Pentagon Iraqi Perspectives Project Hidden from Public Due to Inconvenient Truths

Who says there was no direct connection between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda? Our own military.

Where on the internet can you read the detailed report behind that claim? You can't.

The report, called the Saddam and Terrorism, was created by our own Armed Force's Joint Forces Command, in its Iraqi Perspectives Project. They studied all available documents, including a huge treasure trove of paperwork from the Saddam regime (...in cruel dictatorships, underlings tend to CYA.) And they found: no connection.

Normally, such JFC reports are proudly posted on the internet as PDFs so We The People can understand what's really going on (and how our tax dollars and blood are being spent.)

(For example, a study of military operations in Iraq is available here.)

But the inconvenient truths in the Iraqi Perspectives Project: Saddam and Terrorism will not get the usual press release, will not be posted online and will not be distributed by email.

Asked why, the spokesman for Joint Forces Command said: “We’re making the report available to anyone who wishes to have it, and we’ll send it out via CD in the mail.” That's right! In the internet era, posting and emailing PDFs are the standard, the Pentagon has chosen effectively to hide the information by making it available only by mail --- and by not telling anyone how to order a copy.

A Pentagon official is reported to say the study was “too politically sensitive.” Apparently, the officer's oath to protect the Constitution has been replaced by an oath to protect current political leaders.

WHAT TO DO: Order the CD, d'uh!

It's not clear how to order such a CD. What may work is to ask the United States Joint Forces Command at their official contact page:
http://www.jwfc.jfcom.mil/webapps/forms/USJFCOM/feedback.jsp

I did that today, and within the hour had the email response "Thank you for your email. Your copy will be sent today." So I suggest you give it a try too. Be polite! remember, the soldier who gets your request is not the one who is keeping the report off the internet.

Once you get the report, READ it and pass it around.

KUDOS to ABC News for reporting on this: http://blogs.abcnews.com/rapidreport/2008/03/pentagon-report.html


You can learn more about the reason for the report (but not for its censorship) here:
http://www.jfcom.mil/newslink/storyarchive/2006/sp032406.htm

Update: Here's the Files!

Big News! The CD arrived in my mailbox Monday, March 17 (St. Patrick's Day). That's pretty good, really. Kudos to the Pentagon for efficient delivery (too bad it wasn't on the web but, give credit where credit is due.)

Now, IMO you should still order the CD so you can have your own copy. But if you're as lazy as I am, you may wish to get them here. The CD contained 5 large PDFs

Iraqi Perspectives Project
Saddam and Terrorism: Emerging Insights from Captured Iraqi Documents

* Volume 1: http://rewinn.com/P-4287Vol1.pdf - Volume 1 (Redacted) (Note: this is the report itself)
* Volume 2: http://rewinn.com/P-4287Vol1.pdf - Primary Source Materials Volume 2 (Redacted)
* Volume 3: http://rewinn.com/P-4287Vol1.pdf - Primary Source Materials Volume 3 (Redacted)
* Volume 4: http://rewinn.com/P-4287Vol1.pdf - Primary Source Materials Volume 4 (Redacted)
* Volume 5: http://rewinn.com/P-4287Vol1.pdf - Primary Source Materials Volume 5 (Redacted)