- President Bush has repeatedly criticized his opponent[1]
for joining with Republicans to slightly reduce funding for intelligence
after the end of the Cold War.[2] But a new report shows that the President
recently nominated a CIA Director who tried to make far deeper cuts in
intelligence, even as terrorist attacks against the United States increased.
-
- Despite the known threat of terrorism, Bush nominated
Rep. Porter Goss (R-FL) to be the new CIA Director - a man who has led
the effort to cut the very intelligence priorities that are most critical
to the fight against terrorism. As the Washington Post reports, Goss actually
"sponsored legislation that would have cut intelligence personnel
by 20 percent in the late 1990s." Goss insisted on these cuts even
after the 1993 World Trade Center attack when America became aware of the
serious terrorist threat. As the story notes, the cuts Goss supported are
far larger than those proposed by Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) and were specifically
targeted at "human intelligence." That is the very same priority
which the 9/11 Commission and other independent experts say was lacking
in the days and months leading up to the 9/11 attacks.[3]
-
- The revelations about Goss come only a few weeks after
similar evidence came to light showing that Vice President Cheney has also
repeatedly tried to stop intelligence reforms and cut critical defense
programs. For instance, in 1992, Cheney led the effort to block the very
same intelligence reforms the 9/11 Commission said would have made the
United States better prepared to deal with the threat of al Qaeda. Similarly,
while the Bush-Cheney campaign has attacked Kerry for supposedly reducing
defense spending,[4] it was Cheney himself in 2000 who admitted that as
Defense Secretary, he "did in fact significantly reduce the overall
size of the U.S. military."[5] And in 1990, it was Cheney who went
to Capitol Hill to tout his effort to slash defense, bragging about "programs
that I have recommended for termination."[6]
-
- Sources:
-
- 1. "Bush chides Kerry on intelligence cuts,"
Washington Times, 3/09/04, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1259376&l=51637.
'
- 2. "Bush Strains Facts Re: Kerry's Plan To Cut Intelligence
Funding in '90's," FactCheck.org, 3/15/04,
- http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1259376&l=51638.
- 3. "Goss Backed '95 Bill to Slash Intelligence,"
Washington Post, 8/24/04, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1259376&l=51639.
- 4. "Remarks by the Vice President at the Ronald
Reagan Presidential Library and Museum," WhiteHouse.gov, 3/17/04,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1259376&l=51640.
- 5. "latimes.com: Cheney acknowledges defense cuts
began on his watch," CNN.com, 8/24/00, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1259376&l=51641.
- 6. Congressional Testimony, 2/01/90.
-
- Visit www.Misleader.org for more about Bush Administration
distortion.
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