Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.
Posted on 11/12/2009 10:22:30 AM PST by george76
CIA Director Leon Panetta and National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair squared off in May over Blair's effort to designate his own representative at U.S. embassies to be his personal eyes and ears abroad, instead of relying on CIA station chiefs.
Two intelligence officials said Thursday that the CIA won a monthslong turf battle with the Office of National Intelligence, assuring the primacy of CIA station chiefs over other U.S. intelligence operations and personnel around the world.
The territorial dispute was resolved only after it got all the way to the office of national security adviser Gen. James Jones.
The CIA argued that if Blair had his way, it would confuse ambassadors and foreign intelligence services about whom they should be dealing with and taking advice from.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Who’s dumb idea was it to have a National Intelligence Director? Do we really need another level between the CIA and the Administration? Why can’t the Director of National Security carry that hat? I think Blair’s job is superfluous.
The average NCO has far more leadership skill than the namby pamby folks who run these places, and most of these kinds of turf problems your average NCO would fix in ten minute, not let fester for 4 years.
Because the National Security Advisor is a white house staff job with no power of its own, merely a "coordinating" function. The power is vest in the agencies through the cabinet secretaries and subcabinet agency heads (DCI, etc.)
The only power the NSA has is the ability to run to mamma (the President).
OK Fine. But tell me, what power does Blair have as “Nat. Intel. Dir.”?
Bush.
Do we really need another level between the CIA and the Administration?
The Director of Central Intelligence was formerly head of the CIA and the Intelligence Community. But that role had broken down--the National Security Act, which created the DCI, didn't foresee the intelligence community growing to encompass the NSA, NRO, NGA, DIA, etc. The reforms of 2005 divested the director of the CIA of his responsibilities as head of the IC and gave them to someone else, so the Director of the CIA can concentrate on directing the CIA, and advocating its interests rather than balancing the interests of the entire national intelligence effort. I think that's a good thing.
Why can’t the Director of National Security carry that hat?
I'm not sure who you're referring to here.
Damn Turf wars,...but this one would seem to be playing with National Security....
General (USMC Ret.) Jones
If you want the National Security Advisor to wear the DNI hat, he needs Senate confirmation and he moves out of the White House to go work in the ODNI. Then he’s no longer the National Security Advisor; the entire point of the NSA is that he’s a special assistant to the President, in the White House, not beholden to the Senate for approval.
CIA Director Leon Panetta and National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair squared off in May over Blair's effort to designate his own representative at U.S. embassies to be his personal eyes and ears abroad, instead of relying on CIA station chiefs. Two intelligence officials said Thursday that the CIA won a monthslong turf battle with the Office of National Intelligence, assuring the primacy of CIA station chiefs over other U.S. intelligence operations and personnel around the world. The territorial dispute was resolved only after it got all the way to the office of national security adviser Gen. James Jones.Thanks Ernest.
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