New York Times columnist says NIE findings are hardly "breaking news"

In an opinion piece published on October 1, New York Times columnist Frank Rich dismisses the recent fury of debates over the latest National Intelligence Estimate as “meaningless”. He contends that the report’s key findings regarding increased levels of terrorism as a result of the American military presence in Iraq, is and has been evident to Americans for some time. Therefore, vehement criticisms against the Bush administration and its refusal to divulge more classified information about the ground scene in Iraq are irrelevant as the American public already knows about the deterioration of the security situation in Iraq, and the administration does not care.

From the start, Rich reminds his readers, the White House played a game of pretense and manipulation to assemble a series of half-truths and fiction in order to bolster the perceived threat from Iran and to justify a military attack against Saddam’s regime. To Rich, it is not surprising then that the cycle of lies continues to this day, as the administration fumbles to defend its “artificial reality” through their mantra of staying the course in Iraq. Meanwhile the facts point to an escalating civil war and the breakdown of the influence of security forces in the area.

The full report is available through the New York Times Select, here.