WHAT WENT WRONG: The C.I.A. and the failure of American intelligence

New Yorker ^ | 2001-10-08 Issue | SEYMOUR M. HERSH:

[Liz]

link to rest of article

[LS]

Although I hate the NY Times---and Hersh is hardly a "reliable source"---this is likely right on. I have a feeling that in the effort to "demilitarize" after the Cold War and Gulf War, Bush I but especially Clinton de-funded the intel agencies DRAMATICALLY.

Oddly, it is like bank deregulation: you can deregulate banks more if you increase the oversight and inspecitions at an equal pace. You can reduce your military, but you must offset that with increases in intel, snoops, and special ops.

[Liz]

Clinton de-funded the intel agencies DRAMATICALLY. ........You can reduce your
military, but you must offset that with increases in intel, snoops, and special ops.

HUMINT was key. Clinton enforced a ridiculous Human Rights Scrub Policy that
would have made PBS's Mr Rogers the only qualified intel asset.....cardigan and all.....

[Truelove]

Intelligence did not fail us. I'm sure they had an idea that this would happen, but I'm equally sure that all of their recommendations for increased security,etc. would have been ignored as "too inconvenient", "not warranted for political reasons", etc.

Intel is always responsible for a failure and Ops for a success. Don't buy into it.
Please also note that there may be ALOT more known that is not being admitted to for security reasons?

It isn't good opsec to have your hand tipped to the media, right? I mean, really, OBL watches CNN too. Let's give our guys a little more credit, for all we know it could have been much worse.

[ProudFossil]

And notice the point man for all that "cleansing" of the CIA was Toricelli who is now demanding a special commission to investigate how it happened. There is no shame in any liberal, just hipocracy to the max. I predict that willy will be soon demanding an investigation into why military personnel overseas were four times as likely to have their votes cast out.

[gaspar]

If the CIA passed on thirty names of potential terrorists who had entered the USA and the FBI did literally nothing to chase those people down, wherein lies the failure of American intelligence?? There has to be a wholesale cleansing of the FBI, an organization that has been straightjacketed by its own version of political correctness under Clinton. It is time to return to the policy of hiring only the best and the brightest, and not those championed by political hacks.

[Liz]

And notice the point man for all that "cleansing" of the CIA was Toricelli who
is now demanding a special commission to investigate how it happened.

Is this not disgusting?

I demand to know when Mary "Joke" White is gonna do her blankety-blank
job and nail Torricelli.....shoulda been done months ago.

[SocialMeltdown]

Another article that can't see the forest for the trees.

The reason that terrorist are free to live among us is because we worship at the alter of diversity and multiculturalism.

The threat was clearly visible to everyone but no one wanted to be branded a racist or a bigot by pointing out behavior of Arab and Muslims in America.

Instead of following their instincts, the cult of political correctness has blinded everyone to the threat of Arab and Muslims. Instead, Americans are taught to question their own biases of why they would suspect Arabs and Muslims in the first place. Everyone is now too afraid of being called a racist to report suspicious people and behavior.

Likewise, our intelligence agencies are hog-tied by charges of racial profiling.

What would have happened to an agent who questioned the large influx of Arabs and Muslims coming into the United States? What would have happened to an agent that suggested that Arabs and Muslims might pose a threat to national security? Would he have been promoted for his foresight or demoted for his racist judgements?

As long as we are ruled by political correctness instead of reason and prudence, we will be vulnerable to any foreign attack.

[Milosevic2]

the alliance

[Eric in the Ozarks]

WHAT WENT WRONG ? Frank Church. Jimmy Carter, et al.

[Liz]

As long as we are ruled by political correctness instead of
reason and prudence, we will be vulnerable to any foreign attack.

My opinion precisely. You may have seen network news reports, people have come forward
saying they reported suspicious behavior on the part of the hijackers before it happened.
They were not taken seriously because the pansy Klintoons were afraid of being tagged
politically incorrect.....not supporting "diversity."

What hogwash. 7000 people are dead, missing and wounded.

[Liz]

Please also note that there may be ALOT more known that
is not being admitted to for security reasons?

This we know. The purpose of this thread is to encourage dialogue so that
brilliant analysts like you will come forth to brief us on the insignificance of this article.

[Liz]

I predict that willy will be soon demanding an investigation into why military
personnel overseas were four times as likely to have their votes cast out.

Figures. This absurdity seems so rational.....thanks to the Klintoon "legacy" of spin and obfuscation.

[Liz]

flag

[Liz]

flag

[noah]

The right thing to do is to PICK the highest level CIA officer who publically QUIT in protest to the downgrading of CIA capability and MAKE HIM HEAD. Now was there anybody, and who was it??? If two are equally ranked, the FIRST to QUit and the more public it was WINS the JOB and presidential commendation.

[Liz]

Proof that the CIA, NSA and FBI are paid for nothing! The terrorists have the initiative,
and if they keep it as is likely, many more 'unforseen' atrocities are going to occur.

Thanks to Klintoons' laid-back (no pun intended, monica blowhard) policies.....
which amounted to total inattention, perhaps out of ignorance, to America's security needs.

[FReethesheeples]

Well put @ #3.

Useful analysis form Hirsch.

Intelligent observations & insights from you at #3.