Harry Reid in Senate, November 1, 2005

This past weekend, we witnessed the indictment of the I. Lewis Libby,
the Vice President's Chief of Staff and a senior Advisor to President
Bush. Libby is the first sitting White House staffer to be indicted in
135 years. This indictment raises very serious charges. It asserts this
Administration engaged in actions that both harmed our national
security and are morally repugnant.

The decision to place U.S. soldiers in harm's way is the most
significant responsibility the Constitution invests in the Congress.
The Libby indictment provides a window into what this is really about:
how the Administration manufactured and manipulated intelligence in
order to sell the war in Iraq and attempted to destroy those who dared
to challenge its actions.

As a result of its improper conduct, a cloud now hangs over this
Administration. This cloud is further darkened by the
Administration's mistakes in prisoner abuse scandal, Hurricane
Katrina, and the cronyism and corruption in numerous agencies.

And, unfortunately, it must be said that a cloud also hangs over this
Republican-controlled Congress for its unwillingness to hold this
Republican Administration accountable for its misdeeds on all of these
issues.

Let's take a look back at how we got here with respect to Iraq Mr.
President. The record will show that within hours of the terrorist
attacks on 9/11, senior officials in this Administration recognized
these attacks could be used as a pretext to invade Iraq.

The record will also show that in the months and years after 9/11, the
Administration engaged in a pattern of manipulation of the facts and
retribution against anyone who got in its way as it made the case for
attacking Iraq.

There are numerous examples of how the Administration misstated and
manipulated the facts as it made the case for war. Administration
statements on Saddam's alleged nuclear weapons capabilities and ties
with Al Qaeda represent the best examples of how it consistently and
repeatedly manipulated the facts.

The American people were warned time and again by the President, the
Vice President, and the current Secretary of State about Saddam's
nuclear weapons capabilities. The Vice President said Iraq "has
reconstituted its nuclear weapons." Playing upon the fears of
Americans after September 11, these officials and others raised the
specter that, left unchecked, Saddam could soon attack America with
nuclear weapons.

Obviously we know now their nuclear claims were wholly inaccurate. But
more troubling is the fact that a lot of intelligence experts were
telling the Administration then that its claims about Saddam's
nuclear capabilities were false.
The situation was very similar with respect to Saddam's links to Al
Qaeda. The Vice President told the American people, "We know he's
out trying once again to produce nuclear weapons and we know he has a
longstanding relationship with various terrorist groups including the
Al Qaeda organization."

The Administration's assertions on this score have been totally
discredited. But again, the Administration went ahead with these
assertions in spite of the fact that the government's top experts did
not agree with these claims.

What has been the response of this Republican-controlled Congress to
the Administration's manipulation of intelligence that led to this
protracted war in Iraq? Basically nothing. Did the
Republican-controlled Congress carry out its constitutional obligations
to conduct oversight? No. Did it support our troops and their families
by providing them the answers to many important questions? No. Did it
even attempt to force this Administration to answer the most basic
questions about its behavior? No.

Unfortunately the unwillingness of the Republican-controlled Congress
to exercise its oversight responsibilities is not limited to just Iraq.
We see it with respect to the prisoner abuse scandal. We see it with
respect to Katrina. And we see it with respect to the cronyism and
corruption that permeates this Administration.

Time and time again, this Republican-controlled Congress has
consistently chosen to put its political interests ahead of our
national security. They have repeatedly chosen to protect the
Republican Administration rather than get to the bottom of what
happened and why.

There is also another disturbing pattern here, namely about how the
Administration responded to those who challenged its assertions. Time
and again this Administration has actively sought to attack and
undercut those who dared to raise questions about its preferred course.

For example, when General Shinseki indicated several hundred thousand
troops would be needed in Iraq, his military career came to an end.
When then OMB Director Larry Lindsay suggested the cost of this war
would approach $200 billion, his career in the Administration came to
an end. When U.N. Chief Weapons Inspector Hans Blix challenged
conclusions about Saddam's WMD capabilities, the Administration
pulled out his inspectors. When Nobel Prize winner and IAEA head
Mohammed el-Baridei raised questions about the Administration's
claims of Saddam's nuclear capabilities, the Administration attempted
to remove him from his post. When Joe Wilson stated that there was no
attempt by Saddam to acquire uranium from Niger, the Administration
launched a vicious and coordinated campaign to demean and discredit
him, going so far as to expose the fact that his wife worked as a CIA
agent.

Given this Administration's pattern of squashing those who challenge
its misstatements, what has been the response of this
Republican-controlled Congress? Again, absolutely nothing. And with
their inactions, they provide political cover for this Administration
at the same time they keep the truth from our troops who continue to
make large sacrifices in Iraq.

This behavior is unacceptable. The toll in Iraq is as staggering as it
is solemn. More than 2,000 Americans have lost their lives. Over 90
Americans have paid the ultimate sacrifice this month alone - the
fourth deadliest month since the war began. More than 15,000 have been
wounded. More than 150,000 remain in harm's way. Enormous sacrifices
have been and continue to be made.

The troops and the American people have a right to expect answers and
accountability worthy of that sacrifice. For example, 40 Senate
Democrats wrote a substantive and detailed letter to the President
asking four basic questions about the Administration's Iraq policy
and received a four sentence answer in response. These Senators and the
American people deserve better.

They also deserve a searching and comprehensive investigation about how
the Bush Administration brought this country to war. Key questions that
need to be answered include:

o How did the Bush Administration assemble its case for war against
Iraq? o Who did Bush Administration officials listen to and who did
they ignore? o How did senior Administration officials manipulate or
manufacture intelligence presented to the Congress and the American
people? o What was the role of the White House Iraq Group or WHIG, a
group of senior White House officials tasked with marketing the war and
taking down its critics? o How did the Administration coordinate its
efforts to attack individuals who dared to challenge the
Administration's assertions? o Why has the Administration failed to
provide Congress with the documents that will shed light on their
misconduct and misstatements?

Unfortunately the Senate committee that should be taking the lead in
providing these answers is not. Despite the fact that the chairman of
the Senate Intelligence Committee publicly committed to examine many of
these questions more than 1 and ? years ago, he has chosen not to keep
this commitment. Despite the fact that he restated that commitment
earlier this year on national television, he has still done nothing.

At this point, we can only conclude he will continue to put politics
ahead of our national security. If he does anything at this point, I
suspect he will play political games by producing an analysis that
fails to answer any of these important questions. Instead, if history
is any guide, this analysis will attempt to disperse and deflect blame
away from the Administration.

We demand that the Intelligence Committee and other committees in this
body with jurisdiction over these matters carry out a full and complete
investigation immediately as called for by Democrats in the
committee's annual intelligence authorization report. Our troops and
the American people have sacrificed too much. It is time this
Republican-controlled Congress put the interests of the American people
ahead of their own political interests