Pentagon unit developed 'dubious' prewar intel - report

WASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) Former US defense policy chief Douglas Feith developed and issued ''dubious'' intelligence that was used to bolster the Bush administration's case for the invasion of Iraq, a Pentagon watchdog agency said in a report to be released today.

The conclusion by Feith's office that there was a ''mature symbiotic relationship'' between Iraq and al Qaeda was inconsistent with the view of the U.S. intelligence community, according to excerpts of the Pentagon inspector general's report released by Sen.

Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

''An alternative intelligence assessment process was established in the office of Under Secretary for Policy Doug Feith ... that was predisposed to finding a significant relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda. His staff then conducted its own review of raw intelligence reports, including reporting of dubious quality and reliability,'' the report said.

''They arrived at an 'alternative' interpretation of the Iraq-al Qaeda relationship that was much stronger than that assessed by the IC (intelligence community) and more in accord with the policy views of senior officials in the administration,'' the report concluded.

An unclassified summary of the report is to be published today, when Levin's committee is briefed on its findings.

Top Bush administration officials cited alleged ties between Iraq and al Qaeda as a justification for the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

The bipartisan commission which investigated the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States in 2001 later reported that no collaborative relationship existed between the two.

Levin said the inspector general's report supports his own conclusion that the office, under Feith, a strong advocate of deposing Saddam Hussein, twisted intelligence information to suggest links between Iraq and militants from al Qaeda.

''Those activities supported the Bush administration's misleading case for war against Iraq,'' Levin said in a statement.

''Senior administration officials, including Vice President Cheney, made numerous public statements that reflected the views of the Feith alternative analysis, which were inconsistent with the analysis and judgments of the intelligence community,'' Levin said.

'ALTERNATIVE INTELLIGENCE ESTIMATES' The report concludes Feith's office had done nothing illegal or unauthorized but that some of its activities were ''inappropriate,'' two US defense officials said.

The Pentagon took issue with the finding that the office had produced ''alternative intelligence estimates,'' believing Feith's office had given a critique of intelligence information but not produced intelligence products, one official said.

Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as the report has not been released.

The inspector general's office declined to comment on its report ahead of the Senate briefing.

But the report was made available to the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday and its chairman, a Democrat, was swift to speak out.

''The IG (inspector general) has concluded that this office was engaged in intelligence activities. The Senate Intelligence Committee was never informed of these activities,'' Sen. John Rockefeller of West Virginia said in a statement.

''Whether these actions were authorized or not, it appears that they were not in compliance with the law.'' He said he would consult with the committee's vice chairman, Republican Kit Bond of Missouri, to determine whether any further action was warranted.

REUTERS PDM PM1131