Levin, Kennedy Disappointed with Decision Not to Release Unclassified Conclusions of Intelligence Report on Iraq

April 7, 2008 -- WASHINGTON – Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., today expressed disappointment with the decision of Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell not to release an unclassified summary of key conclusions and assessments included in the new National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq.

Soldiers on search mission in Al Sinaa, Iraq, April 1, 2008: U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Shane Chapman gives a soldier a boost in order to see over a door for possible threats during a cordon and search mission in Al Sinaa, Iraq, on April 1, 2008. Photo: US Army

Last week, the senators had written a letter to McConnell (here) urging the release of the document. Following receipt of McConnell’s reply – which was labeled “For Official Use Only” – Levin and Kennedy made the following statement:

“The American people are entitled to know the truth about what is going on in Iraq. There is no acceptable reason not to release the unclassified summary of the NIE since that would protect the sources and methods laid out in the classified document.

“Moreover, it is incomprehensible that the reply sent to us is labeled ‘For Official Use Only,’ thus not even permitting the public to see the reasons given for hiding this information from public view.”

Source: Senator Carl Levin