On CNN, June 1, Graham floated the idea that the administration had "manipulated" intelligence of WMD in Iraq. "If they (WMD) are not found," he said, "that will indicate a very serious intelligence failure, or the attempt to keep the American people in the dark by manipulating that intelligence information." But when anchor Wolf Blitzer pushed him for a "bottom-line assessment" of whether there was manipulation, Graham said: "I have seen the same information, or at least most of the same information, that has been made available to the president and his advisers, and it made a compelling case."
I called Graham's office to ask if he had ever questioned the credibility of the analysis Powell had presented at the United Nations about Taji.
"He had no reason to doubt that information at the time," said Paul Anderson, Graham's communications director.
"And no reason to believe that the administration tried to corrupt the analysis in order to present a false picture of that imagery to Congress or the U.N.?" I asked.
"In that specific instance, that's true," said Anderson.
"So even as of this moment he accepts at face value that the intelligence analysis was that that was an active chemical weapons bunker on Nov. 10?" I asked.
"Right," said Anderson.
"So he believes Saddam Hussein had chemical weapons stockpiled at Taji on Nov. 10?" I asked.
"He believes that the intelligence that was presented suggested that," said Anderson.
"And he believes that's honest intelligence?"
"Yes," said Anderson.
Anderson said Graham shares the view of Republicans such as Senate Intelligence Chairman Pat Roberts of Kansas that there should be a review to determine whether decision-makers in the White House and Congress were given credible intelligence on which to base their decisions about the Iraq War.
Let it begin, and let the contradictions end.