Comments on: Change in intelligence?

By: John Brennan, Good Riddance : NO QUARTER

John Brennan, Good Riddance : NO QUARTER — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 16:01:03 +0000

[...] Brennan and the Obama team that a confirmation process would be ugly. We also featured a post by Mel Goodman who shared my view that Brennan was part of the intel team that helped enable the Bush [...]

By: Bo

Bo — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 02:57:07 +0000

Isn’t Washington intel a bit isolated?

By: I'm a Linda too

I'm a Linda too — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 02:43:21 +0000

Thank you Mel for sharing your thoughts and post.

Yes. As I’m now fond of repeating,

The Obama administration Motto:
“Everything old is new again.
What once was politics of the past
is now change for the future.”

By: TeakWoodKite

TeakWoodKite — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 01:50:38 +0000

And in Obama’s case, their money even closer, while saying, “Who me?”

By: TeakWoodKite

TeakWoodKite — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 23:08:42 +0000

Ferd, if you recall the OBL group was disbanded and then re-instated when word got out…

I never read anything that indicated it was re-instated for anything more than political cover.

By: TeakWoodKite

TeakWoodKite — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 22:46:49 +0000

Ferd.. it is that annoying thing again …freedom…

What is the cost of it?

A start would be speaking truth to power. After witnessing the aftermath of Katrina, anyone thinking they are being kept “safe” are seriously out to lunch. Fraudulent myth, that one.

They will be safe until an NSL comes to there world. Then what is safety to them?
YUP, I will take the “the Constitution and my rights” everytime.

By: TeakWoodKite

TeakWoodKite — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 22:31:07 +0000

If the Congressional members on the intelligence over-site committees did not believe Robert Gates, a former DCI (1991-93) who was informed by Oliver North that Swiss bank accounts were being used to transfer funds for the Iran-Contra affair, what can be done to reform the CIA?

One thinks not much has changed. After reading “A Failure of Intelligence”, Gates was responsible for turning over control of key functional aspects of the CIA to the DIA and followed by Tenet who allowed Rummy to consolidate covert action being run out of DoD.

Tenet, according to Goodman’s book, did nothing to stop the formation of Rummy’s Office of Special Plans”

The Scowcroft draft commission report(2001) ;

This group came up with a draft report that suggested giving the DCI direct authority over the major national intelligence agencies (the NRO, NSA, and NIMA).[13]

The commission’s recommendations were never formally transmitted to the president.[14]

Favorite quote (p327)
“The Agency can be organized and re-organized as many times as the deck chairs on the Titanic can be rearranged, but without a stable and senior leadership it will continue to flounder”.

Goodman makes the point that there is a need for demilitarizing the intelligence community and highlights the fact that there is a lack of “seniors officers to train and mentor” (p341) the rank and file.

I am curious how one goes about creating “competitive analysis” in an effort to have balanced reporting in the intelligence community and not have it lead to an increase in turf battles.

I agree with Melvin Goodman when he says “The intelligence failures of 9/11 and the Iraq War had nothing to do with a dearth of officers; it had everything to do with an inability to tell truth to power and a failure of imagination”.

Great and informative read, especially for a layman, like my self.

By: Judy L. NC

Judy L. NC — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 22:06:53 +0000

Thanks for posting this, Larry. I wouldn’t have recognized those names as WMD-hoodwink supporters.

Next pressing question: is there any way to get George’s Medal of Freedom back?

By: Doc99

Doc99 — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:53:41 +0000

Tenet should have been booted after W’s inauguration. Today’s CIA is a far cry from Wild Bill Donovan’s OSS.

By: Ferd Berfle

Ferd Berfle — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:53:21 +0000

I thought the last 7+ years were all about finding bin Laden. Israel will find him before we do, I’m sure as they tread lightly and carry a deadly stick, so to speak.

By: bob

bob — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:43:25 +0000

Why take the chance?

By: Ferd Berfle

Ferd Berfle — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:40:48 +0000

Israel can take care of itself quite well, actually. I’m sure they are actively pursuing Osama and will more than likely find him before we ever get around to it.

By: bob

bob — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:37:57 +0000

I’m also worried about the Laguna Verde BWR near Mexico City. That’s just a bomb waiting to go off.

By: bob

bob — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:34:08 +0000

All I know is, we have to kill Osama Bin Laden. He’s much too dangerous to be allowed to go on living. He won’t attack America again but I see him first getting the fissile material from Iran and then making a dirty bomb to detonate in Israel.

By: Mr.Murder

Mr.Murder — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:33:11 +0000

How can Congress do anything? One change gets implemented, Commander Bunnypants the Chickenhawk in Chief can ignore more INTEL and get us into another war or terror event and blame the Congress for being in his way.

Who’s going to say the telecomms would do anything and report it other than how TASS would do it in their heyday?

We’re not an empire or a republic. We are rent-a-cop who outsources mercs to fight as police for world’s investor class.
It’s one reason McCain only plausibly opposed Obama, Steve Clemons indicates they shared with one another prospects for the transition team.

Keep your enemies closer. Hillary as Sec. of State, for example.