it!!!

 

 Countdown: NIE and Iran [4:11m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, Countdown, Domestic Issues, Iran, Iraq, National Intelligence Estimate by ecthompson
View Comments

National Intelligence Estimate has been a political football (like how I snuck a football metaphor in there) since 9/11.  I don’t think that we are getting the whole truth and nothing but the truth with this.  I do believe that the complete NIE would get us more information.  We are getting only what the Bush Administration wants us to see.  In the coming days we should hear some thoughtful comments from Feingold and Rockefeller, both members of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

——-

Analysis from NYT:

The release on Friday of portions of a bleak new National Intelligence Estimate about Iraq’s future left the White House and its opponents vying over whether its findings buttressed their vastly different views about how to arrest the worsening sectarian chaos there.

The assessment, by American intelligence agencies, expressed deep doubts about the abilities of Iraqi politicians to hold together an increasingly balkanized country, and about whether Iraqi troops might be able to confront powerful militias over the next 18 months and assume more responsibility for security.

The analysis, the first such estimate on Iraq in more than two years, described in sober language a rapidly unraveling country in which security has worsened despite four years of efforts by the administration. [Read more →]

Tags: Domestic Issues, National Intelligence Estimate by ecthompson
View Comments

Sweet Polly Purebread from the Underdog cartoons used to sing Where or where has Underdog gone.  Well, where in the National Intelligence Estimate which is due out in January of 2007.  Most of January is gone.  Wouldn’t you figure that the President would have based his Surge and Accelerate plan on the NIE?

Note: Keith interviews Richard Clarke.

 

 Countdown - NIE [5:57m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Countdown, Domestic Issues, Iraq, National Intelligence Estimate by ecthompson
View Comments

The president is not bad because information was leaked. The president was mad because information confuses the public. He doesn’t want the public confused. At least, this is the Daily Show’s take.

 

 Information confuses the public [2:23m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, Media, National Intelligence Estimate, The Daily Show by ecthompson
View Comments

Tony Blankley, editor of the Washington Times, argues that be NIE makes sense.  He argues that the Jahadists will follow the sound of the gun.  This seems to contradict what we know about the insurgency.  Although, Al Franken did not make this point, the insurgency has been hitting soft targets.  They have been avoiding direct confrontation with American forces.  This is the way all insurgency’s work.  They look for a spot of weakness.  An electrical plant or a telephone communications station or civilians at their place of worship or civilians in a crowded bus — these other targets that insurgencies choose.  Insurgencies do not follow the sound of the gun, they run away from it.  Al Franken’s points are excellent.  Take a listen.

 

 Franken on Hardball - NIE [6:16m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Iran, National Intelligence Estimate by ecthompson
View Comments

From CNN:

WASHINGTON (CNN) — An angry President Bush Tuesday said he would declassify an intelligence document that reportedly finds that the Iraq war increased the terrorist threat to the United States.

The president said the media accounts of the leak of the National Intelligence Estimate were meant to “create confusion in the minds of the American people” and suggested that the report had been leaked for political purposes.

During a joint White House press conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Bush said he has ordered Director of National Security John Negroponte to declassify the report’s key findings . (Full story)

Tags: Foreign Affairs, National Intelligence Estimate by ecthompson
View Comments