All Over Again

Firedoglake's Christy Hardin Smith notes that Dafna Linzer notes the author of the Congressional Reptilican report complaining about the CIA's failure to unearth WMDs in Iran ...was Frederick Fleitz, a former CIA officer who had been a special assistant to John R. Bolton, the administration’s former point man on Iran at the State Department. Bolton had been highly influential in the crafting of a tough policy that rejected talks with Tehran.

We knew the fix was in.

Now we know it was the Head Polisher of the Moustache of Sauron hisself shining up the knob of the War Machine.

Christy goes on to say:

Look, it’s our buddy Fred Fleitz, now working for the House Intel Committee (read: now with his ass planted firmly there to keep an eagle eye on Pete Hoekstra for the Cheney/Addington faction) who was the person who wrote the report. Shocking. Shocking I tell you.

And sloppy reporting by the NYTimes to miss this element, given Fleitz’ heightened profile after the Valerie Plame Wilson outing and his former hatchet man status as John Bolton’s former number two when Bolton was at State. Especially given Fleitz record as a hardliner when it comes to Iran — and the questions of his involvement in some other odd moments in Bolton history.

But how much can we count on anything Fleitz says in the report after what, I’m sure, was an exhaustive investigation involving a gathering of all evidence and facts — because he’s not the sort of fellow who would ever cook the books to support an assertion and and outcome without the underlying facts, right?.:

"[The report’s] authors did not interview intelligence officials."

Oh yeah, no stone unturned. No assertion unchallenged. Every fact backed up in triplicate. Not so much. Jeebus, do these people learn nothing?

Sure.

They learned they can generate endless cash by scapegoating an entire nation and that a fearful nation will roll over if they press all the right buttons.

They learned that the media loves mass murder, as long as it looks like fireworks and shark-sleek ordinance and a George Lucas production.

They learned that when they're about to loose their shirts, up the ante on the next bet, and the size of the pot will make all the other Washington players follow like zombies smelling fresh brains.