36 Comments

1. skeeziks:

Thank you Roger.

That is precisely the point that has never been addressed. What kind of weird pillow-talk story is behind this thing? Why him? I suspect it’s just another “collaboration” that has gone down in this rabbit-hole world we live in today.

Nov 13, 2004 - 6:37 am 2. Jeff M:

There is an excellent book out on this subject by Laurie Mylroie entitled “Bush vs. the Beltway”. It is a “must read” for anyone trying to understand America’s situation at home and abroad…

Nov 13, 2004 - 6:38 am 3. Charlie (Colorado):

Fox is just reporting that John McLaughlin, who was Deputy Director of Intelligence and acting DCI for a while, is either resigning or retiring for “personal reasons”.

Of course, after months of complaints about the CIA’s intelligence failures, the story is now being run as discord and confusion sown by Porter Goss, the Administration’s appointment to DCI.

Nov 13, 2004 - 6:46 am 4. Rick Ballard:

I’m a bit perplexed as to why I should be concerned about a shakeup in an agency that was unable to place a single agent in Iraq between GWI and GWII. Prior to that, I seem to recall that the CIA was a bit surprised at the collapse of the USSR. How much worse than totally ineffective can they get? If I work at it, I suppose I might be able to generate a scintilla of sympathy for the WaPo in their loss of “unamed sources” within the biggest joke of a sieve of a “secret” agency in the history of the world but I really don’t feel up to it.

If Powell would resign at State and Bush would nominate someone with the experience and muscle to begin the Herculean task of cleaning the Augean Arabist stables there while Rumsfeld continues clearing deadwood at Defense the world would seem a bit brighter.

I’m sure that Ridge could find appropriate positions at Homeland for those deemed “excess baggage”. I vote for the establishment of some sort of bureaucratic directorate with headquarters on one of the more remote Aleutian islands. Failing that, perhaps a spot thirty miles in any direction from El Paso would do.

Nov 13, 2004 - 7:35 am 5. someone:

The squealing has started. Looks like Goss has found a good method to clear out the rot: use their self-importance against them.

Now, who can start some squealing from Foggy Bottom? Certainly not Powell.

Nov 13, 2004 - 7:52 am 6. Richard Nieporent:

I certainly have no inside knowledge on the specifics of the Joseph Wilson-Valerie Plame Affair. However, the contention in Power Line that

The CIA, which has always been a Democratic organization, has been insubordinate and has actively sought to undermine President Bush’s policies

does not pass the laugh test. I can assure you that there were as many Kerry voters in the CIA as there were Bush voters in the Black community.

Nov 13, 2004 - 7:52 am 7. TmjUtah:

Roger-

I have no inside information, either…but the tone of the “anonymous” sources quoted in all three articles strikes me as bureaucrateses for “My Boat Is Being Rocked Make It Stop Make It Stop!”.

Being told you aren’t doing your job could be considered disruptive, yes. It doesn’t mean that the observation is out of line, though. Even if somebody’s ’space’ got invaded.

We can’t afford to just ’start over’ with the CIA. What must be done is akin to surgery with a chainsaw. After a quarter century of Church Committee blinders and the effect of the Clinton administration on the entire executive branch, who could reasonably be expected to be surprised that there are entire fiefdoms of timeservers who need to be moved on?

Change is always disruptive. It’s also vital when an organization has evolved to the point where it no longer functions to accomplish a mission but rather to sustain its own heirarchy. In business the CIA edition of 2004 would be Wang Word processors of 1990.

They work for the country, not for the Agency. They either remember that or they walk.

I think this is good news. Good for us, the agency, and bad for the opposition. We may have to wade through a few breathless hit books or multipart newspaper stories in the next few months or years, but I think the results will probably be worth it.

Nov 13, 2004 - 8:15 am 8. Charlie (Colorado):

Uh, Richard, could you perhaps give us a hint how you can assure us of that? It’s been a good while since I worked with CIA people, but the ones I’ve known — mostly analysts — have been historians and language majors, and I’d be hard-pressed to think of any I would have thought were reliably Republican.

NSA and NRO are a little different, because they are partly staffed by military, and a lot of the civilians are military retirees.

Nov 13, 2004 - 8:15 am 9. David Thomson:

President Bush should have little trouble getting rid of the clowns at the CIA. His enemies realize that the Republicans will likely dominate the federal government for many years into the future. It is therefore futile to keep bucking the odds. The same holds true for the MSM that have been assisting them. They might yell and scream for a little bit—but they will soon give up and drown out their sorrows at the local bar.

