Washington – Democrats forced the Republican-controlled Senate into an unusual closed session Tuesday as they questioned intelligence that President Bush used in the run-up to the war in Iraq and accused Republicans of ignoring the issue.
“They have repeatedly chosen to protect the Republican administration rather than get to the bottom of what happened and why,” Democratic leader Harry Reid said.
Taken by surprise, Republicans derided the move as a political stunt.
“The United States Senate has been hijacked by the Democratic leadership,” said Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee. “They have no convictions, they have no principles, they have no ideas,” the Republican leader said.
Democrats sought assurances that Intelligence Committee chairman Pat Roberts of Kansas would complete the second phase of an investigation of the administration’s pre-war intelligence.
After about two hours, senators returned to open session having appointed a six-member task force – three members from each party – to review the committee’s progress and report back to their respective caucuses by Nov. 14.
Roberts’ committee produced a 511-page report last summer on flaws of an Iraq intelligence estimate assembled by the country’s top analysts in October 2002, and he promised a second phase would look at issues that couldn’t be finalized in the first year of work.
Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., said the agreement reached as a result of the closed session was positive and that he supported Reid “for putting his foot down to get answers to the American public on how intelligence was used to go to war in Iraq.”
“The question about whether or not the statements that were made by the administration to justify the war in Iraq were in fact based on intelligence, I think that is a very important question,” Salazar said.
Colorado Republican Sen. Wayne Allard castigated Democrats for what he called “shenanigans pulled on the floor.”
Reid’s move shone a spotlight on the continuing controversy over prewar intelligence.
Denver Post Staff Writer Anne Mulkern contributed to this report.
