Bush says he declassified intelligence

President Bush listens to a question about his declassifying an intelligence report on Sadam Hussein during a question and answer session after he delivered remarks on the global war on terror at the John Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, Monday, April 10, 2006. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

This is also off Yahoo News:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush acknowledged on Monday he ordered the declassification of parts of a prewar intelligence report on
Iraq to respond to critics who alleged he manipulated intelligence to justify the war.

Bush offered his first comment on a prosecutor's disclosure last week that he authorized Vice President
Dick Cheney's former top aide, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, to declassify Iraq intelligence.

The disclosure prompted a firestorm of criticism from Democrats who charged Bush was a hypocrite who denounces leaks of information while becoming the "leaker-in-chief." A Republican ally, Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record), urged Bush on Sunday to "tell the American people exactly what happened."

At issue is the administration's release in July 2003 of parts of an October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate that alleged Iraq under Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction and was trying to develop a nuclear weapon.

Bush said he declassified parts of the document to answer questions raised about why the United States invaded Iraq.

"I wanted people to see what some of those statements were based on. I wanted people to see the truth. I thought it made sense for people to see the truth. That's why I declassified the document," he said.

I have to laugh at this quote. I wanted people to see what some of those statements were based on. I wanted people to see the truth. I thought it made sense for people to see the truth. So tell me Mr. President, if you wanted people to see the truth, why not declassify the entire document for the American people to see, rather than cherry-picking those intelligence sections in the NIE that supported the White House arguments for going to war with Iraq?