Declassifying the NIE

A few thoughts on the hoopla over the recently declassified National Intelligence Estimate’s key findings: First, the intimations that the New York Times (or their sources) failed to understand the main thrust of the document were proven wrong. A basic rule of writing is that your most important points go up top. And right in ...

A few thoughts on the hoopla over the recently declassified National Intelligence Estimate's key findings:

A few thoughts on the hoopla over the recently declassified National Intelligence Estimate’s key findings:

First, the intimations that the New York Times (or their sources) failed to understand the main thrust of the document were proven wrong. A basic rule of writing is that your most important points go up top. And right in the third sentence, it says that the jihadi movement is spreading both numerically and physically. The “Iraqi jihad” is the document’s first reason why. Even the editors of the Wall Street Journal couldn’t say anything positive about the document itself, instead applauding President Bush for declassifying it and attacking Nancy Pelosi for demanding a closed House session on the document.

Second, to borrow from our friends at WSJ, “If this is the kind of insight we pay our spooks to generate, we’re in more trouble than we thought.” All of the NIE’s conclusions could easily be drawn by anyone who follows U.S. foreign policy in the media or, as they say in the intel community, “open sources.” Nothing here was shocking.

Third, I save my final judgment for the “leaker.” I have to agree with President Bush that the timing of this leak is suspect. No matter what side you’re on, playing politics with issues of national security is in poor taste. If you were really concerned about the contents of the NIE, you should have leaked this to the press last spring, when the document was published.

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