Downing Resigns

The Washington Post ^ | 06/28/2002 | Thomas E. Ricks

[TxBec]

Click here for story ...

[Khepera]

Why not a small excerpt so I know if I'm interested?

[TxBec]

I thought we weren't supposed to post the article, especially from the WP, or is a small part ok?

[The Raven]

Maybe he was a "leaker?"

[TxBec]

Ok, this should be okay. It's not full text. If not, I'm sure it will be deleted.

---

The top White House official for coordinating the federal government's counteroffensive against terrorism resigned yesterday in a surprise decision that removed one of the Bush administration's leading advocates of launching aggressive and unconventional attacks on terrorist networks.

[piasa]

Well, you have Washington Times credited to the article at the top... but your link is to the Post.

Too bad, we could have used all the text of the Times.

[AppyPappy]

Several defense experts said they were stunned by Downing's departure. "I think it's bad news for the war," said Eliot Cohen, an expert on defense strategy at Johns Hopkins University.

Sounds like his legs may have been cut out from under him.

[piasa]

That doesn't sound good. I prefer aggressive and unconventional thinkers.

[TxBec]

OK. I really goofed this all up. It is the Washington Post. I typed in the wrong name. Sorry.

[Khepera]

I'm just happy to see someone besides myself makes mistakes.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

Downing Resigns as Bush Aide
Anti-Terror Adviser Was Hawk on Iraq

By Thomas E. Ricks
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, June 28, 2002; Page A1

The top White House official for coordinating the federal government's counteroffensive against terrorism resigned yesterday in a surprise decision that removed one of the Bush administration's leading advocates of launching aggressive and unconventional attacks on terrorist networks.

The departure of retired Army Gen. Wayne A. Downing, who also has been an outspoken hawk in administration debates about how to deal with Saddam Hussein, raised questions among security experts about both the administration's plans to improve homeland security through a massive government reorganization and the direction of its policy on Iraq.

Downing could not be reached for comment on his decision, which came 10 months after he joined the White House staff as deputy national security adviser for combating terrorism. A White House statement announcing Downing's resignation offered no reason for it.

(excerpt)

Washington Post

Remainder of article makes it sound like it could be a case of egos getting in the way.

[Grut]

Yep, the War on Terror is over. The War on Airline Passengers goes on.

[flamefront]

Perhaps Downing sees the nature of the newly formed Homeland Security Dept. as the PR front that it is becoming. Just as it could be a 'bridge' on the one hand, it can also be a cover to interfere with communications between contentious departments on the other hand.

[dawn53]

Could have been egos. Sounded like he might not like having a position lower than Condi's.

But this piece by the WP was as speculative as that piece they ran this morning about the Bush twins.

No corroboration, just a he said, she said, anonymous source type of thing that is trying to make us think there's trouble within the Administration.

I've seen this type of journalism before from them where they missed the true story completely.

[michigander]

Downing Resigns Anti-Terror Post After 9 Months, Another Retired General Replaces Him

WASHINGTON (AP) - Just nine months into the job, the top White House official for coordinating the government's response to terrorism has resigned.

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer announced Thursday that retired Army Gen. Wayne A. Downing had stepped aside. Downing was selected in early October and charged with starting up the White House Office for Combatting Terrorism.

A National Security Council spokesman, Sean McCormack, said Downing believed he had accomplished the mission he set out to do, getting the new office up and running, and he will stay in close contact with the administration as it wages the fight on terrorism.

Another retired general who served as an aide to the first President Bush replaced him.

"The administration has valued General Downing's leadership and his legacy of a highly effective Office of Combatting Terrorism," Fleischer said.

Downing's family is still in Colorado and he never intended to stay long in Washington, another White House official said.

Bush named Retired Air Force Gen. John A. Gordon to the position, which coordinates military, diplomatic, law enforcement, intelligence, financial and strategic information activities meant to deter terrorism.

Gordon was the Department of Energy's undersecretary for nuclear security and administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration.

Under the first President Bush, he was a top National Security Council adviser, and under President Clinton, he was a deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Downing is one of the few high-ranking White House officials who have resigned. Next month, presidential counselor Karen Hughes is to leave for her native Texas. The director of Bush's faith-based office, John DiIulio, quit in August after seven months on the job.

AP-ES-06-28-02 0532EDT

[yikes]

Your headline reminds me of an old George Carlin joke: "Here are yesterday's baseball scores...5-4, 8-5 and 3-2."

[Right_in_Virginia]

The article is worth reading...TWP gives so many possible reasons for Downing's departure that it's almost comical.

Typical "investigative reporting" from TWP.

[flamefront]

Yep. Excerpt:

Downing spent much of his time at the White House struggling with a variety of federal offices to create a "data fusion center" that would keep 24-hour watch and track all interagency intelligence on terrorist activities. It was widely opposed by the intelligence bureaucracy, one official said.
Downing recently prevailed, and was preparing to begin assigning staff to the new center. It now appears that that plan will be revised and the center instead will be made part of the proposed Homeland Security Department, the official said.

Homeland Security is likely being turned into a political PR agency. Beware. There may be no new effective bridge between the military, FBI, NSA, and CIA that can actually connect-the-dots.

Oh well, there always is FreeRepublic ...

[brityank]

Thanks for the info.
I've made a decision not to willingly go to either the composts or slimes websites; I don't want to give them the hits that they use for costing their advertisers.

[piasa]

Yes, it does look like a conflict of personalities. From skimming elswhere, it seems he and Wolfowitz tend to agree, but Downing and Powell have butted heads before.

Of course, Downing's also the guy who wanted to insert 5,000 or 6,000 special forces guys and use US trained Iraqi locals to topple Hussein. Now that I read that, I wonder what it really going on. Are we telegraphing to the whole planet that we're going to use the non-Downing large-force plan, and so Saddam can relax thinking he's got more time... all by getting rid of Downing, or are we seeing a real spat or conflict of personalities here, which is also believable? Or is he really 'done with his part,' as they say, plans made and waiting? Or is there a policy shift?

He replaced Clark, one of Clinton's picks- a guy who was hit over technology transfers to China and who wasn't too popular.

Downing commanded in Somalia I think, but he was under Clark. That was curious stuff there given that the White House balked and even tried to thwart success every time it looked like they were going to get their man, then would point fingers at the guys in the field for not getting Aidid.