The article discusses the concept of stovepiping, where intelligence is selectively presented to influence political decision-making, as seen in the 2003 Iraq War. The Bush administration's approach to intelligence on Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction serves as a precedent. The author draws parallels to the current administration under Donald Trump, suggesting similar tactics of cherrypicking data to support sweeping claims, particularly regarding Iran’s nuclear capabilities. This raises concerns about the integrity of intelligence assessments and whether officials are pressured to conform to the prevailing narrative, mirroring past behaviors.
Stovepiping—streamlining information that confirms bias—was used by the Bush administration during the Iraq War and appears to be employed by Trump today.
The intelligence justifications for the Iraq War became a PR exercise; similarly, Trump’s sweeping statements about Iran challenge the integrity of intelligence assessment.
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