Bush says Iraq intel critics irresponsible

Bush says Iraq intel critics irresponsible
By Caren Bohan
TOBYHANNA, Pennsylvania (Reuters) -


President George W. Bush
charged on Friday that Democratic critics of the Iraq war were
trying to rewrite history by accusing the White House of
manipulating intelligence to gain support for the war.


Bush, in a Veterans Day speech at an Army depot, fired back at
Democrats who have been escalating accusations that Bush misused
intelligence to justify an increasingly unpopular war.

Bush said he respected his opponents' right to disagree with him
about the decision to go to war against Iraq and that as president
he accepted responsibility for what has taken place there under his
watch.

But, he added, "It is deeply irresponsible to rewrite the history of
how that war began."

"Some Democrats and anti-war critics are now claiming we manipulated
the intelligence and misled the American people about why we went to
war. These critics are fully aware that a bipartisan Senate
investigation found no evidence of political pressure to change the
intelligence community's judgment related to Iraq's weapons
programs," Bush said.

Bush also opened fire at one critic in particular, Massachusetts
Democratic Sen. John Kerry, whom Bush defeated in the
presidential election a year ago.

He quoted from Kerry's 2002 Senate speech in supporting the use of
force if necessary to disarm Saddam Hussein, based on charges
that Saddam possessed weapons of mass destruction. No such weapons
were ever found.

Kerry, Bush said, backed the president "because I believe that a
deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hand is a
threat and a grave threat to our security."

Sen. Edward Kennedy , a Massachusetts
Democrat, derided Bush for "using Veterans Day as a campaign-like
attempt to rebuild his own credibility by tearing down those who
seek the truth about the clear manipulation of intelligence in the
run up to the Iraq war."

Democrats in recent weeks have been accusing the White House of
manipulating intelligence on Iraq and leaking classified information
to discredit critics of the war.

Lewis "Scooter" Libby, a top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney,
was indicted last month for obstructing justice, perjury and lying
after a two-year investigation into the leak of covert CIA
operative Valerie Plame's identity.

Opinion polls show Bush's approval ratings sinking as the public
becomes increasingly wary of the Iraq war.

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada said on Thursday
Democrats were insisting that Americans "get the truth about why the
White House cherry-picked and leaked intelligence to sell the war in
Iraq."

"The president may think this matter can be swept under the rug or
pardoned away, but Democrats know America can do better," he added.

Administration officials have acknowledged the intelligence on Iraqi
weapons was faulty, but have said Democrats, Republicans and foreign
intelligence agencies had believed Baghdad had deadly weapons before
the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion.


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