... More closer to the Truth :)
The PROBLEM
The SOLUTION
Posted on 11/27/2004 5:38:45 PM PST by FairOpinion
WASHINGTON - When former CIA (news - web sites) Director George Tenet said his farewells at a two-hour ceremony this summer, a deputy noted that 40 percent of the agency's staff had worked for just one chief.
AP Photo
It was a symbol of Tenet's endurance, seven years on the job, the second longest tenure of a director. It also was a mark of agency's growth during a hiring spree that began in 1998 and accelerated after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
With Tenet's successor, former Rep. Porter Goss (news, bio, voting record), in charge and making changes, one of the longer periods of leadership stability in the CIA's 57-year history is ending.
In an e-mail this month, Goss told employees of his plans for new procedures, organization and senior personnel. He reminded them that the CIA is a "secret agency," indirectly addressing media leaks widely believed to have angered the White House. Goss also said he intends to clarify "beyond doubt the rules of the road."
At least five top officials already have left the CIA since Goss took over.
There are those who view Goss' early moves as a purge. They worry that the Florida Republican who led the House Intelligence Committee until August is bringing a partisan background to an agency that traditionally has tried to avoid politics.
Others see the transition as welcome change for an agency criticized for major intelligence failures, including missing clues before Sept. 11 and botching the prewar analysis on Iraq (news - web sites)'s weapons.
Former intelligence officials, both supportive and critical of Goss, say his situation is reminiscent of when Stansfield Turner took over the agency in 1977 or John Deutsch in 1995. Both made waves.
Deutsch inherited an embattled CIA, struggling with the Aldrich Ames spy scandal and disoriented by the dissolution of its antagonist, the Soviet Union. Deutsch brought with him aides from the Pentagon (news - web sites), many of whom managed to rub the CIA's establishment the wrong way.
Turner took over after a series of commissions found the CIA had kept files on U.S. citizens, directly plotted assassinations of heads of government and engaged in other abuses of power. The admiral brought in aides from the Navy, who some say were perceived as adversaries of the agency's career staff.
Goss has surrounded himself with close advisers from the House committee who have become embroiled in the recent turmoil at the CIA.
In an interview, Turner said Goss could not have come in without wanting to make changes.
While Turner gives Goss the benefit of the doubt, he questions how Goss and his aides are going about the transition.
"They seem to be a little ham-handed," Turner said. "That is, I think it would have been advisable for him and his team to take a little while and get to know the place."
To Richard Kerr, a former CIA deputy director who led the agency's internal review of the Iraq analysis for Tenet, "It has been a fairly rough transition so far."
Kerr and other officials are surprised about how public a series of high-profile retirements has been since Goss took over. Not all were happy partings, and it is unclear whether officials left voluntarily.
The undercover heads of the Europe and Far East divisions are stepping down.
The top two officials in the agency's Directorate of Operations, the clandestine service, left after conflicts with Goss' aides that came into the open when they were leaked to the media.
Goss' deputy director, John McLaughlin, who had been acting director, announced his retirement after a 32-year career. Goss has told agency employees he is working on recommending a replacement to President Bush (news - web sites).
On Wednesday, in an editorial in The Washington Post, McLaughlin urged "balance and thoughtfulness" in the discussion of intelligence changes. He said criticisms of the CIA as dysfunctional are "way out of line."
"Like the U.S. military, our nation's intelligence officers face daunting challenges now and for years to come," McLaughlin wrote. "Constructive criticism can help. Tirades and hyperbole will not."
Eugene Poteat, president of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers, said much of the current situation stems from mistakes on Iraq intelligence estimates, which he said by nature are best guesses.
"If you look at it objectively from the outside, if John McLaughlin was part of the team that made the wrong analysis, maybe he should retire. Maybe that is what the president and Porter Goss thought," Poteat said.
Attention is turning to changes Goss will make at the agency's other leading section, the Directorate of Intelligence, which is headed by Jami Miscik. A friend and colleague of McLaughlin's, she was heavily involved in the Iraq analysis.
Goss' moves also are under scrutiny by Democratic lawmakers.
Some were dismayed by a line in Goss' recent e-mail to agency personnel that said the CIA's job is to "support the administration." The CIA said that should not be interpreted to mean support the administration politically, but rather support it with intelligence.
In a letter to Goss, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif., said she feared the "politicization of our intelligence services."
Go, go, go Gossies go go go, Gossie Be GOOD!
Turner was a Carter appointee. I wouldn't give him much credibility as a source to comment.
Not only that, Turner was infatuated with tecnology. The systems mafia at Langley and NRO convinced him that we could "do it all" with satellites. As a result, the systemic gutting of HUMINT and covert ops capabilities that began with the Pike and Church committees accelerated under "Stan" Turner. Many of the problems now plaguing the intel community metastisized on his watch...
Do you think this article is slanted just a bit? So very subtle to the unsuspecting. Was the CIA stable for the past 57 years, Goss walks through the door and it's immediately unstable?! Could it possibly be that the changes will make it more stable? Ack...
Totally agree, and the State Department should be next.
Totally agree, and the State Department should be next.
GO CONDI! We got your back!
We have still not recovered from the switch from HUMINT to satellites. If Turner doesn't like Goss, that is just one more good indication.
Reminds me of Angleton's "instability." He thought the CIA was riddled with enemy agents---and he was right. He had two top level Soviet defectors to back him up. So the Soviets let loose a flood of phoney defectors all saying Angleton was wrong. Even though many of their statements were provable lies, they won and Angleton lost. This is the "establishment" Goss is roiling.
He is, probably, now losing some confidence as he sees how formidable his cleanup task will be. The fact that Bush is responding personally is a good sign.
Reminds me of Angleton's "instability." He thought the CIA was riddled with enemy agents---and he was right. He had two top level Soviet defectors to back him up. So the Soviets let loose a flood of phoney defectors all saying Angleton was wrong. Even though many of their statements were provable lies, they won and Angleton lost. This is the "establishment" Goss is roiling.
He is, probably, now losing some confidence as he sees how formidable his cleanup task will be. The fact that Bush is responding personally is a good sign.
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