From: Phil Payne 

> So ... why was it kept secret?

It's a little less secret than it was - Thielmann is still out there.  I
wonder who'll be next:

http://www.news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2402424

"His claims have been dismissed as the bitter attack of a sacked man
by President Bush’s supporters.

But they were backed today by Greg Thielmann, director of the Strategic
Proliferation and Military Affairs Office at the US State Department until
his retirement last year.

Mr Theilmann told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I’m afraid I think the
American public was seriously misled.”

The US administration “twisted, distorted, simplified” intelligence in a
way that led Americans to “seriously misunderstand what the nature of the
Iraq threat was”, he said.

“I’m not sure I can think of a worse act against the people in a democracy
than a President distorting critical information,” he said.

“For a President to abuse that sacred trust ... is to me a very serious
development.”"

--
  Phil Payne
  http://www.isham-research.com
  +44 7785 302 803
  +49 173 6242039

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