Now, that being said...

There are mistakes that have been made that, through a slight perspective shift, aren't the damning sins they appear to be. Case in point...

Cheney's distrust of the CIA.

As pointed out in the special and in numerous other sources, Cheney was not a fan of the CIA for several reasons dating back to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The CIA has consistently been wrong about the state of the Soviet Block, Saddam's buildup prior to the Kuwait invasion, Saddam's nuclear capability immediately prior to the 1st Gulf War, the 9/11 attacks, and so on.

I won't get into pissing matches between government departments. I know Titus has experience in this arena, and I did my time in the comfy chair behind the big red desk, Baddboy has firsthand knowledge of interservice conflict and Ryan is no babe in the woods. But when Congress asks Tenet for the NIE on Iraq in late 2002/2003, Tenet shows a failure in leadership by not having an NIE done. Nothing. The CIA had nothing on Iraq's potential for WMDs.

Is this Bush's fault? I personally don't think so. His sins come a little later. But at what point in time is it a good idea to have a National Intelligence Estimate on a hostile Middle Eastern nation that has used WMDs in the past? Shouldn't this have been kind of high on someone's list of shit to do at Langley? I mean, I understand Tenet had a full plate with Afghanistan and Al Quida and Osama and all that, but he's got a full team. And shouldn't some of this been done BEFORE 9/11?

Tenet's failure here opens the door for the Administration to manufacture the situation for entry into Iraq, a situation that needed no help from the Administration. How many times did we discuss face to face why we could go into Iraq with perfect legality, with the same coalition we went into Kuwait, and without all the hard feelings we have now?

Anyway, back to the topic... Was Cheney, or IS Cheney, wrong for mistrusting the CIA? Was Tenet in error for not having an NIE on Iraq prior to early 2003? Shouldn't someone have been working on that beginning 9/12/01? Along with the NIE on Iran, Syria, and every other hostile Middle Eastern state?