Did Senators Read Pre-War Iraq Intel Report?

Human Events, Jul 26, 2004

.. .What the NlE is supposed to be, at least according to the Intelligence Committee report from last week, is the most comprehensive, unvarnished-here's everything, here's the whole case right here.

NELSON: But see, they're not always that, are they. That's why they're not 100% reliable, and that's why they're not relied on 100%. . . . They have probity value, but they're not the only proof you have to go on.

When it comes to something like going to war, don't you think that members of Congress have some kind of responsibility to read the whole thing?

NELSON: I don't know that you do. I mean, I think much of the report is technical in nature, and you can't read everything that's before you, but you have to read a lot of what's before you, and you have to prioritize.... That's not the same as saying you don't have the obligation to be aware of what's in every report. You do. That's why you have staff. That's why you read what you can, that's why you read executive summaries, that's why you go to hearings, that's why you have testimony in front of you. So the point I'm making is, this was only one part. Maybe it was important, but it wasn't the only important bit of information.... If your point is, 'If you didn't read that, you didn't have enough other information'-that's wrong, because it wasn't the only thing out there. And I can't let you and your premise make it that important.... It's not that simple. Im not going to let it become that simple.

I'll make sure to include what you're saying.

Senator, regarding the National Intelligence Estimate of 2002, do you believe that senators and members of Congress had a moral obligation to read the NIE before voting to authorize war with Iraq?

SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER (D.-W.VA.), INTELLIGENCE VICE CHAIRMAN: Yeah. I mean, it's easier said than done. I did. I read the classified version and the unclassified version, and another-there were actually three versions. With that said, I think it took place what-eight or nine days-let's just say ten days [before the vote]. It's 100 pages. It's extremely difficult. There was a classified, there was an unclassified. We were also in discussion with our staffs about how we ought to vote-except for those who thought it was a very easy vote. You know, we're all meant to read everything, and I can say to you that I've read the entire [Senate Select Intelligence Committee] report [on pre-war intelligence] of 500-plus pages twice. But then I could also tell you that I need to read it twice more.

I understand that most senators don't read all these bills.... But when it comes to going to war, don't you think that's a little more important?

ROCKEFELLER: Yes, but so is the ten days. Remember, the Senate Intelligence Committee had to request the NIE. We were not going to get an NIE. It was put together, it was very sloppy. And it was very incomplete. And in its unclassified version it was disingenuous-it left out the caveats and the warnings. So I agree with your premise, but there was a lot going on during that time, and we were building up to a vote, and that was a very serious vote.