CIA admits 'shortcomings,' not sweeping problems

0 Comments | AFP, July, 2004

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The CIA's number-two acknowledged "shortcomings" in US pre-war intelligence on Iraq but said it was wrong to exaggerate flaws or infer sweeping problems in the agency.

Deputy Director John McLaughlin's comments came in rebuttal to a Senate Intelligence Committee report that found key US intelligence judgements on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction before the war were either overstated or not backed up by the underlying intelligence reporting.

McLaughlin said "it is wrong to exaggerate the flaws or leap to the judgment that our challenges with pre-war Iraq weapons intelligence are evidence of sweeping problems across the broad spectrum of issues with which the intelligence community must deal."

During a press conference at CIA headquarters,...