"Cooking Intelligence" - Bolton - Pressuring Intel Analysts

From THE COUNTERTERRORISM BLOG

Welcome to the Counterterrorism Blog, a unique, multi-expert blog dedicated to providing a one-stop gateway to the counterterrorism community. To our knowledge, there has been no such blog on the internet. We envision the blog’s audience to be the policymakers in Congress and the Executive Branch, as well as serious students elsewhere, who want to visit a single site to access (1) overnight and breaking news, with realtime intel and commentary by operational experts; (2) discussions of long-term trends in counterterrorism; (3) summaries of and discussions about US and international law; and (4) a calendar of upcoming events, hearings, and seminars. We want to highlight those experts who have extensive knowledge of counterterrorism cases, and thus enable them to expand their opportunities to bring their expertise to the attention of policymakers.




BOLTON AND THE ART OF COOKING INTELLIGENCE

by
Larry C. Johnson

The nomination of John Bolton as Ambassador to the UN is another body blow to the intelligence community and sends a clear message to analysts that speaking up about political pressure will only damage your career. Despite the whitewash reports provided by the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Silbermann Robb Commission, which insisted there was no "politicization" of the intelligence on Iraq, we now have a documented record of blatant efforts by Bolton and Otto Reich, two senior political appointees, who tried to shape intelligence conclusions and punish intelligence professionals who worked on Cuba. (Let there be no doubt, there was pressure applied on Iraq). The pressure applied to the INR analyst and the NIO for Latin America is one way that intelligence gets politicized. What is truly amazing is the failure of Republican leaders to be outraged by this conduct. The defense of John Bolton by most Republican Senators is sending a chilling message to the analytical community.

Who would dare come forward now and admit the political appointees tried to cook the process? Analysts have seen how some Republican Senators attack the analysts who were pressured. They have seen how the integrity of the analysts have been called into question. They have seen the character assasination. And yet some of these Senators, like Norm Coleman and George Allen, have the audacity to insist that nothing untoward happened to harm analysts.

<snip>

The attack on the NIO/LA by Bolton and Reich was an attack on the whole analytical community. They assaulted the "coordinated" analysis of the intel community.

<snip>

The issue before the Senate is not whether to send a tough guy to the UN. Instead, the issue is whether the Senators are willing to hold political appointees accountable for efforts to manipulate intelligence and punish intelligence professionals for simply doing their job. A vote for Bolton is simply another way of saying, "it doesn't matter if you try to cook the books; those who do get a reward".

http://counterterror.typepad.com/the_counterterrorism_blog/2005/05/bolton_and_the_.html