Here's how the AP starts its story:
In his first public defense of prewar intelligence, CIA Director George Tenet said Thursday that U.S. analysts had never claimed Iraq was an imminent threat, the main argument used by President Bush for going to war.Here's what Bush said:
Some have said we must not act until the threat is imminent. Since when have terrorists and tyrants announced their intentions, politely putting us on notice before they strike? If this threat is permitted to fully and suddenly emerge, all actions, all words, and all recriminations would come too late. Trusting in the sanity and restraint of Saddam Hussein is not a strategy, and it is not an option.So, the AP does not care about facts. No big surprise. Can you trust them to report anything right? The reporter's name is Katherine Pfleger. Beware of her shoddy, biased reporting.
**UPDATE: Looks like Katherine the "journalist" got a call from her boss. She's changed her copy a little. Looks like Bill Clinton-style editing, too: Director George Tenet said Thursday that U.S. analysts never claimed before the war that Iraq was an imminent threat. The urgency of such a threat was the main argument used by President Bush for going to war.
I still don't think "urgency of such a threat" quite gets it, Kat. Let me try to help you out. Try this: Director George Tenet said Thursday that U.S. analysts never claimed before the war that Iraq was an imminent threat, consistent with statements from President Bush that war was required before the threat became imminent. Of course, that doesn't read well because it's not news. It would be news if Tenet said the threat was indeed imminent. The correct response from any journalist with a mind would be "so?" In fact, the real story is that Tenet said that there was no political pressure at all to describe the situation in Iraq in any way other than it was. But wait, that shows the Democrats were wrong and Kathy The Reporter is blind to it.
