September 2004
Early Warning
"But for the President to accuse the press and others for being pessimistic, which he does commonly in his speeches isn't that disingenuous when there's reports from NIA which paint these sort of scenarios?"
—journalist questioning White House press secretary Scott McClellan aboard Air Force One
On September 16, The New York Times reports that in July the National Intelligence Council prepared a pessimistic, classified report for Bush which warns of the possibility of civil war in Iraq. Press Secretary Scott McClellan responds that the pessimists continue to be proven wrong by the determination of Iraqi leaders and citizens. Critics of the war seize on the report as further evidence that the administration isn't facing up to the realities on the ground in Iraq.