http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/10443261.htm

Fri, Dec. 17, 2004

U.S. isn't winning against Iraqi insurgents, agencies warn

By Warren P. Strobel, John Walcott and Jonathan S. Landay

Knight Ridder Newspapers


WASHINGTON -

The CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency and the State Department have
warned President Bush that the United States and its Iraqi allies
aren't winning the battle against Iraqi insurgents who are trying to
derail the country's Jan. 30 elections, according to administration
officials.

The officials, who agreed to speak only on condition of anonymity
because intelligence estimates are classified, said the battle in Iraq
wasn't lost and that successful elections might yet be held next
month.

But they said the warnings -including one delivered this week to Bush
by CIA Director Porter Goss - indicated that U.S. forces hadn't been
able to stop the insurgents' intimidation of Iraqi voters, candidates
and others who want to participate in the elections.

"We don't have an answer to the intimidation," one senior official
said.

Nor have the United States and interim Iraqi government been able to
find any divisions they can exploit to divide and conquer the Sunni
Muslim insurgency, the intelligence reports say.

The elections are key to U.S. strategy in Iraq, and Bush and his team
have insisted that they proceed as scheduled.

The president and other top White House officials have steadfastly
predicted that the insurgency will fail, even as they have
acknowledged lately that violence is rising.

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Now don't you dare say that this wasn't predictable.

Harry