Shapur Zol Aktaf
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- Feb 10, 2013
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Intelligence information bent to justify war in the Middle East is eerily familiar ground to Rep. Ruben Gallego. The Arizona Democrat served as a Marine infantryman in Iraq in 2005, after the George W. Bush administration's most criticized reason for invasion - stockpiled weapons of mass destruction - vanished in the desert.
Now Gallego, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, has called for restraint among lawmakers and the White House on acting upon what he has said is intelligence manipulated into exaggerating the threat of Iran against the United States and its allies.
Gallego said he received a classified briefing Friday.
"What I saw was a lot of misinterpretation and wanting conflict coming from the administration and intelligence community," Gallego told The Washington Post by phone Saturday. "Intel doesn't show existential threats. Even what it shows, it doesn't show threats to U.S. interests."
Gallego said the two main drivers of what he described as a false narrative are national security adviser John Bolton and Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark. Both men have been lobbying to escalate military action against Iran, in media appearances and behind closed doors. Cotton, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, took to cable news to discuss "multiple and credible sources of increased threats" from Iran.
"I get the same intel as Cotton," Gallego wrote Saturday on Twitter. "He is greatly exaggerating the situation to spur us to war. Don't fall for it."
A spokesman for Cotton, who is himself a veteran of Iraq as well as Afghanistan, did not return a request for comment. A spokesman for the National Security Council did not immediately return a similar request.
Gallego said both committees get similar, if not the same, briefings from military and State Department officials.
President Donald Trump has reportedly grown frustrated with Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for what appears to be an escalation outside his own preference for diplomatic talks, a push for harsh sanctions and campaign promises to avoid costly foreign wars.
Gallego said the temperature has lowered in recent days after skepticism with the American public and in Congress over the credibility of an Iranian threat. Frequent Trump defender Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said earlier in the week that he has felt lawmakers have not been "well-informed" or briefed on Iran.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., told the Atlantic, "We may be creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of conflict with Iran - and without any endgame in mind."
Gallego voiced similar concerns over miscalculations or willful misrepresentation of intelligence to justify military strikes against Iran.
For instance, earlier this month, an aircraft carrier deployment was expedited and bombers were dispatched to the region following reports of increased activity by Iranian military forces and proxy groups. Citing news reports and not classified intelligence, Gallego said small Iranian vessels carrying missiles had escalated tension and put military forces at higher alert.
Iran could have loaded those missiles to move them out fear of U.S. military action, rather than preparation for an offensive strike, said Ilan Goldenberg, the director of the Middle East security program at the Center for a New American Security.
Deciding that Iran's actions are offensive in nature could be a sign of confirmation bias, Gallego said.
Gallego warned of other intelligence-fueled miscalculations in a complex situation like the one in Iran, when actions can affect decisions by Iranian military forces and militant proxies knotted throughout Syria and Iraq.
"Deterrence is important to contain bad actors like Iran. But there has to be a fine line between deterrence and escalation," he said. "We can't automatically go to war because a 17-year old fires an AK-47 at U.S. interests."
https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Iran-threat-exaggerated-by-GOP-hawks-Rep-Ruben-13856484.php
Now Gallego, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, has called for restraint among lawmakers and the White House on acting upon what he has said is intelligence manipulated into exaggerating the threat of Iran against the United States and its allies.
Gallego said he received a classified briefing Friday.
"What I saw was a lot of misinterpretation and wanting conflict coming from the administration and intelligence community," Gallego told The Washington Post by phone Saturday. "Intel doesn't show existential threats. Even what it shows, it doesn't show threats to U.S. interests."
Gallego said the two main drivers of what he described as a false narrative are national security adviser John Bolton and Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark. Both men have been lobbying to escalate military action against Iran, in media appearances and behind closed doors. Cotton, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, took to cable news to discuss "multiple and credible sources of increased threats" from Iran.
"I get the same intel as Cotton," Gallego wrote Saturday on Twitter. "He is greatly exaggerating the situation to spur us to war. Don't fall for it."
A spokesman for Cotton, who is himself a veteran of Iraq as well as Afghanistan, did not return a request for comment. A spokesman for the National Security Council did not immediately return a similar request.
Gallego said both committees get similar, if not the same, briefings from military and State Department officials.
President Donald Trump has reportedly grown frustrated with Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for what appears to be an escalation outside his own preference for diplomatic talks, a push for harsh sanctions and campaign promises to avoid costly foreign wars.
Gallego said the temperature has lowered in recent days after skepticism with the American public and in Congress over the credibility of an Iranian threat. Frequent Trump defender Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said earlier in the week that he has felt lawmakers have not been "well-informed" or briefed on Iran.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., told the Atlantic, "We may be creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of conflict with Iran - and without any endgame in mind."
Gallego voiced similar concerns over miscalculations or willful misrepresentation of intelligence to justify military strikes against Iran.
For instance, earlier this month, an aircraft carrier deployment was expedited and bombers were dispatched to the region following reports of increased activity by Iranian military forces and proxy groups. Citing news reports and not classified intelligence, Gallego said small Iranian vessels carrying missiles had escalated tension and put military forces at higher alert.
Iran could have loaded those missiles to move them out fear of U.S. military action, rather than preparation for an offensive strike, said Ilan Goldenberg, the director of the Middle East security program at the Center for a New American Security.
Deciding that Iran's actions are offensive in nature could be a sign of confirmation bias, Gallego said.
Gallego warned of other intelligence-fueled miscalculations in a complex situation like the one in Iran, when actions can affect decisions by Iranian military forces and militant proxies knotted throughout Syria and Iraq.
"Deterrence is important to contain bad actors like Iran. But there has to be a fine line between deterrence and escalation," he said. "We can't automatically go to war because a 17-year old fires an AK-47 at U.S. interests."
https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Iran-threat-exaggerated-by-GOP-hawks-Rep-Ruben-13856484.php
