Senate Dems Bow Before Bush and Cheney

[babylonsister]

Senate Dems Bow Before Bush and Cheney
Submitted by davidswanson on Thu, 2007-10-04 02:21. Congress

Senate Approves Intelligence Bill
By PAMELA HESS, Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- The Senate has scrapped its bid to obtain the archive of daily intelligence briefings given to the president on Iraq prior to the 2003 invasion.

That request was among several controversial provisions dropped from an intelligence bill, leading to the measure's unanimous Senate passage Wednesday.

The provision sought to give the Senate and House intelligence committees access to all presidential daily briefs between 1997 and 2003 that referred to Iraq _ an attempt to determine whether the White House mischaracterized intelligence prior to the war. Senate Republicans objected, saying the documents had already been reviewed by an independent commission, according to a congressional official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

The final version of the bill also dropped a requirement that the director of national intelligence conduct an assessment of the effects of global climate change on national security.

The overall legislation would give Congress' approval for the whole range of intelligence programs over the coming year, including spy satellites and eavesdropping, human spying and battlefield collection, along with recommended spending levels. Most of the bill is secret.

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http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/27416

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. Have any of 'our' Senators explained why they voted that way?

[babylonsister]

2. Not to my knowledge. nt