Comments on: Bolton: Officials Have Right to Own View of Intelligence

By: JackLewis.net

JackLewis.net — Fri, 13 May 2005 19:37:35 +0000

Bolton escapes FRC
From the Ass. Press: John R. Bolton, President Bush's sharp-elbowed nominee to become U.N. ambassador, survived a cliffhanger Senate committee...

By: McGehee

McGehee — Thu, 12 May 2005 20:20:05 +0000

"Bad intel" that every worthwhile intelligence service on the planet agreed with...

By: DC Loser

DC Loser — Thu, 12 May 2005 17:03:46 +0000

Uh.....well, who got the blame for Iraq WMD? The intelligence community did. Bush? He's not accountable, it's all that bad intel he got that made him go into Iraq.

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Thu, 12 May 2005 16:22:50 +0000

Well, they get the blame either way, I guess. If the CIA screws the pooch and gives bad advice and the president follows it, he's a liar.

By: legion

legion — Thu, 12 May 2005 15:59:03 +0000

"Well, yes. Intelligence agencies merely provide their best guess on what's happening and, where appropriate, issue recommendations. It's not their job to make policy." True. But when senior officials go ahead and make policies that directly conflict with the 'best guesses' of their own experts, they have to be called to account. If you're going to go entirely on your own 'gut reaction', you don't have anyone else to blame if your decision turns out wrong. Bolton (and a lot of other people, IMHO) needs to be fired, not promoted.