If you remember – and how could we forget – the left criticized the administration in it’s “march to war in Iraq based on ‘cooked’ intel”

Today, even after several statements that we are not now planning war with Iran UNTIL we are sure that it is necessary (my opinion we are past that time) that we have positive intel that they have been involved in some measure in Iraq or in other acts against the United States.

Again, to reinterate the summary that was released to the media does not tell the whole story – rarely does – and the entirety of the report (of which I have privy) tells a slightely more clear – howbeit not conclusive- picture. Nevertheless, the leftist media can’t let the administration win for losing so they create headlines out of basically nothing.

“U.S. can’t prove Iran link to Iraq strife” – La Times.

“WASHINGTON ‚Äî Bush administration officials acknowledged Friday that they had yet to compile evidence strong enough to back up publicly their claims that Iran is fomenting violence against U.S. troops in Iraq.

Administration officials have long complained that Iran was supplying Shiite Muslim militants with lethal explosives and other materiel used to kill U.S. military personnel. But despite several pledges to make the evidence public, the administration has twice postponed the release — most recently, a briefing by military officials scheduled for last Tuesday in Baghdad.

“The truth is, quite frankly, we thought the briefing overstated, and we sent it back to get it narrowed and focused on the facts,” national security advisor Stephen J. Hadley said Friday.

The acknowledgment comes amid shifting administration messages on Iran. After several weeks of saber rattling that included a stiff warning by President Bush and the dispatch of two aircraft carrier strike groups to the Persian Gulf, near Iran, the administration has insisted in recent days that it does not want to escalate tensions or to invade Iran.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates seemed to concede Friday that U.S. officials can’t say for sure whether the Iranian government is involved in assisting the attacks on U.S. personnel in Iraq.

“I don’t know that we know the answer to that question,” Gates said.”

More appropriate to the point, there IS evidence of Iranian involvement, but just not clear evidence that it is directly linked to the government. We do have some evidence at this point of involvement such as that of the Qods Force branch of the Iranian Republican Guard Corps who is suspected in the attack at Karbala on January 20th.

Therefore, it’s not the the administration says that there is NO proof, it’s just that we want to be damn careful to complete the chain of responsibility right to the desk of dog-face Ahmadinejad.

For a good read and assessment check out Captain Ed’s post on this, also excellent point at Blue Crab Boulevard on what the MSM is not reporting.