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<H1>Retiring GOP congressman breaks ranks on Iraq</H1>
<H3>Bereuter calls war 'a mistake'</H3>
<P>From Ted Barrett<BR>CNN Washington Bureau<BR><SPAN class=cnnStoryTime><!-- date -->
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<FONT size=1>Wednesday, August 18, 2004 Posted: 6:12 PM EDT (2212 GMT) <!-- /date --><BR></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P><B style="FONT-SIZE: 14px">WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Breaking ranks with his party
and reversing his earlier stance, a senior retiring Republican lawmaker said
Wednesday the military strike against Iraq was "a mistake," and he blasted a
"massive failure" of intelligence before the war.</B></P>
<P>The unexpected four-page statement came from Rep. Doug Bereuter of Nebraska,
who until earlier this month was the vice chairman of the House Intelligence
Committee -- a panel that reviewed much of the evidence the administration cited
before going to war.</P>
<P>"I've reached the conclusion, retrospectively, now that the inadequate
intelligence and faulty conclusions are being revealed, that all things being
considered, it was a mistake to launch that military action, especially without
a broad and engaged international coalition," Bereuter wrote in a four-page
letter to his constituents.</P>
<P>"The cost in casualties is already large and growing, and the immediate and
long-term financial costs are incredible."</P>
<P>Bereuter was particularly critical of the pre-war intelligence, which
described an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. But no such weapons
have been found since the U.S.-led invasion.</P>
<P>Bereuter voted in support of an October 2002 resolution authorizing the use
of force in Iraq, but he said that vote was based on what he had been told about
the WMD threat from Iraq. </P>
<P>"Left unresolved for now is whether intelligence was intentionally
misconstrued to justify military action," Bereuter said.</P>
<P>After 26 years on Capitol Hill, Bereuter is retiring next month, and will
become the president of Asia Foundation.</P>
<P>Congressional Republicans were surprised and angry at Bereuter's
comments.</P>
<P>Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Illinois, a member of the intelligence committee,
described Bereuter as "very bitter" for having been passed over in recent years
to head both the intelligence and international relations committees. He
suggested Bereuter's comments were a parting shot to House GOP leaders and
President Bush.</P>
<P>An aide denied Bereuter was motivated to write the letter because he didn't
get the appointments.</P>
<P>Rep. James Gibbons, R-Nevada, who is also on the intelligence panel, said
Bereuter's new conclusions are wrong.</P>
<P>"The facts don't change. Iraq was a dangerous place," Gibbons said. "Mr.
Bereuter is entitled to his opinion."</P>
<P>Bereuter's critique of the administration on Iraq was sharp.</P>
<P>He said the administration was wrong to disband the Iraqi army -- because so
many of its members joined forces with the insurgents -- and was wrong to rely
on the Defense Department instead of the State Department to spearhead
reconstruction and the interim government.</P>
<P>He also said the administration was wrong to ignore military leaders who
warned many more troops would be needed in Iraq to maintain the postwar
peace.</P>
<P>"Now we are immersed in a dangerous, costly mess and there is no easy and
quick way to end our responsibilities in Iraq without creating bigger future
problems in the region and, in general, in the Muslim world," Bereuter said.</P>
<P>There was no reaction from the White House to Bereuter's charges.</P>
<P>Bereuter said it was important for both the executive and legislative
branches of government to learn from the "errors and failures" relating to the
war in Iraq and its
aftermath.</P><!--endclickprintinclude--></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>