Restates Need for Independent Counsel for Probe into CIA Leak

CRYSTAL CITY, VA -- General Wesley Clark today challenged the Bush Administration's failure on a growing number of national and global security blunders and called for an independent body to examine whether the Administration has intentionally manipulated intelligence to promote its agenda.

During his keynote address at the 2nd Annual Military Reporters and Editors Convention today, Clark raised persistent questions about the intelligence used by the Administration to justify the war in Iraq. He also charged that the Administration hasn't acted quickly or decisively enough to respond to growing concern over recent reports of the possibility of the disclosure of a CIA agent's identity, a federal offense.

"The current Administration has taken our country badly off-course," General Clark said. "It is violating longstanding values and principles of American democracy - with dire consequences for our security. Its treatment of our allies; its headlong rush to war; its poor planning of post-conflict Iraq is costing America hundreds of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars. And its handling of intelligence-and its retaliation against its critics - may have been criminal.

"The possible manipulation of intelligence should be investigated by an outside body of experts with impeccable credentials and unquestioned integrity. The possible leak of the name of a covert CIA operative should be thoroughly and comprehensively investigated by an independent counsel."

General Clark also said that the country faces a crisis at home and abroad because of the Administration's irresponsible approach.

"I am running for President of the United States because I believe the country is in a crisis," he said. "We're in a crisis at home with rising poverty, dropping incomes, exploding numbers of uninsured, the worst job losses in 70 years, and the worst budget deficit in American history.

"We are in a crisis in our relations with the rest of the world," the General added. "Today at a time when we need friends and allies more than ever, resentment of America has never been higher, and that makes every American less safe at home and abroad."

A former four-star general with a 34-year distinguished military career, General Clark offered numerous solutions to the crisis created by the Bush Administration. He called for a new American Patriotism devoted to the core ideals of its democracy - personal liberty, service to country, respect for others, and the right to criticize and correct the government; engaging and working with our allies; and a president committed to going to war only as a last resort.

If it is true that intelligence was twisted to exaggerate the Iraqi threat, and if the identity of a CIA agency was exposed in retaliation for an Ambassador who disagreed with the Administration, Clark said that the country must move aggressively to restore the integrity of the American intelligence operation, and the entire American government.

"We must have an independent, comprehensive public investigation into the Administration's handling of intelligence leading to the war in Iraq," Clark said. "Nothing could be a more serious violation of public trust than to consciously make a war based on false claims. We need to know if we were intentionally deceived.

We need to know if we face an intelligence gap - a gap between the intelligence we have and the intelligence we can trust - because the system has been twisted to suit the prejudices of policy makers. Only a thorough, independent investigation can help restore the integrity of our intelligence services and regain the trust of our citizens of our allies."