[Southack]

"More important than the number of departing spies is the fact that so many have been its most seasoned veterans, inhabitants of "baron" posts, like those of the regional division chiefs and directors of the counterterrorism and counterproliferation centers. Within the past year, according to current and former case officers and supervisors, virtually the entire top level of the D.O. has turned over. One intelligence official estimates that at least 20 of the most coveted senior spots have been vacated in the 17 months since Goss arrived."

USN&WR is pretending that the above is bad news.

It's not. It's fantastically good news. Those departing regional agents were behind the CIA's failure to predict India's nuclear tests, Pakistan's nuclear tests, 9/11/2001, and a host of other major events (as well as botching the whole "slam dunk" that Iraq had nuclear weapons).

Which is to say: Porter Goss is successfully cleaning house at the CIA. The bad agents are being kicked out.

Good riddance to those career failures.

[Coop]

as well as botching the whole "slam dunk" that Iraq had nuclear weapons

The "slam dunk" phrase was Tenet's reference to WMDs in general (specifically chem and bio), not nuclear.

[alwaysconservative]

Exactly.

[Alia]

I agree with you, Southack: This is great! news! The leaks were all sheltered via "shell game" of too many "employees". Dittos, in re the inability to loci focus.

[eureka!]

Re#24 I think you may be right. One thing for sure is that Goss (like Rummy and Bolton) are doers and with the right intentions...