Head of CIA Weapons Analysis Program Leaving

Reuters ^ | 09-10-03

[Brian S]

Wed September 10, 2003 02:16 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A top CIA expert on weapons of mass destruction, who became embroiled in controversy over whether the White House stretched evidence about Iraq's programs, said he planned to leave the agency in October.

Alan Foley, who heads the Weapons Intelligence, Nonproliferation, and Arms Control Center, told colleagues in a note dated Aug. 29 that he had been "thinking about life after the agency for some time" and decided to leave after 26 years to enter the private sector.

He alluded to this summer's finger-pointing between the Central Intelligence Agency and the White House over who was responsible for an unsubstantiated claim in President Bush's State of the Union address in January that Iraq had sought uranium from Africa.

Critics seized on the reference, later found to have been partly based on forged documents, as a sign the White House had exaggerated the threat from Iraq to build support for the war.

"While I can't prevent the inevitable speculation that will be generated by the timing of my decision, I want you to know that this is something that I decided entirely on my own," Foley said in the note, obtained by Reuters on Wednesday.

"I can't deny that the pressures of the past few months have not weighed heavily in my mind, but there are many other aspects to my decision, not the least of which is that I'm intrigued by the prospect of trying my hand at a second career in the private sector," he said.

U.S. officials have said White House National Security Council weapons expert Bob Joseph discussed the uranium line with Foley, but there were differing recollections about who said what.

In one version, Joseph asked CIA's Foley if it was OK to use the uranium line in the speech and cite the British as the source, and that the CIA approved that language.

In another version, Foley told the White House's Joseph the CIA had recommended the British not include the claim in their September 2002 dossier on Iraq but the British included it anyway, citing intelligence that the Americans did not have.

[Dog]

Remember Joseph Wilson......this is his wife Valerie Plame's boss.

[Dog]

Want to bet he was pushed.

[BOBTHENAILER]

To steal a title from Eminem, it looks like they're:

CLEANING OUT THE CLOSET!!!!!!!

[Miss Marple]

Oh, welcome to FR miteymo! Just registered today, did you?

And why do you think this was an intelligence blunder? In the opinion of many, it was a deliberate effort to sabotage the efforts of the President, and Foley, Wilson, and Wilson's wife, were complicit in this plot.

[BOBTHENAILER]

I think Foley is fed up with the lies.

AAAAAWWWWWWWW. Gee...poor Mr. Foley. You his cousin or something?

The only intelligence blunder on this thread is your post.

[MJY1288]

Oh Geeze, where do I start, or better yet, should I even bother wasting my time with this newbie?

[Miss Marple]

Isn't it fascinating that we would have a new poster today talking about intelligence blunders and such? On the same day that Mr. Foley's resignation is made known. Quite a coincidence, isn't it?

[Wait4Truth]

Don't waste your time, my friend. He's just another escapee from DU. Personally, I think this guy was told to resign or be fired. Cleaning out the clintonites, one by one.

[Miss Marple]

I thought you would find the Foley resignation interesting, as well as the appearance of the newbie.

[palmer]

They better take away all his sharp knives.

[MJY1288]

Thanks for the ping, I believe Foley want's out before any investigation gets underway about Joseph Wilson & his wife's involvement in this whole Niger smear attempt

[Miss Marple]

I agree. Very interesting timing.

Notice how he goes out of his way to say this is ony his decision. I bet he was given a strong hint.

Next we should look for Valerie's resignation.

[BOBTHENAILER]

Quite a coincidence, isn't it?

He He He.

There are no such things as coincidences in intelligence matters.

MiteyMo is a cousin, half-brother, half-sister, or some such Clintonian inbred relation to the RAT Foley, et al, clan. Trailer park trash, one and all.

How about a beer MiteyMo, shot a clear (moonshine) or maybe let's get down with some unlabeled mash, eh?

[piasa]

bttt

[Timesink]

This is the Plame Name Blame Game ping list.
Freepmail me to be added or dropped.
You may also find all posts to this ping list by searching on keyword PLAMENAMEBLAMEGAME.

Note this is a HIGH-VOLUME ping list!
Please ping me to any Plame/Wilson threads!
There is no way I can catch them all myself!!

[SunStar]

Let us not forget that the person in charge of the CIA is Clinton-Appointee George Tenent.