WASHINGTON, July 26: Senate Democrats on Wednesday called on US Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte to provide fresh intelligence on Iraq, calling existing analyses dated.

The lawmakers sought an updated National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), saying the last one for Iraq was written in 2004, despite tumultuous changes across the country since then.

“Virtually every prediction made by administration officials about Iraq has turned out to be wrong, and it is time to get some straight answers and sound analysis,” said Senator Harry Reid, leader of opposition Democrats in the Senate.

“Congress is entitled to this information, and director Negroponte should do the right thing and see that this NIE is provided in a professional and timely manner.”

US Senator Ted Kennedy said the administration appeared impervious to ‘growing sectarian violence, the ruthless death squads, the increasingly powerful role of the privately armed militias’, and other challenges on the ground in Iraq.

“President Bush needs to weigh these facts more realistically and prepare a strategy to protect our troops who are at risk of getting caught in the middle of a sectarian civil war,” said Kennedy, who signed the letter along with fellow Democratic senators Reid, Joe Biden, Jay Rockefeller and Reed.

“Ignoring the wisdom of the intelligence community got us into trouble before in Iraq, and we cannot ignore it again,” Kennedy said.—AFP