Thomas Daschle: “the vital interest of our national security is critical to our understanding of the degree to which we can cope with the…”

“the vital interest of our national security is critical to our understanding of the degree to which we can cope with the circumstances involving the intelligence failure we have now experienced over this past year or more. Two important voices have been added to the growing chorus, raising questions about the accuracy and the veracity of the allegations the administration used to take this country to war. Just yesterday Secretary Powell made clear the importance of the prewar claims, suggesting that the case for war was much weaker without the allegations of existing stockpiles of weapons. When asked whether he would have recommended an invasion last year if he knew then what he knows now, Secretary Powell said: I don't know, because it was the stockpile that presented the final little piece that made it more of a real and present danger and threat to the region and to the world. A year ago this week, Secretary Powell made a lengthy presentation to the United Nations Security Council about the grave threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.”