My Outrage Leaves Me Speechless

Here is why I am outraged (not surprised, but still outraged):

Report Says Pentagon Manipulated Intel

WASHINGTON (AP) - A ``very damning'' report by the Defense Department's inspector general depicts a Pentagon that purposely manipulated intelligence in an effort to link Saddam Hussein to al-Qaida in the runup to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, says the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

``That was the argument that was used to make the sale to the American people about the need to go to war,'' said Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich. He said the Pentagon's work, ``which was wrong, which was distorted, which was inappropriate ... is something which is highly disturbing.''

Update: NPR, who is reporting on this story, has posted the IG's report on their website (in pdf format):

Review of Pre-Iraqi War Activities of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy

The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy developed, produced, and then disseminated alternative assessments on the Iraq and al-Qaida relationship, which included some conclusions that were inconsistent with the consensus of the Intelligence Community, to senior decision-makers. While such actions were not illegal or unauthorized, the actions were, in our opinion, inappropriate given that the intelligence assessments were inelligence products and did not clearly show the variance with the consensus of the Intelligence Community.