Did Democratic Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia tip off our enemies in the Middle East in early 2002 that President Bush was readying to invade Iraq?

Bill Bennett, in a new article at National Review Online, is questioning a possible "prewar intelligence giveaway" in light of remarks that Sen. Rockefeller made to Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday on November 13, 2005. In responding to a question that Sen. Rockefeller himself "hyped" intelligence, here's what the vice chairman of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence told Wallace (emphasis mine):

ROCKEFELLER: ... I took a trip by myself in January of 2002 to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria, and I told each of the heads of state that it was my view that George Bush had already made up his mind to go to war against Iraq — that that was a predetermined set course which had taken shape shortly after 9/11.

Bennett's response includes:

"Syria is not only on the list of state sponsors of terrorism and the country many speculate is where Hussein has secreted weapons, it is also the country from which terrorists are flowing into Iraq to fight our troops and allies. Jordan and Saudi Arabia have had, over the years, conflicted loyalties. What was Senator Rockefeller doing? What was he thinking? And all this before President Bush even made a public speech about Iraq — to the U.N. or anyone else."

The issue of prohibited items going to Syria before the 2003 invasion is a debated one, but David Kay, former head of the Iraq Survey Group, told the London Telegraph in January 2004 that he uncovered evidence that some WMD components may have been shipped to Syria before the attack. In addition, Charles Duelfer told the Senate Armed Services Committee in October 2004 that he could not rule out that items may have been sent to Syria. "A lot of materials left Iraq and went to Syria," Duelfer said.

Bennett concludes his piece by hitting the nail on the head (emphasis mine):

"If Syria — or elements in Saudi Arabia — began acting on this information before we even went to war in Iraq (more than a year later), then Senator Rockefeller may have seriously harmed, impeded, and hindered our war efforts, our troops, and the entire operation in the Middle East. This should be investigated immediately; and perhaps Senator Rockefeller should step down from the Intelligence Committee until an investigation is complete."

In light of the heavy spotlight on the Valerie Plame/Joe Wilson episode, one can only imagine the "uproar" in the MSM if a pro-Iraq war Republican had done and said anything like Rockefeller did. I can already visualize the Larry King-Howard Dean interview.

Stay tuned?

 

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