To the editor:

The latest National Intelligence Estimate has the George W. Bush haters and the Far Left again in a state of distraction. For them, it has, of course, morphed into a referendum on Bush’s credibility – not the United States and global security. This report, authored by three anti-Bush partisan officials – Thomas Fingar, Vann Van Diepen and Kenneth Brill – says Iran halted its nuclear weapons program four years ago. Yet, in July of this year, Thomas Fingar said, “We assess that Tehran is determined to develop nuclear weapons – despite its international obligations and international pressure.”

The important issue to the anti-Bush crowd is what did President Bush know and when; it always has been. Why would Bush immediately go on record in August of this year regarding an intelligence “estimate” just because an administration official, John McConnell, director of national intelligence, told him that there were “revisions” in the works?

The truth of the matter is only a very few people in the inner circle of the Islamic regime know the current status of Iran’s nuclear weapons program. The NIE is merely guesswork, produced by three officials who happen to dislike Bush. It is based, in part, on intercepted conversations between top Iranian officials.

A question I have for Bush haters is: Don’t you at least want a second opinion?

Bush haters seem willing to gamble on a “revised estimate'” authored by three anti-Bush bureaucrats. I bet Europe does not appreciate that one bit.

Tom Shewmon,

Linwood