"Intelligence reports are normally released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and labelled an "Intelligence Assessment." This report was described as a "Government Assessment" and the unclassified version was released by the White House Press Secretary. One former intelligence official told Inter Press Service that the description as a "Government" rather than an "Intelligence" assessment "means that this is not an intelligence community document"; another said that the White House had apparently "decided on a position and cherry-picked the intelligence to fit
it".[3]
A 29 August article from the Associated Press describes an unreleased report by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that outlined the evidence against Syria that included "a few key caveats — including acknowledging that the U.S. intelligence community no longer has the certainty it did six months ago of where the regime's chemical weapons are stored, nor does it have proof Assad ordered chemical weapons use." wiki
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Pompeo described the judgment of Iranian guilt in the Gulf of Oman burnings as "a US Government Assessment." In light of the chicanery involved in the "US Government Assessment" after the Ghouta "attack" in 2013 I would like to know how many agencies of the USIC concur in the present judgment . pl
So Bolton and Pompeo have got us to the next rung on the escalatory ladder. Where do we go from here? Operation Earnest Will II, a new USS Maddox and AUMF justification for strikes on IRGC – that should do it.
Trump has doubtless been told that Iran’s capitulation may require a short period of shock and awe, perhaps he is thinking in terms of another Shayrat airbase strike. Why would Bolton and Pompeo tell him anything different?
The only shred of hope I can see short term, is that Israel’s ‘Mr Security’ won’t want to see his own re-election chances blown with a full scale ME conflict before the September election rerun. Hizbullah raining missiles down on Tel Aviv’s Pride Paraders would be very poor PR.
All was quiet at Bayt Al Wakeel last night. I had fish and chips.
I would like to know how many agencies of the USIC would be on the verge of mutiny if they were told concur, as with the Steele ‘report’, in the present judgment.