John Negroponte: The year in intelligence

NBC News ^ | April 19 2006 | Andrea Mitchell

[jmc1969]

Mitchell: Let's take a look, first of all, at Osama bin Laden. Why, after all of these years, don't we have a better idea of where he might be?

Negroponte: Well, I think — his room for maneuver I think has narrowed, over the years. I think most people would agree, that he has much less operating flexibility than he did previously. He's lost his sanctuary in Afghanistan, and I think he's operating from a narrower and narrower corner of space in that Pakistan-Afghanistan border area.

The other point I'd make with respect to Mr. bin Laden, is that he has lost many of his most important lieutenants during the past several years, and I think, in large measure, that is attributable to excellent intelligence work.

Mitchell: Why can't we find the leader of the insurgency, Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq?

Negroponte: Well, he — there was a near miss about a little more than a year ago. He was almost captured. Here, again, just like in the case of al-Qaida, a number of his key operatives have been killed or captured. A lot of good work has been done in that area.

He remains elusive, but I think his organization has suffered some serious setbacks.

Mitchell: Are the Iraqi security forces badly penetrated by the Zarqawi loyalists or insurgents?

Negroponte: I think that perhaps — I don't believe that they are penetrated by many insurgents, and I think I would have to say that compared to the time that I was in Iraq, I left more than a year ago, I think they've made substantial improvements in the quality of their armed forces, particularly the quantity and the quality of their armed forces, particularly in the Iraqi army.

[jmc1969]

Ping

[Question Liberal Authority]

I think they've made substantial improvements in the quality of their armed forces, particularly the quantity and the quality of their armed forces, particularly in the Iraqi army.

That does it. Rumsfeld must resign.

[HardStarboard]

>>>That does it. Rumsfeld must resign.<<<

More likely Negroponti should resign because he is heading an unworkable mish-mash of competing intelligence interests that are unsusecptiable to an "overlord"!

Let Goss run the CIA...Rummy the DIA...and Mueller the FBI, and Bush mandate that they cooperate or else!

Nergroponti - smart guy - but holds a superfluous job trying to manage what he can't control.

[leadpenny]

Live at 1 PM ET 20 April:

http://www.c-span.org/homepage.asp

National Press Club Speech
National Intelligence Issues
National Press Club, Luncheon Speech
Washington, District of Columbia (United States)
ID: 192125 - 04/20/2006 - 1:00 - No Sale



Negroponte, John D. Director, Office of National Intelligence




John Negroponte, the Director of the Office of National Intelligence, talks about the one year anniversary of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence organization. He outlines future challenges and opportunities facing the intelligence community.

[Southack]

People won't understand your sarcasm unless you overtly and formally **notify** them that you are being sarcastic.

It's a bandwidth thing; your emotions and sentiment aren't accurately conveyed by your typing as they are in person.

[Dog]

He is correct on one issue Bin Laden and Ayman are more restricted in their movement....they are hunkered down in a very small area...Bajaur Agency...Dir...and the area around Chitral.

And that are shrinks every day.

[Marine_Uncle]

Thanks for ping. He sure has his work cut out for him in somehow enforcing the new set of rules. All must work together. Perhaps the various agencies are under adequate pressure to actually loosen up a bit. The turf wars must stop.
As for UBL and Zarahari. What can one really say that is not repeated quite often.