[genefromjersey]

Interesting ! There has always been talk of "an Israeli cabal" inside the administration-(and there might have been-along with a Pro-French cabal, etc. etc.)-but LONG before such matterings came to light, there was talk of an "Arabist cabal" in the State Department,and the CIA.

I think you are on the right track.I also think a small cabal at the top of the CIA built a "bridge to nowehere" with their carefully manicured intelligence reports.

For example material expressing doubt about the reliability of certain sources was often scissored out of the reports the WH received. Powell was one of the victims of this ploy.

After things started going bad, the UNCENSORED reports were made available to willing journalists, with a disingenuous "they should have seen this" commentary.

[standingfirm]

Porter Goss is doing some long overdue housecleaning. Amazing the filth you detect when the bed and dresser are moved.

It's just all coming to the surface and it seems like it will take some time to clean it out.

[OldFriend]

There are two groups of people who need to be scrubbed frm the CIA and the State Department.

First, the Arabists.

Second, those who believe that Mother Russia is preferable to America.