[R-G] Pentagon to cook the intelligence books

[Nicholas Morcinek]

WARREN P. STROBEL and JONATHAN S. LANDAY Knight-Ridder - While President
Bush marshals congressional and international support for invading Iraq,
a growing number of military officers, intelligence professionals and
diplomats in his own government privately have deep misgivings about the
administration's double-time march toward war. These officials charge
that administration hawks have exaggerated evidence of the threat that
Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein poses -- including distorting his links to
the al-Qaida terrorist network -- have overstated the amount of
international support for attacking Iraq and have downplayed the
potential repercussions of a new war in the Middle East.

They charge that the administration squelches dissenting views and that
intelligence analysts are under intense pressure to produce reports
supporting the White House's argument that Saddam poses such an
immediate threat to the United States that pre-emptive military action
is necessary.

"Analysts at the working level in the intelligence community are feeling
very strong pressure from the Pentagon to cook the intelligence books,"
said one official, speaking on condition of anonymity. A dozen other
officials echoed his views in interviews. No one who was interviewed
disagreed.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/printstory.hts/nation/1607676