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Intelligence director leaves after feuding with White House
Seattle Times ^ | Thursday, May 20, 2010 at 10:06 PM | Jonathan S. Landay McClatchy Newspapers

Posted on 05/20/2010 10:42:41 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach

The nation's top intelligence officer, director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair, announced his resignation Thursday after months of friction and repeated duels with White House officials.

WASHINGTON — The nation's top intelligence officer, director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair, announced his resignation Thursday after months of friction and repeated duels with White House officials.

The retired Navy admiral gave no reason for his departure in his public statement, nor did he express thanks to President Obama for the opportunity to serve in his administration.

A U.S. official indicated Obama had asked Blair to resign, saying a job search was well under way.

The administration has "been interviewing several strong candidates to be his (Blair's) replacement," said the U.S. official, who declined to elaborate. The official requested anonymity.

Blair's exit comes as the administration faces thorny decisions about Iran's nuclear program, the future of Afghanistan and the spread of militancy from Pakistan's tribal areas. It also fuels new doubts about the success, and wisdom, of the major intelligence overhaul in 2004 that created the spymaster position.

The departure of Blair, a retired admiral, had been rumored for months, but was made official when Obama called him Thursday and asked him to step down.

Later Thursday, Obama said, "Dennis Blair has a remarkable record of service to the United States, and I am grateful for his leadership as director of National Intelligence."

Among the possible candidates to succeed Blair are retired Air Force Gen. James Clapper, the undersecretary of defense for intelligence; former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, a Republican who co-chairs the president's Intelligence Advisory Board; and Marine Gen. James Cartwright, deputy chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Blair's resignation follows intelligence lapses over the failed Christmas bombing of a Detroit-bound airliner and .....

(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: globaljihad; jihadonamerica; nationalsecurityfail; nsp; nss; obama
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To: BIGLOOK

Perhaps he was both honest and reasonably competent....which simply is incompatible with Der Furher’s requirements to be corrupt and incompetent.

Holder being a shining example...dumping on the AZ law w/o having first read & understood it....ala his boss.


21 posted on 05/20/2010 11:37:32 PM PDT by OldArmy52 (Democratics' Obama Cr*pcare: the gift that stinks more and more.)
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To: kcvl
a former Clinton administration official

There's too darn many of them around.

22 posted on 05/20/2010 11:45:38 PM PDT by Rocky (REPEAL IT!)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Would like to hear the story from Blair's side; or John Bolton's take. . .

Hey, perhaps Obama will pick someone from his Muslim Brotherhood 'possibility list' - just for 'change' his ROP constituency can continue to believe in. Or perhaps, someone from his backup Nation of Islam Security detail.

23 posted on 05/21/2010 12:39:42 AM PDT by cricket (We ARE the Truman Show)
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To: cricket
OK, from another article...

Briefings were 1. Not what Obie was focused on at the time, 2. not crisp and 3. not well presented...

Bottom line, NOT WHAT PRESIDENT OBIE WANTED TO HEAR.

24 posted on 05/21/2010 12:53:43 AM PDT by gov_bean_ counter (Obie Wan Nairobi from the 1/2 dark side. The farce with this one strong, it is...)
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To: OldArmy52
. . .dumping on the AZ law w/o having first read & understood it....ala his boss.

Worse, not just 'dumping' but fanning wild fires of public dissent/anger/protest/; inviting, condoning the violence embedded in such; not just here; but around the Country and beyond. . .throwing Arizona under the bus; any/all good citizens who support this decision, along with it; and culminating in inviting Calderon to give 'world stage' for his condemnation of Arizona - ALL done without EVER having read this law as crafted.

Of course, they had their position, 'First and Foremost'. . .but the truth in the details, at least, cannot be denied. And Obama's determinedly putting the largest target ever, on the back of Arizona's citizens; cannot be denied either.

Unimaginable by any standard of what is even a common decency; but what as well, should be, a President's decency towards those he took an oath to serve; and their country as well.

25 posted on 05/21/2010 12:55:29 AM PDT by cricket (We ARE the Truman Show)
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To: gov_bean_ counter
NOT WHAT PRESIDENT OBIE WANTED TO HEAR.

Yes; loud and clear. . .and would guess; given the Obama levels of 'offense' against those who have been there in 'his' employ; we will not hear much from Blair about his 'life on the job'. . .nor his reasons for retiring from this job.

26 posted on 05/21/2010 12:59:49 AM PDT by cricket (We ARE the Truman Show)
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To: cricket

They do tend to go quietly into the night, don’t they.


27 posted on 05/21/2010 1:02:14 AM PDT by gov_bean_ counter (Obie Wan Nairobi from the 1/2 dark side. The farce with this one strong, it is...)
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To: gov_bean_ counter
They do tend to go quietly into the night, don’t they.

Yes, they do. . .

Obama, Inc. has no problem blowing the blame all onto Blair; his being 'Military' probably makes this especially easy for them.

Despite 'Security' dilemma; we can hope that Blair will find voice or a way; to push them back. . .maybe even 'way back'.

28 posted on 05/21/2010 5:23:27 AM PDT by cricket (We ARE the Truman Show)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Interesting re Brennan and perhaps to Obama's inclinations - Newt just offered on Fox News that Brennan would be a disaster and that he should not be let anywhere 'near' this. . .

Good to see that Obama on the case, as always; looking out for America./s

29 posted on 05/21/2010 5:28:06 AM PDT by cricket (We ARE the Truman Show)
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To: OldArmy52

I think it’s obvious that Blair’s hands were tied. And he had the gall to actually CARE about the security of this country, which cannot STAND in this administration. I heard someone on FOX this morning say that B.O. was hearing things he did not want to hear. It’s a case of an insulated demagogue shooting the messenger.


30 posted on 05/21/2010 7:27:26 AM PDT by 1951Boomer
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