Larry Johnson: Bush knew of NIE a year ago

If you have read Digby's post yesterday (and which I commented on at Conservative invariably overstate threats to America.) about how the NeoCons always overstate the threat from foreigners and understate the level of American ability to deal with that threat, then you will be able to anticipate the reaction of NeoCons to this new NIE that says Iran shut down its nuclear weapons program in 2003 and is not pursuing nuclear weapons at this time.

You'd be right. Ex-CIA officer Larry describes the great show of shrieking, gnashing of teeth, and rending of clothes that NeoCons are currently making public.

Larry also points out that Bush was briefed on the Iranian nuclear operations a year ago, not last week as he has just said (lied) to public. Here is exactly what Larry wrote:

George Bush tried his moron act again today (i.e., “I didn’t find out about this until last week.”) but this time the turd ain’t floating. The news that Iran ended its nuclear program in 2003 was briefed to George Bush in the Presidential Daily Brief. He has known about this, I am told, for at least one year. George Bush is lying when he insists he had no inkling, until last week, that the intelligence community believed Iran halted its nuke program in 2003.

Larry is stating that his sources inside the Intelligence community have told him this.

Larry Johnson has a much better reputation for honesty and accuracy than George Bush does. Bush, in fact, is a known serial liar. There is no reason to expect that somehow Bush has suddenly decided to change his spots and commit an act of honesty.