I'm amazed at how the believers dismiss the NIE so readily. It sorta makes me wonder about the veracity of all government reports generated by this administration. Obviously the blame must go back to Bush's staff that prepared the appointment list of candidates.

So, the administration is filled with incompetents or liars, or both!

Sixteen separate Intelligence Agencies of the government issued the NIE jointly. Officers of the CIA indicated, according to reports, that if the true estimates, the NIE, were not released to the public in the run-up to attacking Iran, that they were willing to do so and face imprisonment.

Good enough for Dick Cheney, but not for the "airport lawyer-senator from Tennessee"? Stick with what you know, Fred, ... and that isn't nukular weapons!

You mean Grandpa Fred got up from his nap, read the NIE and determined it was a bunch of hooey, then he went back to his nap. Wow, that's leadership. What truly troubles me is that these nutcases aren't one bit happy that maybe Iran is NOT pursuing bomb-building, which would be a good thing.

Why should anyone completely trust a government report? The 16 intelligence agencies are (hopefully) competent experts, but that doesn't mean they're infallible. The report details, to the best of our knowledge, what the situation is; it doesn't dictate the "correct" way to react to its findings; it doesn't recommend future policy, neither does it act as a RELIABLE predictor of future actions on the part of our potential adversaries. It's an ESTIMATE ... an educated guess.

As for "Officers of the CIA" being "willing to" release the "true estimates" and "face imprisonment" ... what a load of crap! The implication that this estimate is more believable because of that supposed threat is completely unprovable. The only reason they would face imprisonment would be if they released classified information, and no threat to do that would force the NIE to include (in effect forcing the department heads to declassify) said info.

This report is a good sign; however, it is hardly an "All Clear" signal.

Obvious talking point is..."So they believe Curveball but not our own NIE...?"

Seriously, this is starting to look like "The Empire That Couldn't Shoot Straight".

....ya know...Bush's.. All hat and no cattle thing... and Cheney shooting a lawyer in the face....and all.

Sounds like Fred is practicing for a remake of Dr. Strangelove with himself playing Gen. Jack D. Ripper.

So Fred Thompson is actually saying; If he becomes President, he will ignore what the Intelligence Depts. report to him.

Back to the future. Bush/Dick/Condi did the same thing, and gave us 9/11

Now back to our regular programing:

War and the liars who shill for war, now showing 24/7/365.

Israel's Banana Republic

When was the last time the military saved the United States from an elected rogue regime? Anybody remember? - is this not unprecedented? Have we ever been a banana republic before? It was Admiral Fallon and our CIA/Pentagon who have saved us from attacking Iran for Israel`s Lobby and her neocons. We have stopped our warmongering neocons from forcing America to commit our next warcrime but has not Israel`s domination of our Congress and Executive thru her Israel Lobby and her neocons made us nothing more than a Banana Republic?