George W. Bush is now the teflon president. He will have a smooth ride for the rest of his term. Our country will benefit greatly from this new development.

Nov 13, 2004 - 8:16 am 10. lindenen:

“George W. Bush is now the teflon president. He will have a smooth ride for the rest of his term.”

I don’t know about that. I think they’re going to attempt to Nixon him at some point. He’d still better watch his back.

Nov 13, 2004 - 8:25 am 11. Howard:

My take exactly. The MM has the long knives out for every Bush appointment and now they are loading up for Goss. The CIA is now leaking to their favoritess. Goss was put in there to clean out the mess and the Washington Post/New York Times Axis of Feebles will do all they can to trash him.

Nov 13, 2004 - 8:44 am 12. David Thomson:

ìHe’d still better watch his back.î

You would be right if the Democrats controlled the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. But this is not the case—and most likely will not be for at least the next ten years. This is why the liberals feel so bad after the election. They rightfully perceive themselves as analogous to the mediocre athlete who must go one on one against Shaq OíNeal in the low post.

Nov 13, 2004 - 8:44 am 13. David Thomson:

ìWe may have to wade through a few breathless hit books or multipart newspaper stories in the next few months or years…î

No, we will not. These books will be at best modest sellers and the newspaper articles thoroughly vetted by the New Media. An era has ended. This new paradigm shift will not be kind to the liberal establishment. They are now marginalized. A sense of hopelessness and despair will now be their lot in life. Psychiatrists will earn tons of money. Dr. Phil never had it so good.

Nov 13, 2004 - 8:53 am 14. David C:

The Post story struck me as a classic example of MSM bias not originating so much from malice as laziness, btw.

It’s just *so* transparently obvious reading the story that it’s a case of malcontents leaking to the Post as the most effective way of getting their story out in the best possible light. Because Post reporters are so disinclined to actually do some work and maybe investigate other sides of the story.

The same pattern can be seen in the periodical Post “Rumsfeld is a Meanie” stories, invariably dominated by gripes from the still-powerful “we need a gigantic, immobile Army that doesn’t leave Germany” interest group.

It always goes:

1. “These distinguished officers and bureaucrats say Rumsfeld’s a meanie.”

2. “Rumsfeld’s office declined comment.”

End of story, of course! Never even any effort to look for other angles that might not come from leaky sources glad to chat with the reporter over expense-account luxury meals….

Nov 13, 2004 - 8:59 am 15. Rick Ballard:

Howard,

To back up your point, Pincus and Priest are the same propagandists used by the WaPo in trying to develop the Plame agitprop. Watching the dead media corpse twitch when the paddles are applied is rather macabre entertainment. It must be very difficult to see your favorite ‘unnamed source” get the bums rush.

Nov 13, 2004 - 9:11 am 16. Clio:

I’m going to stand up here for the WaPo. It is the duty of journalists to give those of us on the outside a peephole into the wrestling match that is Washington today (as it ever has been). The story is clean, it is well-sourced, and while it is self-evidently written from the perspective of the disgruntled CIA operatives whose feathers Goss is ruffling, you may rest assured that the new DCI and his allies will fire back (take Brookes’ powerful rip as the opening salvo, albeit in the rival NYT).

Anyone capable of getting through this arcane, inside baseball account is also capable of understanding the sides and the stakes involved here. Need I remind everyone that most of the world doesn’t give a crap, but the few who care also KNOW quite a bit. So relax. I don’t think anyone is suggesting Goss hand in his resignation tomorrow. You don’t blame the sports commenter for reporting what’s happening on the field, do you (well, if you’re from Chicago you do, but that’s another story)?

The hearts and minds of the American people are no different from those of anyone else. We like to see an honest debate–sometimes a bloody brawl–because we don’t just want to read glossy cover stories of how smoothly everything is going here in Paradise.

The pressing question raised by goings-on between White House and CIA is: How much power do we really want to concentrate in the hands of an “Intelligence Tsar”, as the 9/11 Commission recommends and Congress seems eager to deliver? Red flags are popping up everywhere, if we only care to notice.

Nov 13, 2004 - 9:16 am 17. David Thomson:

How dramatic has the world changed? Barack Obama will probably do everything he can to get along with the Republican majority even though he has a very safe senate seat. Ken Salazar will do likewise. There are also rumors that both Chuck Schumer and Jon Corzine may opt to run for governor of their respective states.

