Comments on: Two More Obstacles To Intelligence Reform

By: Bloglifetime

Bloglifetime — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:59:04 +0000

The White House and the CIA have still not named a replacement for Helgerson, which is particularly damaging in view of the high-level investigations of CIA detentions and interrogations programs as well as the numerous secret prisons or “black sites” established after 9/11, which would benefit from an aggressive Office of the Inspector General.

By: Ferd Berfle

Ferd Berfle — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:43:50 +0000

Nah, they were just ACORNed.

By: TeakWoodKite

TeakWoodKite — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:41:28 +0000

Mr Goodman, was Warren Rudman’s influence on the Hart Rudman report of a similar obstructive nature?

By: TeakWoodKite

TeakWoodKite — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:38:57 +0000

Mr. Goodman, it seems like some horse trading is going on.

By: Lily

Lily — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:34:45 +0000

When you consider that the person we elected as our 44th President, Barack H Obama, has refused to release a long, long list of personal information that anyone of us would be required to provide for any number of public or private sector positions, then it would be inconsistent for “his” administration to be open in the slightest. Mr Obama simply is not in a position to advocate for such policies. To paraphrase Mr Goodman….greater respect for openness might have prevented the election of the sham and charade that is Barack Obama.

By: Tricia Spiegel

Tricia Spiegel — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:58:25 +0000

It seems as if this government is going in the opposite direction of what was promised during the campaign. I used to take campaign promises with a grain of salt, but now I realize they are not even worth that much–in fact it is dangerous to even imagine that politicians may mean what they say.

From now on, best to go on the resume of experience and what action has been taken in the past. Of course, in Obama’s case there was no record.

By: yttik

yttik — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:46:18 +0000

“Intelligence reform” sounds like what happened to people who cast a vote last November.

By: Ferd Berfle

Ferd Berfle — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:33:26 +0000

I agree, AC. An increasingly secretive government is an anathema to an open society. Whether the potentially-damaging information is being abusively classified by the right or by the left is immaterial and not the point. That it is being done at all is the real problem. I wish the public would come to this fundamental understanding. An abusive process one side uses is available for the other side to use, as well.

By: Ferd Berfle

Ferd Berfle — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:24:45 +0000

Government vaults hold over 1.5 billion pages of classified information that are more than twenty-five years old and, thus, unavailable to scholars and researchers, let along the general public. Documents are typically classified to hide embarrassing political information, not secrets. Greater respect for openness might have prevented the policies that led to the torture and abuse at Abu Ghraib prison, the CIA’s network of secret prisons, and the CIA’s detentions and interrogations programs.

This all ties into an end-run around the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), especially with non-intelligence agency sorts of classified materials. They seem to be able to maintain an iron-clad shroud of secrecy around everything but personally-identifiable information (PII), which is often compromised due to sloppy, careless, or malicious handling.

Documents are typically classified to hide embarrassing political information, not secrets.

That is certainly true and is an abuse of the classification system.

By: Ladydawnelle

Ladydawnelle — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 13:31:51 +0000

if they are worms for bambi they will surely never see the first warrant

oh wait, there’s that dang BUS and all the people “supposedly” still under it? Although they do keep sneaking out from UNDER (like Wright).

I”m waiting for the day one of the ONES most SPECIAL ONES gives him the old HEAVE HO! Thennnnnnn the house of ~~Saud~~ Cards will begin to fall!

right?

By: Sassy

Sassy — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 13:29:00 +0000

I read an editorial this morning regarding the “leaks”, which are deemed criminal disclosures.
Panetta has asked for an investigation by the Justice Department.
Will Holder pursue CIA agents or political operatives?

By: Ladydawnelle

Ladydawnelle — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 13:26:16 +0000

“intelligence reform” oxymoron? hehe!

I mean you forgot to mention FIRST we need intelligent PEOPLE to deliver SAID reform! right? j/k

By: Animal Control

Animal Control — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 13:24:56 +0000

Mr Goodman,
But for people such as you, we would have no inklinkg of what actually happens in our government.
Thanks and I liked your “letters to the editor” response in the Washington Post a week or so ago.