CIA Chief Denies Bush Administration Manipulated Iraq Intell

CIA Chief Denies Bush Administration Manipulated Iraq Intelligence

 

Deborah Tate

 

The head of the Central Intelligence Agency says he does not believe the Bush administration manipulated intelligence to justify¹ the war in Iraq. CIA Director George Tenet appeared before a Senate panel Tuesday.

 

Under sharp questioning, Democratic Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts asked Mr. Tenet if he challenged administration officials when they portrayed² the threat posed by former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's regime as more serious than CIA reports had suggested. "When you see this intelligence you provide being misrepresented, misstated by the highest authorities, when do you say 'no'?"

 

"I am not going to sit here today and tell you what my action was and what I did or did not do except that you have to have the confidence to know that when I believed that somebody was misconstruing intelligence I said something about it. I do not stand up in public and do it."

 

In his appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Mr. Tenet said he did not believe the administration manipulated intelligence to make a case for war, as many Democrats⁴ have argued.

 

Mr. Tenet was joined by Defense⁵ Intelligence Agency Director, Vice³ Admiral Lowell Jacoby. Under questioning from Senator Elizabeth Dole⁶, a North Carolina Republican, both men denied they were pressured by administration officials to shape intelligence:

 

"Were either of you under any pressure in any way to filter intelligence prior to the war in Iraq?" she asked. "No ma'am," they each replied in turn.

The administration had cited Iraq's weapons of mass destruction as a key reason for going to war, although none has been found.

 

Former U.S. weapons inspector⁷ David Kay, in an appearance before the Armed Services Committee in January, blamed faulty intelligence for the failure to find any weapons.

 

Mr. Tenet defended his department's analysts⁸ and said it is premature⁹ to make judgments¹⁰ about the accuracy of pre-war intelligence. A U.S. team is continuing the search for weapons in Iraq.

 

Asked about the current situation in Iraq, Mr. Tenet said U.S. and coalition¹¹ troops increasingly are under assault from insurgent¹² elements determined¹³ to disrupt the transfer of power to local authorities.

 

He said the attacks appear to be the work of remnant elements of former leader Saddam Hussein's government, including party officials, military intelligence and security officers. "Their goal is clear: to inspire an Islamic extremist insurgency¹⁴ that would threaten coalition forces and put a halt to the long term process of building democratic institutions and governance in Iraq. They hope for a Taleban-like enclave in Iraq's Sunni heartland that would be a jihadists' safe-haven."

 

At the end of the public hearing, the Armed Services Committee went into closed session to discuss classified matters with Mr. Tenet.

 

注释：

Central Intelligence Agency （CIA）中央情报局

manipulat [mE5nipjuleit] vt. 操纵，利用

Senate panel  参议院小组

regime [reI5Vi:m] n. 政权

misstate [5mis5steit] vt. 说错，作虚伪叙述

misconstrue [5miskEn5stru:] vt. 误解，曲解

stand up  拥护

in public  当众，公开地

Senate Armed Services Committee  参议院军事委员会

Defense Intelligence Agency （DIA）国防情报局

filter [5filtE] vt. 过滤

prior to  在…之前，居先

premature [7premE5tjuE] adj.  太早的，早熟的

assault [E5sC:lt] n. 攻击，袭击

Islamic [Iz5lAmIk] adj. 伊斯兰的，伊斯兰教的

insurgency [In5s:dVEnsI] n. 叛乱，叛乱状态

enclave [5enkleiv] n. 被包围的领土

Sunni [5suni:] adj.（伊斯兰）逊尼派

Jihadist [dVi5hB:dIst] n. 伊斯兰圣战组织成员

 

 

1 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

2 portrayed   

v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• Throughout the trial, he portrayed himself as the victim. 在审讯过程中，他始终把自己说成是受害者。
• The author portrayed his father as a vicious drunkard. 作者把他父亲描绘成一个可恶的酒鬼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

4 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

6 dole   

n.救济，（失业）救济金；vt.（out）发放，发给

参考例句：

• It's not easy living on the dole.靠领取失业救济金生活并不容易。
• Many families are living on the dole since the strike.罢工以来，许多家庭靠失业救济金度日。

7 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

8 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

9 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

10 judgments   

判断( judgment的名词复数 )； 鉴定； 评价； 审判

参考例句：

• A peculiar austerity marked his judgments of modern life. 他对现代生活的批评带着一种特殊的苛刻。
• He is swift with his judgments. 他判断迅速。

11 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

12 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

13 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

14 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网