Second Verse, Same as the First

They Just. Can't. Fucking. Learn.

CIA Analysis Finds Iran Not Developing Nuclear Weapons

Washington - A classified draft CIA assessment has found no firm evidence of a secret drive by Iran to develop nuclear weapons, as alleged by the White House, a top US investigative reporter has said.

Seymour Hersh, writing in an article for the November 27 issue of the magazine The New Yorker released in advance, reported on whether the administration of Republican President George W. Bush was more, or less, inclined to attack Iran after Democrats won control of Congress last week.

A month before the November 7 legislative elections, Hersh wrote, Vice President Dick Cheney attended a national-security discussion that touched on the impact of Democratic victory in both chambers on Iran policy.

"If the Democrats won on November 7th, the vice president said, that victory would not stop the administration from pursuing a military option with Iran," Hersh wrote, citing a source familiar with the discussion.

Cheney said the White House would circumvent any legislative restrictions "and thus stop Congress from getting in its way," he said.

The Democratic victory unleashed a surge of calls for the Bush administration to begin direct talks with Iran.

But the administration's planning of a military option was made "far more complicated" in recent months by a highly classified draft assessment by the Central Intelligence Agency "challenging the White House's assumptions about how close Iran might be to building a nuclear bomb," he wrote.

"The CIA found no conclusive evidence, as yet, of a secret Iranian nuclear-weapons program running parallel to the civilian operations that Iran has declared to the International Atomic Energy Agency," Hersh wrote, adding the CIA had declined to comment on that story.

A current senior intelligence official confirmed the existence of the CIA analysis and said the White House had been hostile to it, he wrote.

Cheney and his aides had discounted the assessment, the official said.

"They're not looking for a smoking gun," the official was quoted as saying, referring to specific intelligence about Iranian nuclear planning.

"They're looking for the degree of comfort level they think they need to accomplish the mission."

Bolds mine.

So much for "bipartisanship," huh? The Bush Administration continues to do whatever the fuck it wants, regardless of what anyone else says. Ignoring the wishes of the voters, ignoring their elected members of congress, ignoring the vast majority of Americans that are now against the Iraq war... they'll do as they please, and screw the consequences.

Can we all please just get on the same page and agree that Dick Cheney is a sociopath? I know this has been shown before on dozens of blogs, but let's just look at the DSM-IV definition:

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a manual widely used within the United States for diagnosing mental and behavioral disorders, defines antisocial personality disorder as a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others occurring since age 15, as indicated by three (or more) of the following:

1. failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest
2. deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure
3. impulsivity or failure to plan ahead
4. irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults
5. reckless disregard for safety of self or others
6. consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain steady work or honor financial obligations
7. lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another

Batting a thousand, if you ask me.

Cherry pick the evidence you like, and send thousands off to die. I wouldn't let this man cook my breakfast, and he's playing tiddlywinks with the lives of millions of innocents all over the globe.

I don't know if this is about Halliburton or profits anymore. It looks like we've gone beyond the simple pursuit of money and power; this is just insanity.

(Yes, we have no cross-posts... we have no cross-posts today...)