National Intellience Estimate Report: Security In Iraq Is Improving

Washington (AHN) -- A new, classified intelligence assessment released to Congress on Tuesday paints an improved picture of ground conditions in Iraq, a development which could bolster the forthcoming series of congressional debates on the war.

The document, an update to an earlier National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq was overseen by National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell and delivered to several lawmakers upon the request of Sen. John Warner (R., Va.).

The NIE reflects the consensus of all 16 intelligence agencies in assessing Iraq's political, economic and security trends.

While officials wouldn't give away the exact details, they broadly described the report as supporting the surge strategy advocated by Gen. David Petraeus, the U.S.'s top military commander in Iraq. They said it focuses on improvements in the Iraqi government and in security on the ground.

Congress received the new report this week in advance of congressional hearings scheduled on April 8-9, where Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker are scheduled to testify.

Late Thursday, Democratic Sens. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, called for McConnell to declassify and release a summary, saying the information "is critical to the public debate in the coming weeks and months."

McConnell decided last fall that NIEs should not as a rule include an unclassified section because he believes analysts are less likely to be forthright in their writing if they believe the language will become public.

The National Intelligence Estimate is part of a series of periodic reports that offer the best consensus judgment of top analysts at all 16 U.S. spy agencies on major foreign policy, security and global economic issues.