WP & NYT ignored claim and denial that Bush was told to "stand down" on Iran

[G_j]

http://mediamatters.org/items/200712060008?src=other

Wash. Post and NY Times ignored Hadley's claim and denial that Bush was told to "stand down" upon learning of Iran intel

Summary: The New York Times and The Washington Post have reported on the White House's statements regarding President Bush's knowledge of the new intelligence that Iran halted its nuclear program in late 2003 -- and the administration's subsequent "clarif" and "revis" of some of those statements -- but neither paper has noted National Security Adviser Stephen J. Hadley's inconsistent statements regarding whether intelligence officials told Bush to "stand down" upon learning the "new information" on Iran's nuclear weapons program.

During his December 3 press conference regarding the recently released National Intelligence Estimate's (NIE) conclusion that Iran halted its nuclear program in late 2003, National Security Adviser Stephen J. Hadley said that when the intelligence community first informed President Bush that there was new information on Iran's nuclear program he was told to "stand down." Later in the same press conference, however, Hadley denied having said that Bush was told to "stand down," adding that intelligence officials "did not tell the President to stand down and stop talking about Iran's nuclear program." But while, in recent days, The New York Times and The Washington Post have reported on the administration's statements regarding Bush's knowledge of the new Iran intelligence -- and the White House's subsequent "clarif" and "revis" of some of those statements -- both papers have yet to note Hadley's inconsistent statements regarding whether intelligence officials told Bush to "stand down" upon learning the "new information" on Iran's nuclear weapons program.

During an October 17 press conference, Bush claimed, "I believe they want to have the capacity, the knowledge, in order to make a nuclear weapon" and further stated that "if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from have the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon." In his December 3 press conference, reporters asked Hadley to reconcile Bush's previous "World War III" statement regarding Iran's nuclear program with the NIE's conclusion, released earlier that day, that "in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program." In response, Hadley offered a number of conflicting statements regarding whether Bush was told to "stand down" in light of the new intelligence: ..more..