Democrats are now second class citizens. These folks will think twice before getting into situations where they will receive a royal butt kicking . The liberals at the CIA? They are on their own. Nobody cares about their troubles—it’s every man for himself.

Nov 13, 2004 - 9:23 am 18. Charlie (Colorado):

I’m still holding out some hope that Salazar will pull a Ben Campbell; although he got the “liberal” thing applied pretty, uh, liberally here, he’s always been known as a fairly conservative guy.

Certainly Ben’s experience was that being a conservative-but-ethnic Democrat in the Senate wasn’t a very happy experience.

Nov 13, 2004 - 9:37 am 19. Richard Nieporent:

Charlie, All I can say is that it is not the historians and language majors that I am referring to. Also, there is a lot of ex-military in the CIA.

TmjUtah makes a good point about fiefdoms. The entrenched bureaucrats, like all bureaucrats, care more about personal power than carrying out the mission of the organization. A little house cleaning never hurts.

Nov 13, 2004 - 10:02 am 20. David Thomson:

Recently there was some speculation that Lincoln Chafee might leave the Republican Party—and join the Democrats. I though that this was one of the funniest things Iíve ever heard. Why would Chafee do something that dumb? It would be similar to my starting a bar room brawl with Mike Tyson. The Democrats are the minority party and in 2006 their senate power will likely even be further diminished. Why join a bunch of losers? The dissident CIA bureaucrats will simply retire as quickly as possible. Thereís no sense continuing to fight a war which cannot be won.

Nov 13, 2004 - 10:04 am 21. TmjUtah:

Update to my above post:

“Hit” in “breathless hit books” was meant in the perjorative, not popular, context. Sorry for being unclear on that point.

Nov 13, 2004 - 11:04 am 22. Doug:

Bush’s main task for the next four years is to set things up so the GWOT continues past the end of his administration whether his successor is a Dem or Republican. The GWOT must not be partisan or it cannot be won. In order to carry this out, in addition to stablizing Iraq, Bush has a number of other important tasks. First and foremost, he must force major change to the UN. It is long past time that we stop paying homage and dues to what has become an actual impediment to democracy and peace around the world. This is not the place to go into what needs to be done but Bush must play hardball and state that we will withhold dues until our desired reofrms are implemented. Second, Bush must purge the CIA and rebuild it from the ground up. It must be populated with true believers in the GWOT who will carry out the president’s policy, not impede it. This is VITAL. Third, he must purge the state Department to the extent of eliminating those diplomats who believe they are untouchable and can carry out their own foreign policy. This has been a problem ever since FDR and needs to be addressed. We will see if progress can be made in these areas.

Nov 13, 2004 - 12:27 pm 23. Terrye:

Richard:

I don’t know about everyone working at the CIA of course, but Plame and Wilson are said to be partisan Democrats [from way back], that is why he was sent to Africa.

I think a bunch of these people should be fired and if they can not be fired then they should be pressured into resigning. If I screwed up half as bad as these bozos I can promise you I would be unemployed right now.

Bush needs to say off iwht their heads. Metaphorically speaking of course.

Nov 13, 2004 - 1:20 pm 24. Terrye:

off with their heads, is what I meant to say.

preview is for the faint of heart.

Nov 13, 2004 - 1:55 pm 25. RogerA:

I am not sure why the public seems to hang on every word by an “insider” be it some CIA analyst or the Army Chief of Staff. These are people with political agenda to be furthered. The CIA has proved its incompentence; the Army is changing thanks to its new Chief of Staff–The State Department IMHO is beyond redemption–and the bloodletting should start now–DOS, and the CIA, tend to be staffed with Arabists who have no grasp of the current realities and should all be offered the opportunity to resign forthwith–These are scurvy organizations who are more interested in furthering their own aims than contributing to the war on terror OR furthering the objectives of their commander in chief. No one will bemoan their passing except for their media whores at the WaPo and NYT.

Nov 13, 2004 - 1:58 pm 26. TmjUtah:

Doug-

If this war was a boxing match, winning the election took our foot out of the bucket. We are still wearing lead soled shoes, though, and will be as long as the Dem priority is to exploit the war for their own ends.

Just as soon as you can convince the DNC that their “Defeat in Iraq=Good for Us” strategy for regaining political power is not in the national interest, we can talk about making the war a bipartisan effort.

