Reader JL on when parts of the NIE were declassified. "Check this out from the July 18 2003 press gaggle, the same day as Bartlett's major press conference upon the release to the press of parts of the NIE (via a commenter at firedoglake):

Q Scott, why did the administration put out all the information that the senior administration official put out today on the intel --

MR. McCLELLAN: No, well, we always want to share facts with the American people. And this information was just, as of today, officially declassified, and it was an opportunity to share with them some information that showed the clear and compelling case that we had for confronting the threat that Saddam Hussein posed.

[...]

Q When was it actually declassified?

MR. McCLELLAN: It was officially declassified today.

Q Just today?

So I guess, according to the White House, there's a difference between the Vice President-says-the prez-said-you-should-leak-this-to-the-NYT (July 8) and "officially declassified" (July 18)?

Posted by Laura at April 8, 2006 08:52 AM