Fwd: CIA: War will make us less safe, not more

[Lori <lori@web4all.it>]

Date: 10 Oct 2002 19:00:39 -0000
From: "Eli Pariser, MoveOn.org" <moveon-help@list.moveon.org>
To: "Lori Matteucci Tubbs" <lori@web4all.it>
Subject: CIA: War will make us less safe, not more

Dear MoveOn Member,

Yesterday, the Central Intelligence Agency released a letter that turns President Bush's argument for war on its head. In it, a senior intelligence official said that the likelihood of an attack by Saddam using weapons of mass destruction in the "foreseeable future" is low. But he went on to say that if Saddam was attacked, the likelihood of him using chemical or biological weapons or providing them to terrorist organizations was "pretty high."

In other words, a war against Iraq would likely create exactly the disaster that President Bush claims it will prevent. It may be the only circumstance under which Saddam Hussein would use whatever chemical or biological weapons are at his disposal against the United States. (There still isn't any solid evidence that Saddam has any weapons of mass destruction.)

The CIA letter makes it clear that a war on Iraq will make our country and the world less safe, not more safe. Since the debate in the Senate could end any day now, please call your Senators at the number below (an operator will connect you to the right office):



Sincerely,
--Eli Pariser
  International Campaigns Director
  MoveOn.org
  Thursday, October 10, 2002

P.S. Here's the language directly from the CIA document:

"Senator Levin: . . . If (Saddam) didn't feel threatened, did not feel threatened, is it likely that he would initiate an attack using a weapon of mass destruction?

Senior Intelligence Witness: . . . My judgment would be that the probability of him initiating an attack - let me put a time frame on it - in the foreseeable future, given the conditions we understand now, the likelihood I think would be low.

Senator Levin: Now if he did initiate an attack you've . . . indicated he would probably attempt clandestine attacks against us . . . But what about his use of weapons of mass destruction? If we initiate an attack and he thought he was in extremis or otherwise, what's the likelihood in response to our attack that he would use chemical or biological weapons?

Senior Intelligence Witness: Pretty high, in my view."

The letter is available in its entirety at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/09/international/09TTEX.html

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