CIA boss in surprise resignation ~ Mr Goss said: "I believe the agency is on a very even keel,....

BBC ^ | Friday, 5 May 2006, 18:45 GMT 19:45 UK | staff

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

CIA boss in surprise resignation

Porter Goss's resignation surprised friends and pundits alike

US President George Bush has unexpectedly announced that the head of the CIA, Porter Goss, is stepping down.

No reason was given for the move. Mr Goss has served in the role for less than two years, since being chosen by Mr Bush to replace George Tenet.

He was given the job of reforming the agency after a series of intelligence failures, particularly in relation to the 11 September attacks.

Mr Bush said Mr Goss had "a tough job and he led ably".

Mr Goss said: "I believe the agency is on a very even keel, sailing well, and I honestly believe that we have improved dramatically."

He praised the president for giving him the "latitude" to reform the intelligence service.

"I honestly can report to you, sir, that we are safer for your efforts," he said.

Discontent

The BBC's correspondent in Washington, Justin Webb, says the announcement came as a bolt from the blue.

While there have been several changes at the top of the Bush administration recently, and more are expected, Mr Goss's name was never mentioned.

Friends of the former Republican congressman said they were hugely surprised.

There has been speculation that Mr Goss was not happy with the reduced access to the president he was afforded after the appointment of John Negroponte to oversee the work of all the intelligence agencies, our correspondent adds.

When he took the job he used to present the president with a daily intelligence briefing, but that task has since been taken away.

However there have also been rumblings of discontent at the CIA's headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

Several high-level CIA staff have resigned recently.

[gimmefive]

"Apparently, he's going to be implicated in the new Duke Cunningham HOOKERGATE scandal...can we get ONE good man in Washington?"

Not if they've been in DC longer than a week!

[Niteranger68]

Can anyone here convince me that the CIA is a pro-American agency? I am beginning to think they are the enemy we should fear most.

[SandfleaCSC]

We'll know more if he gets the.....

[Marine_Uncle]

Saw some of that at Big Blue....sky, mountains, ocean ...the hell with hacking around in some office.

[Defiant]

Interesting that the best the President could say was that Goss led "ably."

Yes, rather like Mr. Peterman's congratulations to Elaine on "a job.... done".

[Freee-dame]

I believe there's something in the water in DC.

Every member of congress lives the lifestyle of a millionaire, even if he doesn't become one. Each one is surrounded by a cadre of adoring sycophants. It must be very intoxicating. I believe that at least some go to DC to try to improve things. Few do.

[AngryJawa]

Can anyone here convince me that the CIA is a pro-American agency? I am beginning to think they are the enemy we should fear most.

I'm right there with you. Maybe the President should consider cordoning Langley with a company of Rangers and then cleaning the place out the old fashioned way.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

CIA Director Goss Resigns after Non-Stop INTERNAL CIA ATTACKS by Democrat Plants

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I think the Negropointe organization will pick over the carcasse to find the remaining useful parts.....<

Management 101....

[glorgau]

I understand Tom Delay is looking for work

Hilarious, now there is a man who can clean house. ;-)

[Marine_Uncle]

Some very good points made in that referenced article. One response on that other thread, I found interesting, and surely many of us could go along with it. In essence why the heck has not GWB in five years taken a much sterner approach with the CIA. If the Clintoons arranged for so many to be fired and then have their goon squads hired, why couldn't this POTUS had done the same thing.
Then I can ask myself. The CIA is not supposed to be a political hot potatoe. No administration should play with it, as Clintoon did. So as usual, play fair and get screwed.

[JewishRighter]

I really wish he would have said he's leaving because the place is a stinking cesspool filled with former soviet apologists, state department appeasement types, politically correct weenies, liberals, democrats and other deviants who have no business in the intelligence business. "You see", he might have said, "when we're fighting evil to win, you have to have American patriots who have no agenda other than victory for the United States. As it is now, we don't have that, and I am stepping down to call attention to this problem"

[JewishRighter]

Oh, Oh. This sounds a little like "You did a great job Gossie"

[conservative blonde]

Seems like Goss was doing too good of a job and the Washington insiders didn't like it. I think the President has to nominate Jack Bauer.

[Niteranger68]

I'm right there with you. Maybe the President should consider cordoning Langley with a company of Rangers and then cleaning the place out the old fashioned way.

Or at least have several of these bastards brought up on charges of treason. I happen to think that skank-ho Valerie Plame epitomizes the majority of CIA employees. No "patriot" would act the way she has.

[AngryJawa]

I think the Negropointe organization will pick over the carcasse to find the remaining useful parts.....

That's fine, but I think it would be a good idea to salt the earth after the pickin's done to keep it from re-growing.

Oh, and find a way to keep the more dangerous human resources there on a leash.

[kinghorse]

Based on the number of abject p's former CIA clowns coming around spouting their whiny crap, I'd say his work is done here. As long as he bullied out all the diversity quilt losers Clinton packed the agency with, we'll be okay.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

salt the earth after the pickin's done to keep it from re-growing

Yes, good idea...

[FreedomNeocon]

"There has been speculation that Mr Goss was not happy with the reduced access to the president he was afforded after the appointment of John Negroponte to oversee the work of all the intelligence agencies, our correspondent adds"

Negroponte SAT on the Saddam docs that jveritas has been translating for 2 YEARS. He released all kinds of statements about how they were useless, and maybe just a bit historically interesting, but worthless for anything else.

Then he was backed into a corner, told TO HIS FACE for the 4th time by Bush to release the documents, he did a 180, started saying he couldn't because of the intel they were being used to gain.

Still pushed, he FINALLY started releasing some at a time.

Now Goss leaves because Negroponte is keeping him from talking to Bush.

So the guy that was hiding the Saddam docs was ALSO keeping the guy that Bush appointed to clear out the riff-raff, from reporting in.

Yeah... someone REAAALY need to look into that guy.