Nov 13, 2004 - 2:27 pm 27. Richard Nieporent:

Terrye.

It would be nice if we could take politics out of the intelligence agencies, but unfortunately, that is not going to happen. Even if we could ban Democrats (just kidding), the problem is more with high-level individuals who are upset that they were not listened to or were passed over for a promotion. The MSM is happy to give these disgruntled employees a forum for attacking the administration.

Nov 13, 2004 - 5:14 pm 28. Terrye:

Richard:

Partisanhsip can make intelligent people do some really stupid stuff and I think that when those buildings feel on 911 the CIA went into CYA mode and decided the best defence is a good offence.

They screwed up and they know it and the more demands Bush makes on their abilities the more glaring their deficiencies are. Inertia is the problem. They need some shaking up.

Nov 13, 2004 - 5:55 pm 29. Rick Ballard:

Terrye,

Richard doesn’t mention it but it appears that this is (at this moment) an operations battle. Operations is the collection side of the CIA. Its failures can be laid, to a great extent, upon the rules imposed by the legislature (vide, Torricelli, Leahy, other scum), those rules require that we have an affidavit from a potential agents choir director prior to employing them. Given that we are interested in penetrating dictators organizations, those choir director affidavits are in short supply. Hence, no HUMINT resources in Iraq. The proble is that it has been so long since operations actually operated that those currently running the show are clueless. They run like little bunnies to the Justice Department to get every i dotted and t crossed prior to going to the men’s room. Goss is an operations man from the time when the CIA actually conducted operations. The fellows he brought with him are engaged in the necessary housecleaning required so that actual operations can be conducted. The sniveling whiners stomping their little feet about the big meanie really need to find other employment. The CIA operations side has become an adjunct of State and is much happier sipping tea than gathering the raw intelligence required for the analytical side’s work.

I think Goss is off to a fine start and I hope that we see a hundred resignations within the next month. The US will be healthier for them.

Nov 13, 2004 - 6:19 pm 30. TmjUtah:

Yet more from Regnum Crucis -

So much to write, so little time …

Nov 13, 2004 - 7:43 pm 31. Rick Ballard:

I would like to second Tmj’s recommendation regarding Regnum Crucis. A bit of biographical research should warm ones heart regarding the future when the age and experience of Dan and Colt (scroll down) are considered. Truth lights a fire.

Nov 13, 2004 - 8:16 pm 32. Syl:

I sit here in wonder observing Bush’s Magic Touch at work. Bush, The Destroyer of the Status Quo.

Now we can add the CIA to the list of entities that Bush has either destroyed, discredited, or majorly shaken up (in no special order):

Old Europe

The U.N.

The Democratic Party

Sadaam and the Baathists in Iraq

al-Qaeda

Libya’s WMD program

Khan’s network

Afghanistan’s Taliban

Old Media

Israeli/Palestinian dynamics

Arafat (may he rest in pieces)

The Defense Dept.

Hollywood

The Education establishment

NAACP

Judicial Activism

and he’s not finished yet!!

Nov 13, 2004 - 10:01 pm 33. Charlie (Colorado):

Charlie, All I can say is that it is not the historians and language majors that I am referring to. Also, there is a lot of ex-military in the CIA.

Yeah, Richard, but on what basis?

Nov 14, 2004 - 7:16 am 34. Terrye:

I hear that McCain is now calling the CIA a “rogue agency” and saying there are elements in the agency that tried to destroy Bush with the help of a “compliant press”.

This is getting interesting.

Nov 14, 2004 - 9:23 am 35. Richard Nieporent:

Charlie,

Yeah, Richard, but on what basis?

I am not sure that I understand what you mean. All I was trying to indicate is that most of the people I deal with have previously served in the military and they are decidedly not Democrats.

Nov 14, 2004 - 1:00 pm 36. jerry:

Richard N.

You said: ” I can assure you that there were as many Kerry voters in the CIA as there were Bush voters in the Black community. ”

Well your assurances are not very reassuring. The only thing lacking at Langley was a 20 foot high Kerry-Edwards sign on the front lawn of the Old Headquarters Building. The CIA leadership was making plans to send off Porter Goss on the 3 of November after a Kerry victory. Everbody in the building, the Pentagon and the Defense agencies was well aware of it. So was the President and Porter Goss.

This is my first post since I came back from Omaha, Colorado Springs and Hawaii.

Nov 14, 2004 - 7:05 pm

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