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CNN Live At Daybreak
Intelligence Failure
Aired January 30, 2004 - 07:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Criticism about the failure of intelligence before the invasion of Iraq is growing louder in Washington, D.C. Democrats and Republicans, most notably presidential candidate John Kerry and Republican Senator John McCain, are calling for an independent investigation into what went wrong.
And as David Ensor reports, the director of the CIA may be held accountable for the faulty intelligence President Bush used to justify going to war.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): George Tenet appears to be in the hot seat like never before. Not only is his own former chief weapons inspector David Kay charging that U.S. intelligence failed the president before the Iraq war, now the current Democratic front-runner in this presidential election year is calling for Tenet to resign.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think there's been a lack of accountability in the CIA. I regret it. I know him personally. But that's the nature of responsibility.
ENSOR: On Capitol Hill, Democrats and others are calling for an independent probe into why U.S. intelligence may have gotten it so wrong and what role the administration played.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: It's inevitable that there will be an outside commission appointed on an issue of this gravity.
ENSOR: But George Tenet is a survivor, appointed by Bill Clinton, kept on and trusted by his Republican successor.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, I've got great confidence in our intelligence community. These are unbelievably hard-working, dedicated people, who are doing a great job for America.
ENSOR: At the CIA, officials say Kay is premature suggesting no weapons will be found. A U.S. official says there are millions of pages of documents yet to be translated, hundreds of suspect sites yet to be visited, and thousands of Iraqi scientists and former officials yet to be interrogated about what they know.
RICHARD BOUCHER, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: I don't think one can draw conclusions at this point. ENSOR (on camera): The White House spokesman said this week that George Tenet retains the president's full confidence. As for Senator Kerry saying that he should go, one U.S. official said that just makes it even less likely.
David Ensor, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired January 30, 2004 - 07:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Criticism about the failure of intelligence before the invasion of Iraq is growing louder in Washington, D.C. Democrats and Republicans, most notably presidential candidate John Kerry and Republican Senator John McCain, are calling for an independent investigation into what went wrong.
And as David Ensor reports, the director of the CIA may be held accountable for the faulty intelligence President Bush used to justify going to war.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): George Tenet appears to be in the hot seat like never before. Not only is his own former chief weapons inspector David Kay charging that U.S. intelligence failed the president before the Iraq war, now the current Democratic front-runner in this presidential election year is calling for Tenet to resign.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think there's been a lack of accountability in the CIA. I regret it. I know him personally. But that's the nature of responsibility.
ENSOR: On Capitol Hill, Democrats and others are calling for an independent probe into why U.S. intelligence may have gotten it so wrong and what role the administration played.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: It's inevitable that there will be an outside commission appointed on an issue of this gravity.
ENSOR: But George Tenet is a survivor, appointed by Bill Clinton, kept on and trusted by his Republican successor.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, I've got great confidence in our intelligence community. These are unbelievably hard-working, dedicated people, who are doing a great job for America.
ENSOR: At the CIA, officials say Kay is premature suggesting no weapons will be found. A U.S. official says there are millions of pages of documents yet to be translated, hundreds of suspect sites yet to be visited, and thousands of Iraqi scientists and former officials yet to be interrogated about what they know.
RICHARD BOUCHER, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: I don't think one can draw conclusions at this point. ENSOR (on camera): The White House spokesman said this week that George Tenet retains the president's full confidence. As for Senator Kerry saying that he should go, one U.S. official said that just makes it even less likely.
David Ensor, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
