Re: Report to Question Iraq Intel

Date: February 22, 2004

"Report to question intelligence on Iraq, Sen. Roberts says

By KIMBERLY SWEET The Kansas City Star

U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts said today that a forthcoming report from the Senate Intelligence Committee would cast doubt on intelligence gathered leading up to the war in Iraq.

Roberts, a Kansas Republican, told a group of 400 in Olathe that his committee's report confirms some of the concerns of David Kay, the former chief U.S. arms inspector in Iraq.

"Our report does not paint a flattering picture of the performance of our intelligence community," Roberts said during a luncheon address to members of the Olathe Chamber of Commerce at the Holiday Inn in Olathe.

Roberts, who is chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said committee members would get a draft copy of the classified report on Thursday and would have a week to read it.

He said committee staff members interviewed 175 analysts for the report, which examines the intelligence used to determine whether there was a connection between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida, whether Hussein was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction and whether the administration coerced intelligence analysts into tailoring reports to support a case for war.

Roberts said he hoped to release portions of the report to the public by the spring.

"It is my hope we will complete the work and review it and present it to the American people," Roberts said. "I intend to let the chips fall where they may."

Roberts said the conclusion by Kay, who resigned last week, that the intelligence community failed President Bush was "extremely worrisome." The senator said the Bush administration should not take the fall for the intelligence community's failures.

"But this is an even-numbered year," Roberts said, and the upcoming election probably will make it a hotly contested political issue.

Roberts also discussed:

* The importance of the reauthorization of the federal highway bill to Kansas. Roberts said he and U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore, a Lenexa Democrat who was also at the luncheon, would fight for funding increases that would bring $2.5 billion to Kansas for highway improvements over the next 6 years.

* His support of efforts to develop the former Sunflower army ammunition plant. Roberts said he was dedicated to expediting the transfer of the land's ownership from the federal government to Johnson County as well as securing federal funding to help with hazardous material cleanup.

* The search for Capt. Michael Scott Speicher, a Kansas City native who has been missing since his plane was shot down in Iraq in 1991. Though Hussein has not yet admitted to knowing any information concerning Speicher, Roberts said, "We are not giving up, we will persevere, we will determine the fate of Scott."

To reach Kimberly Sweet, call (816) 234-7739 or send e-mail to ksweet@kcstar.com"