IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN!

INTEL!

Doubts, dissent stripped from public version of Iraq assessment

WASHINGTON - The public version of the U.S. intelligence community's key prewar assessment of Iraq's illicit arms programs was stripped of dissenting opinions, warnings of insufficient information and doubts about deposed dictator Saddam Hussein's intentions, a review of the document and its once-classified version shows.

As a result, the public was given a far more definitive assessment of Iraq's plans and capabilities than President Bush and other U.S. decision-makers received from their intelligence agencies.

The stark differences between the public version and the then top-secret version of the October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate raise new questions about the accuracy of the public case made for a war that's claimed the lives of more than 500 U.S. service members and thousands of Iraqis.

The two documents are replete with differences. For example, the public version declared that "most analysts assess Iraq is reconstituting its nuclear weapons program" and says "if left unchecked, it probably will have a nuclear weapon within this decade."

But it fails to mention the dissenting view offered in the top-secret version by the State Department's intelligence arm, the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, known as the INR.

That view said, in part, "The activities we have detected do not, however, add up to a compelling case that Iraq is currently pursuing what INR would consider to be an integrated and comprehensive approach to acquire nuclear weapons. Iraq may be doing so, but INR considers the available evidence inadequate to support such a judgment."

The alternative view further said "INR is unwilling to ... project a timeline for the completion of activities it does not now see happening."

A must read

I'm getting a real sense of deja vu. I know that K-R has been ahead of the pack on most intel issues, but I'm almost certain I've read the above before. The article doesn't state it's a reprint. I dunno.

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SCIENCE!

Nature reports that Martian 'pebbles' don't prove watery past.

A tease:

Opportunity hit the headlines last week when it sent home pictures of smooth, round rocks on the surface of Meridiani Planum, the flat plain where it landed. Some scientists think the rocks may have been eroded by water, just like river pebbles.

But others say they could have been created when molten rock was hurled into the air by a volcanic eruption. This could have frozen as round droplets in the thin Martian atmosphere before falling to the ground. Such processes are well known on Earth.

The rocks could also be droplets of glass similarly formed during meteorite impacts, says Peter Schultz, a geologist at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island1. "It's too early to conclude that Meridiani held water," says Schultz's colleague John Mustard.

Go. Read. Learn.

NASA 'Officials' Dispute Engineers on Hubble's Fate I thought there was hope for Hubble. Things are getting pretty dim. It's going to be like losing a friend. Sad.

Fuel spill strikes World Heritage site A spill of 13,000 litres of diesel fuel into New Zealand?’s pristine Milford Sound is being investigated by police as a deliberate act of sabotage.

Some people suck.

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REPRESSION!

If the "Miami Model" sees wide application by law enforcement to deal with public demonstrations, you can bet that some of these non-lethal weapons will be in their arsenal.

You should really take the time to read Michelle Goldberg's Salon piece(Miami Model link) It's pretty scary.

Truth is stranger than fiction. A British-based company is selling MP3 players which can be attached to an assault rifle. "This is our bit for world peace - hopefully, from now on many militants and terrorists will use their AK-47s to listen to music and audio books."

You can't make stuff like that up. Who would believe you?

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WHY I AM A SKEPTIC

Ha'aretz reports that al-Hayat reported that al Qaeda has Tactical Nukes

The Boondocks from yesterday. Heh.

Georgia comes to senses. Evolution to stay in the classroom YAY!!! Those kids deserve to be taught what is the only reasonable theory as to how we got here.

I was worried that witch burning classes would appear on next years curriculum. Missed it by a nose. :)

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I'd like to take the rest of this top ten list and throw it into the hopper. No, that's not right. I'm thinking about changing the content of the site. It will still be political, and critical of government of course, but I'd like to focus on just a few areas.

I'm thinking along the lines of:

Deficits - Trade and Budget

Outsourcing - it's effect on everyone

Reasonable tax policy - I think we have a real issue with our taxation systems

Government Spending Policy - think Howitzers vs. Interstate Highway repair

The common thread here is fiscal. I know I'll still make other categories of entries, but as it is now, I'm all over the map. I think some focus would be beneficial. That's my shpeel. :)