On a rather slow and quiet Tuesday about a month ago a hell broke loose on
Capital Hill when Harry Reid shut down Senate to demand answers on the stalling
of the next phase of the pre-war intelligence report. It lead to outbursts
before the cameras and a new political fight. It also resulted in a committee
being set up to find out why the Intelligence Committee hadn’t done their job.
Sen. Roberts said after Congress was reopen that the following week he had
scheduled for nothing but meetings on phase two. Now that is appearing to be a
lie according to

Raw Story:

Phase II, the follow-up to the Senate Intelligence Committee’s
investigation into pre-war intelligence on Iraq, is still facing opposition
from administration officials and has seen little action from the
committee’s chairman, Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), RAW STORY has learned.

Following a surprising move early last month by Senate Minority Leader
Harry Reid (D -NV), in which he shut down the Senate in an effort to force
discussion on the inquiry, the Senate leadership established a six member
bipartisan task force and set a Nov. 15 deadline for a progress report.

The six task force members selected were Senators Jay Rockefeller (D-WV),
Carl Levin (D-MI), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Pat Roberts (R–KS), Trent Lott
(R–MS) and Kit Bond (R-MO).

A week later, on Nov. 8, the Senate Intelligence Committee staff briefed
task force members on the investigative work done thus far.

The full Intelligence Committee met Nov. 9 for a briefing from staff, but
according to Senate sources close to the Intel Committee, the task force is
“unable to provide a timeline for Phase II completion.”

To date, there has been no Phase II report.

Senior Democratic Senate aides familiar with the task force’s activities
say Republicans are stonewalling. One aide, who asked not to be named citing
the secrecy of the investigation, explained that without the power of
subpoena, Democrats are left with few options. “Phase II is dead,” the
staffer said.

View complete article

here.

This report was delayed last year because Roberts didn’t want it used against
the President for his re-election campaign. After the elections Robertson said
there was no hurry since the election was over. Now as 2006 grows closer I am
wondering if he will say he has to delay it again because of mid term elections.

If he is delaying this report because of the possibility of it altering the
outcome of elections then what is he hiding? Continues stonewalling of this
report makes it appear more so that there was some manipulation of intelligence
going on.

The Republicans continually say that the Democrats are politicizing
everything but this is further evidence that they are the guilty party. Do the
families and loved ones of the 2127 soldiers that have died in Iraq not deserve
the truth of why their soldiers were sent off to die? How about the 160,000
troops still in Iraq? What about this nation – the citizens of this nation not
only deserve but they demand the answers.

The only way America can heal is for the truth to come out. If our leaders
lied us into war then so be it. We must prove to the country and world that we
are vigilant enough to address these deadly mistakes and make them right.
Stonewalling a report as important as this is not helping America – it is
hurting America. Way to go Senator “unpatriotic” Roberts.