President Bush at the U.S. Naval Academy, Nov 2005

"Two highly classified intelligence reports delivered directly to President Bush before the Iraq war cast doubt on key public assertions made by ... administration officials as justifications for invading Iraq," reports Murray Waas. The "President's Summary" of National Intelligence Estimates "illustrates what the president knew and when he knew it," explained a senior official. An October 2002 President's Summary stated the Energy Department's and State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research's belief that aluminum tubes acquired by Iraq were "intended for conventional weapons." At the time, Bush and others "were citing the tubes as clear evidence of an Iraqi nuclear program," as other spy agencies claimed. A January 2003 President's Summary stated "U.S. intelligence agencies unanimously agreed" that Saddam Hussein was "unlikely" to attack the United States. In other news, a BBC poll found 60% of respondents in 35 countries feel the Iraq war has increased the threat of terrorism. The poll also found that half of Iraqis favor a quick withdrawal of U.S. troops. A Gallup poll found two of three U.S. adults also favor imminent withdrawal.

"An anchor at KTLA-TV received a customized dining-room makeover worth more than $10,000 for her own home, in what a local furniture merchant says was meant to be a swap of free goods and services ... for favorable coverage on the station's 'Morning News'," reports the LA Times. The segment was taped in September 2005 but never aired, leading the merchant to warn, "If it doesn't air," KTLA's Michaela Pereira will "be treated like a paying customer." Pereira agreed to return some items and pay for others. Pereira and two other KTLA anchors were also recently exposed for accepting "free accommodations in exchange for" favorable coverage of "the newly renovated Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel & Spa in Pasadena." The KTLA anchors stayed in "deluxe guestrooms, which on a weeknight would cost $300 to $400." The "Morning News" executive producer claimed they "try to acknowledge" when services are provided, but admitted that the KTLA anchors "did not specifically mention that the rooms were provided free."

U.S. House Armed Services Committee chair Duncan Hunter will introduce legislation "to prevent foreign companies from controlling facilities determined to be critical to U.S. national security." If passed, the bill would nix the Dubai Ports World deal to manage major U.S. ports. Meanwhile, DP World received advice from former President Clinton, who "talked with leaders of the company about a public relations strategy to rescue the deal," reports the LA Times. Clinton suggested that DP World support a "'cooling off period' to allow for a full investigation of the transaction," according to O'Dwyers -- which they did. Clinton also "suggested they hire his former spokesman, Joe Lockhart, to assist in their public relations campaign. Lockhart decided against doing so." Clinton's assistance "proved awkward" for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, who "has strongly opposed" the DP World deal, in part because it affects New York facilities.

"After complaints from historians, the National Archives directed intelligence agencies ... to stop removing previously declassified historical documents from public access and urged them to return to the shelves as quickly as possible many of the records they had already pulled," reports the New York Times. There will be a "moratorium" on reclassifications until the archives' Information Security Oversight Office completes an audit "to determine which records should be secret." Allen Weinstein, the chief U.S. government archivist, told historians that reclassifications might continue post-audit, but any future program would be "guided by better standards" and "more transparent." Intelligence historian Matthew Aid called the moratorium "a positive first step," but noted that "the real deals are going to get made" when the National Archives meets with the intelligence and military agencies who are behind the reclassification program, on March 6.

Australian social researcher Hugh Mackay has little time for companies that try to use corporate social responsibility as a PR and marketing tool. "Nothing diminishes virtue like trying to draw other people’s attention to it. You’re a good corporate citizen? Get on with it, then, don’t brag about it," he said in a speech launching a fundraising campaign for a non-profit disability group. "If we are doing the right thing for a commercial advantage, we’ve missed the point of good corporate citizenship. Ethics is not a business tool," he said.