Posted on 11/18/2004 6:36:45 PM PST by nypokerface
WASHINGTON - A Democratic senator warned CIA Director Porter Goss Thursday that his efforts to make major changes could have "a significant and negative effect on the agency."
In a letter to Goss, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., also said she feared the "politicization of our intelligence services" because of an e-mail Goss sent this week to agency employees telling them to serve the Bush administration.
Goss, former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, took office in September and named some of his former congressional staffers to high-level positions at the agency.
Several senior CIA officials have resigned in recent weeks, an apparent sign of friction between them and Goss' aides.
The changes have raised concerns that agency turmoil could disrupt intelligence efforts at a time of war. But Goss' supporters say he is trying to make urgently needed reforms. Intelligence agencies have been sharply criticized for failing to stop the Sept. 11 attacks and providing inaccurate intelligence on Iraq's weapons programs.
Feinstein, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Goss has the responsibility to minimize the difficulties that come with an overhaul. "I am concerned that recent developments run counter to that goal."
She said Goss' e-mail to employees "is likely to cause confusion at best and mislead agency employees at worst."
In the e-mail, Goss said, "We do not identify with, support or champion opposition to the administration or its policies. We provide the intelligence as we see it and let the facts alone speak to the policy-maker."
Feinstein wrote: "I hope that what you meant was that agency employees neither support nor oppose administration policies. But that is not what your communication said."
There was no immediate response from the CIA.
Another committee member, Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., offered support for Goss.
"We urged Porter Goss to go in and shake the place up," Lott said in a brief interview. "He's doing it. More than likely it's a good idea."
Despite Republican control of both houses of Congress since 1994, most reporters still cannot name a single Republican lawmaker, and still consider only statements by Democrats newsworthy.
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BTTT
And now that Goss is doing that .. now they are complaining ?
And Yes Diane .. they do serve the President .. He counts on them to give him proper information so he can make the right decisions
Hey DiFi - news flash - you and your dumb party are OUT OF POWER. You have no authority to do anything. Now go back to California and get a makeover, you old bag.
Could it be that she wants-her husband to import more Normico weapons?
May she be "daschled" in her re-election bid.
Guess Fineswine is worried that her husband's pipeline to all that Chinese money may dry up if there are some honest CIA agents watching. Goss ought to tell her to shut up and let him find out who's paying whom off in that corrupt rat hole that is quartered in the chief rat's (Byrd's) state.
If she took an enema, she'd fill the San Francisco Bay with shi'ite; causing global warming, a shelf shift, Richter scale earthquakes at a level 9. Then a nuclear freeze by 2008.
*sniff*
I smell Fear.
Now if we can only infiltrate and take over academia...
bttt
Feinstein has a serious reading comprehension problem.
I wonder what she (and her husband) are so worried about? This is VERY interesting!
No, Sen. Feinstein, the memo that was intended to put the kabosh on the politicization that had crept into the agency,and had become public, especially since 2001.
I hope Director Goss cleans up the place real good!
Go Goss!
I'm sure Feinstein was just as upset when Bill Clinton fired every U.S. Attorney in the country in 1993.
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