Analysis: A look at new House Intel Committee appointee

Rep. Smith

By IAN ALLEN| intelNews.org |
Les Blumenthal, of McClatchy Newspapers, has penned an interesting article on US Representative Adam Smith (D-WA), who has just been appointed to the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. In the article, Blumenthal reminds those who were surprised by this liberal Democrat’s appointment to the spy committee, that Smith was, until recently, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, where he chaired for over two years the Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee. Moreover, during the recent Presidential campaign, Smith “developed [ties] to the White House’s national security staff”, says Blumenthal. In his new position, Smith will have access to highly classified data, including “Title 50” information –that is, unfiltered intelligence from 16 different spy agencies that includes information on the precise sources and collection techniques involved. Interestingly, in 2005, Representative Smith was one of the few US Congress members who pressured (in vain) the Israeli government of Ariel Sharon to conduct a proper investigation into the murder by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of US activist Rachel Corrie, in Rafah, Gaza. More recently, Smith argued, along with Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), for an investigation into the work of the mysterious White House Iraq Group (WHIG), which was tasked by George W. Bush with selling the Iraq War to the American people.