Replies to post #175315 on Just Politics

[12yearplan]

Forensic study of dirt under the rug finds a few gems

https://i.cbc.ca/1.5094931.1598211492!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_780/chretien-speech.jpg

Blair kept saying to Jean Chrétien, 'Can't you see it, we get the same reports,' and Chrétien replied, 'No, I don't see it."'

Chrétien says Blair pushed Canada to join Iraq war
In normal circumstances, almost all Canadian intelligence assessments dealing with foreign and defence matters are shared, in whole or in part, with the Five Eyes allies, Barnes writes.

"This did not happen with IAS assessments on Iraq, which were classified 'Canadian Eyes Only' in order to avoid uncomfortable disagreements with the U.S. intelligence community which would exacerbate the sensitivities affecting relations at the political level."

Barnes says that when Robert Wright became Canada's security and intelligence co-ordinator in April 2003, he asked to see all of the IAS reporting on Iraq's WMDs.

Wright would later make it clear "that there was to be no 'triumphalism' for having made more accurate assessments."

Barnes notes the only public acknowledgement of the Canadian record was an op-ed piece by Paul Heinbecker, Canada's ambassador to the UN during the Iraq crisis, which discussed U.S. intelligence and included a cryptic comment: "The Canadian analysis was better."

[janice shell]

You're lucky to have boring politics.