Report: Administration Was Warned of Iraq War Dangers

WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. intelligence agencies warned the Bush administration in early 2003 that invading Iraq could create internal conflict that would give Iran and al Qaeda new opportunities to expand their influence, according to an upcoming Senate report.

Officials familiar with the Senate Intelligence Committee investigation also say analysts warned against U.S. domination in the region, which could increase extremist recruiting.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the report's declassification is not finished. It could be made public as soon as this week.

The committee also found that the warnings predicting what would happen after the U.S.-led invasion were circulated widely in government, including to the Defense Department and the Office of the Vice President. It wasn't clear whether President Bush was briefed.

Asked to comment on Wednesday evening, the White House's National Security Council did not directly respond to the report's findings that intelligence analysts predicted many of the troubles ahead in Iraq before the invasion.

The Bush administration can't even plead ignorance when trying to explain why the hell they choose to invade Iraq and create this never ending quagmire! They have no rational defense for this or any of the completely innane decisions they've made since then. There is good news though, they've finally admitted that there is a civil war in Iraq---whoopdeedo!! It only took what a year and a half, two years of Iraqis killing each other in droves for our esteemed administration to recognize/admit what everybody else with even half a brain has known and been saying throughout the carnage. Of course in fairness, most of us don't live in the President's fantasy world where we believe something's only true if we deign to acknowledge it!