Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity

Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS) is a group of current and former officials of the United States Intelligence Community, including some from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the U.S. State Department's Intelligence Bureau, and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). This group issued a letter before the 2003 invasion of Iraq warning that there would potentially be numerous U.S. casualties if Iraq used chemical weapons during any "offensive aimed at getting rid of Saddam Hussein." [http://www.counterpunch.org/vips02082003.html This letter] noted the various Gulf War-related illnesses which many returning soldiers contracted due to the presence of chemical and biological agents in Desert Storm.

The group was formed in January 2003 as a "coast-to-coast enterprise" to protest the use of faulty intelligence "upon which the US/UK invasion of Iraq was based." [ [http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Articles5/VIPS_UN-Inspectors.htm We Are Perplexed at the US Refusal to Permit the Return of UN Inspectors to Iraq ] ] [http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0207-04.htm CIA Veterans Speak Out ] ] [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20031005030334/http://www.spacewar.com/2003/030417232627.crweaphw.html US should be "embarrassed" over failure to find WMDs: ex-spies ] ]

VIPS Steering Group

*Richard Beske, San Diego, CA
*Patrick G. Eddington, Alexandria, VA
*David MacMichael, Linden, VA
*Raymond McGovern, Arlington, VA
*Larry C. Johnson, Washington, DC
*Gene Betit, Arlington, VA
*Ray Close
*Greg Theilmann

February 2003 Memo

On February 7, 2003, VIPS publicly released a "MEMORANDUM FOR: The President" criticizing Secretary Powell's speech before the United Nations, in part, because VIPS was afraid Saddam Hussein would use his chemical weapons against U.S. troops if the U.S. invaded. The memorandum was signed by the VIPS Steering Group including Richard Beske, Kathleen McGrath Christison, William Christison, Patrick Eddington, and Raymond McGovern.

Former members

Kathleen Christison and William Christison, Santa Fe, NM - Resigned from VIPS 15 July 2003, over memo calling for Cheney’s resignation. [ [http://www.counterpunch.org/christison07152003.html Kathleen and Bill Christison: Why We Resigned from VIPS ] ] W. Patrick Lang, Alexandria, Virginia resigned over disagreement concerning the focus of VIPS.

ee also

*David Kelly
*Downing Street memo
*Paul R. Pillar

External links, References, & Footnotes

*VIPS, [http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0207-04.htm "MEMORANDUM FOR: The President"] , "CommonDreams.org", 2003-02-07
*VIPS, [http://www.counterpunch.org/vips03152003.html "Memorandum for Confused Americans: Cooking Intelligence for War"] , "CounterPunch.org", 2003-03-15
*VIPS, [http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0501-09.htm "Intelligence Officers Challenge Bush"] , "CommonDreams.org", 2003-05-01
*Source Watch, [http://www.sourcewatch.org/wiki.phtml?title=Veteran_Intelligence_Professionals_for_Sanity Description of VIPS] , "SourceWatch.org"
*" [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,81148,00.html Ex-CIA Accuse Bush of Manipulating Iraq Evidence] " FOX News (AP story), 2003-03-17.
*"16 Words and Counting" New York Times, July 15, 2003, Section A, Page 21.
*" [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14225-2004Jul25.html Failures of the Sept. 11 Commission] " Washington Post, Monday, July 26, 2004; Page A11
* [http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=21825 Bush's New War Drums for Iran]