WASHINGTON, DC – House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) expressed concern today about the DOD Inspector General’s Report reviewing the activities of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy The report claims that the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy “developed, produced, and disseminated alternative intelligence assessments on the Iraq and al-Qaida relationship…While such actions were not illegal or unauthorized, the actions were, in our opinion, inappropriate.”

“The DOD Inspector General’s review of the pre-Iraqi war activities of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy uncovered practices that are absolutely indefensible. While the report states that the actions of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy were not illegal or unauthorized, it clearly shows that Doug Feith and others in that office exercised extremely poor judgment for which our nation, and our service members in particular, are paying a terrible price. 

“The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy should not be in the business of conducting independent intelligence assessments.  Responsibility for intelligence assessments should be left to the professionals – the brave and patriotic men and women of the U.S. Intelligence Community.

“Congress must ensure that the Director of National Intelligence and the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence have put procedures in place that will eliminate the possibility of incidents like this from occurring in the future,” said Skelton.

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