Today Vice President Dick Cheney defended the war on Iraq in a speech to the American Enterprise Institute. Cheney reiterated many of the same claims that have been disputed by intelligence reports, and while the speech was championed by pundits that supported the war, it raises more questions than it does answers. He cited an October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate as saying that Iraq "maintained its chemical weapons effort, energized its missile program, and invested more heavy in biological weapons; in the view of most agencies Baghdad is reconstituting its nuclear weapons program," although such an estimate was not clear-cut within the intelligence community. Meanwhile, President George W. Bush has not mentionined WMD in recent speeches, including an appearence in Michigan. Perhaps he is trying to distance himself from the intelligence distortions.
Today's articles look at the intelligence issues, moving beyond the "16 words" regarding Niger. The most interesting article, in light of Cheney's comments today, is a letter sent to him from some congressional democrats with a series of ten questions they want answered regarding the Iraq war and the various statements Cheney made while pushing for war.
AlterNet: Ten Questions for Cheney
TomPaine.com: Faulty Connection - Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda
