Posted on 11/12/2004 9:04:40 PM PST by TexKat
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A CIA analyst who wrote a book that criticized the U.S. war on terror has resigned from the spy agency after it effectively banned him from publicly discussing his views, his publicist said on Thursday.
Michael Scheuer, whose book "Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War on Terror" was signed as "anonymous" and published this summer, will resign effective Friday after 22 years at the Central Intelligence Agency.
In a statement, Scheuer said the CIA had not forced him to resign, "but I have concluded that there has not been adequate national debate over the nature of the threat posed by Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) and the forces he leads and inspires, and the nature and dimensions of intelligence reform needed to address that threat."
He intends to speak to the media over the next several weeks, including an appearance on the CBS show "60 Minutes" on Sunday.
Scheuer's statement said senior leadership had allowed the intelligence officers working against al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden to be made scapegoats for pre-Sept. 11 failures.
Scheuer was chief of the CIA Counterterrorist Center's unit which focused on bin Laden from 1996 to 1999 and remained a CIA analyst after that.
"The Atlantic Monthly" in its December issue published a letter sent by Scheuer to U.S. congressional intelligence committees that said the key pre-Sept. 11 intelligence failures were mainly the result of bad decisions by senior officials.
"While the 11 September attacks probably were unstoppable, it was decisions by human beings -- featuring arrogance, bad judgment, disdain for expertise, and bureaucratic cowardice -- that made sure the Intelligence Community did not operate optimally to defend America," Scheuer said in the letter.
In June, just before Scheuer's book was published, he did a series of media interviews, appearing on TV in silhouette and was identified in print as "Mike."
In the first week of August, CIA officials told him that he had to ask for permission in advance for media interviews and provide summaries of what would be discussed ahead of time, Scheuer's editor and publicist Christina Davidson said.
"They rejected every single request," she said. "It was effectively a ban."
His book said the United States was losing the war against terrorism and that sticking to current policies would only make its enemies in the Islamic world grow stronger.
The statement released by his publicist about Scheuer's resignation said that "after a cordial meeting with senior CIA officials on Tuesday, Scheuer decided that it would be in the best interests of the intelligence community and the country for him to resign in order to continue speaking publicly with regard to Osama Bin Laden, al Qaeda, and the 9-11 Commission Report." A CIA spokeswoman had no immediate comment.
nopardons:
Sir...you truly have no idea regarding the luminosity of my bulb. And I sincerely would suggest that you includes factual support for anything you have to say.
And with that...re-read my posts.
Ladyinred:
Please re-read my posts. It really helps to do that before commenting.
Words have set meanings.An agent is NOT the same thing as an analyst;though both are employees.And in not recognizing this,you prove that you are a dullard.
I read your posts and once was more than enough.Unlike you,I not only comprehend the written word,I also am more than capable of extrapolating on the ideas,thoughts,and facts conveyed therein. To whit...this man was a product of it's not what you know,but who you know,as well as also being totally in over his head at the CIA.Now,he is shilling a spurious book.
Have you ever read any of his columns? Have you read his book? If you have and still write the drivel you have done,then you are even less able to grasp the meaning,than I thought.If you haven't read any of his work and are posting this drivel,then you are only slightly less benighted;which isn't saying much of anything,since his stances have been posted to this thread and are in the article.
Your suggestion to me and ladyinread are unwarranted.OTOH,you really should take that advice to heart,for yourself.
Alas, my friend, you are at cross purposes which is certainly not to your discredit, because your adversary is speaking code.
The code is that no consideration for the survival of American democracy can be contemplated if it conflicts with their perceived notions of Israeli security.
Gender-non-specific greeting...continue in your tirade if you wish. It bears no semblance to civil discussion. If you wish to flagellate over semantics it is your choice.
22 years. What does that mean in pension?
I read about Imperial Hubris in The Atlantic Monthly, and figured I should browse it the next time I went to the bookstore. I didn't find something I could easily dismiss when I started reading it in the bookstore, so I bought and read the it.
While I don't agree with everything presented within, on the balance, Scheuer makes some damn painful points about the way we're going about our war on terror and the nature of our adversaries.
Hmm... Damning himself I'd say... Not exactly something to brag about.
A whole lot of focusing going on 'round here. Yep, we're focusing, focusing, focusing...
Maybe he has no business breathing. Possibly he was under the demo-commie hypnotic trance with the song, "Give Peace a Chance" seared in his minute liberal mind. It took shrillary/reno to raise that idiot.
Great progress! First, McLaughlin and now this guy. Porter Goss is kicking butt and may actually make the CIA into an effective spy agency. Let's get rid of all these leakers, backbiters, and snide "experts" and get some people with cajones in there.
You can be plugged into info and be totally wrong---look at some of Omar Bradley's decisions during WW II, or McClellan during the Civil War: he had Robert E. Lee's entire battle plan in front of him and analyzed it 100% WRONG.
Your ideology DRIVES how you interpret info. If you think that the "Joos" are behind everything, you will constantly draw the wrong conclusions. This is another turd that needs to be flushed from the CIA. The very fact that he can't keep secrets puts his "creds" in doubt.
Ok, specifically what?
This guy reminds me of all the other Clinton security chiefs like Richard Clarke.
If you read between the lines of what they are saying, it is that appeasement is the way to go. Fight back a little but mostly negotiate and give them a little of what they want. Then they will be satisfied and go away.
AND THAT WAS the policy that Clinton's administration followed and what followed from that was 9/11 and extreme Islamic extremism.
Can't the CIA shut him up? Can't they just classify everything he knows?
bump
"Scheuer was chief of the CIA Counterterrorist Center's unit which focused on bin Laden from 1996 to 1999 and remained a CIA analyst after that."
In other words, after four years of incompetence, even the clintonoids couldn't stand him and he was demoted to a position where he couldn't do as much damage.
"Scheuer's statement said senior leadership had allowed the intelligence officers working against al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden to be made scapegoats for pre-Sept. 11 failures.
Scheuer was chief of the CIA Counterterrorist Center's unit which focused on bin Laden from 1996 to 1999 and remained a CIA analyst after that."
"You don't have to like the guy, you can question his motives....but it makes sense to analyze what he's saying. His creds are legitamate."
Why no outcry over the Gorelick WALL???
Mediots Whining = Goss is sweeping out the trash.
What is his analysis of what we are doing wrong? That is the question. There are errors we are making, that is certain. But so far, the critics have not offered constructive suggestions that would improve the effort as opposed to harmfully undermining our war effort.
What is his analysis of what we are doing wrong? That is the question. There are errors we are making, that is certain. But so far, the critics have not offered constructive suggestions that would improve the effort as opposed to harmfully undermining our war effort.
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