Posted on 10/08/2005 9:08:21 AM PDT by george76
CIA's spooks are in turmoil.
Fights between top CIA managers and Goss' inner circle are spilling into public view. Veterans are retiring early...
Goss...is making waves as he fulfills promises to the White House and Congress that he would make the CIA respond better to terrorism and other modern threats.
Goss said the CIA will bring in recruits who have traveled abroad and "more recent arrivals to the United States." Historically, such backgrounds would make it difficult to get a CIA job because of security risks and other concerns.
Goss also plans to reduce the bureaucracy at headquarters, send more people into the field for traditional spying, rely less on foreign allies for intelligence, take more risks and encourage employees to improve their foreign language skills.
"As we start out today in the intelligence world ... we start out a little behind the curve," ..."Not enough people speak the languages we need."
Goss' moves are known to be causing heartburn among CIA personnel, but defenders said that is to be expected with any major organizational changes.
"I am not surprised at all by a public food fight," House Intelligence Chairman Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich., said in an interview. "In some ways, I take that as Porter doing his job."
Within weeks, CIA managers with decades of intelligence experience left after fighting with Goss' advisers. Only last month, the No. 2 official in the clandestine service, Robert Richer, quit. Details of the disputes spilled into the news.
Under Goss, the clandestine service has scored victories. It provided Pakistan with information that led to the capture of al-Qaida's No. 3 leader, Abu Farraj al-Libbi, in May. Shortly thereafter, his associate Haitham al-Yemeni was killed by a missile fired from a CIA drone aircraft.
(Excerpt) Read more at kansas.com ...
I'm no genius, but I could see the big picture from the start; that after Afghanistan, Iraq had to be next. Iran is now surrounded, and we are that much closer to Syria. Iraq was do-able, and why not, considering the constant violation of the NO-FLY-ZONE, nevermind the UN sanctions!
The rest - I do not understand.
This is well overdue. CIA is like most other federal agencies , in that its workforce is aging rapidly, and most workers cut their teeth during the Cold War when CIA was opposite a well-funded institutional intelligence apparatus.
Now that the game has changed, and we're trying to gain intelligence on many loosely organized groups, the CIA needs massive change.
Personally, I'd favor disbanding CIA and reconstituting it under military control like the NSA. But since that isn't politicaly feasible, what Goss is doing sounds like good medicine.
"Richard Kerr, a former CIA deputy director who led a review of the Iraq intelligence for Tenet, said he does not have the impression that Goss has inspired the organization's full confidence.
"It's a leadership issue. How do people perceive you?" Kerr said. "I am concerned about people with limited experience running large and complex organizations.""
Yeah. Let's let the people who have been failing for 30 years evaluate him.
I think Goss is great!
One of Bush's best moves.
Wish we could clone him and send Goss2 to State
"The more waves the better. When Goss took over, the CIA was a cesspool of clintonoid corruption and incompetence."
Agreed. This is great news.
To exit from my Ping list, just send me one request to that effect, public or private.
I don't know whether that is true or not but considering that Andrea Micthell and Chris Mathews said it, quoting the NYTimes, I would think that it is not.
Yes, this is good news.
Goss and Miers are worlds apart. Goss has a lifetime of experience specific to his present role. I've watched his career for quite a while now, being from FL.
Please don't make me resurrect all of Miers' shortcomings. Alito makes a lot more sense.
Good! Now if someone can make the same thing happen at the Department of State we will really be getting somewhere!
"If they don't support the president, the war on terror, or Goss, show them the door. Tell them the days of stabbing the president in the back are over and to hit the road."
Agreed, but it's beyond that. Some of these guys need to be shown the door no matter what they say now---based on what they've done in the past and what it shows us about their true colors are.
"Fights between top CIA managers and Goss' inner circle are spilling into public view. Veterans are retiring early
Good! Now if someone can make the same thing happen at the Department of State we will really be getting somewhere!"
I agree with your sentiments 100%. Unfortunately, it seems quite likely by now that Condi will do absolutely nothing in this regard. In the Gaza matter, the State Department continued its completely shameful behavior, with no noticeable disapproval from Condi (or Bush).
The whole Israeli withdrawal from Gaza was predicated on the notion that Egypt would police the situation after it happened. The Israelis did this, in my opinion, not because they trusted the Egyptians to be honorable, but because they trusted the US to force the Egyptians to be compliant. This we could have easily done considering the fact that we now give the Egyptians $3 billion a year in aid. However, the Egyptians did absolutely nothing to police the situation, and to my knowledge the US has never delivered even a single word of disapproval to them. Condi's apparent failure in this regard to control, or even try to control, the State Department is appalling. As is Bush's apparent failure to be aware of what has happened, or if aware, to do anything.
""If they don't support the president, the war on terror, or Goss, show them the door. Tell them the days of stabbing the president in the back are over and to hit the road."
Well obviously the days of stabbing Bush or for that matter Porter Goss in the back are not over."
Agreed, nor can they ever be over. The soldiers of the Left have their orders and will continue to carry them out.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.