We Need More Competent Spies - How About Some “Intelligent” Intelligence
I’m uneasy about the story of Iran. We have been lulled into a pacifist sense of insecurity. The enemies are watching.
First, the CIA trouble.
The CIA seems to be in a pickle. Tapes of possible torture tactics were destroyed. If they were destroyed to protect agent’s identities, so be it. But if they were destroyed to cover up horrific scenes that might cause pain and suffering at a later date to American forces, we have a much different story.
And there is also the fear of mis-information and serious lying going on in the American intelligence establishment. The National Intelligence Estimate played down the Iranian threat, insisting that the Islamo-Fascists in Iran stopped work on a bomb in 2003 . This report embarrassed the President who was insisting there was a nuclear threat from Iran.
Now we are in a position of mistrust and distrust. Who is telling the truth? These spy masters were the ones who justified a threat of mass destruction as the reason for the Iraq debacle. Did they lie? Are they offering a pack of lies now to keep us off the tracks of Iran for fear that they will be blamed for another mess? Or, perhaps Iran will use this confusing report as subterfuge to startup another bomb program.
I’m not an intelligence expert. But as a citizen and observer, I am troubled by the apparent duplicity of our intelligence experts. Maybe we need better spies or a higher level of intelligence.
In the meantime, I’m confused by the White House policy on Iran, the failure of members of Congress to ask the right questions, and the quagmire of conflicting information on threats, real or imagined, to our country.
We seem to be treading water in a sea of anxiety and uncertainty. Can we find a direction before it is too late? I don’t trust the militants in Iran. And no “intelligence estimate” should put us asleep at the wheel.
The NIE is not a product of the CIA but of a new entity, a council of 16 intelligence organizations, including the CIA, and chaired by a State Department intelligence specialist. Military, civilian, electronic and human intelligence gathering to produce a big picture that concurs, that there is no program. And yes, spy organizations lie. When we deliberately go into sovereign nations and turn their own citizens against their own countries, for the sake of our national interests, we are breaking the law of every country we operate in, we break a number of treaties, agreed to be the US Congress, we betray alliances, like NATO, the UN and any other of multinational agreements we are signatories to. We make traitors out of foreign nationals and the people who conduct these operations lie to the president, congress, and the courts time and time again. It is the inherent nature of a secret spying organization to remain secret so that it can continue to spy effectively. We live in open society where the government annually publishes the budget of its military forces, identifies formal organizational structures of its security organizations in its national media, and is composed of multinational ethnic elements who easily gain citizens ship and can be hired by the armed forces, its military contractors, as well as civilian agencies, including the CIA. All this, as opposed to North Korea, Sadam’s Iraq or Soviet Russia, where a guessing game called kremlinology was practiced to determine who was in charge of what in the USSR at any given time. Obviously, a secret organization funded with public money will receive oversite from congress but do not expect them to be forthcoming with a detailed list of their activities. They were formed to be secretive, remain secretive and keep our secrets from friend and foe alike. It’s what makes a spy a spy as opposed to a geography teacher or poli-sci prof. What little they do reveal to congressional committee members is unlikely to see the light of day, as if what they little that is revealed is the whole truth or not, it is beyond the publics capacity to evaluate. Unless of course we form an independent guardian commission to infiltrate the spies without their knowledge and compare what they really do with what they say.
Larry, I agree, I think we need more people who can spy and get away with it…that’s why Sandy Berger (aka Sandy Burglar) is my choice for Director of Intelligence under Hill, once she gets elected…after all, Sandy successfully stole secret doucments out of the National Archives, destroyed the secret documents (we don’t even know what they were), with nary a peep outta investigative reporters like you, Larry. I sure wish that Bush had hired Sandy to take care of the interogation tape situation as it would have been swept under ther rug just like the Clinton secret documents that Sandy stole and burned…what say you, Larry?
This is why the information is conflicting Larry, somebody was lying andd someone else exposed the truth. The intelligence community was burned once before in the lead up to the war with Iraq and as a result their credibility took a massive hit. Now that George W. Bush is a lame duck no one feels the need to be loyal to him. The problem with the Republican machine is that it turns government employees into politicians. Even those who don’t seek or hold elected office. That is the whole reason the real intelligence leading up to Iraq was hidden and discredited. This administration has operated like a criminal enterprise. Our spies are intelligent and capable and now they are no longer afraid of the President they can tell the truth. Iran is not a threat and hasn’t been in a long time. Iraq wasn’t a threat until we turned it into one.
“The problem with the Republican machine is that it turns government employees into politicians. Even those who don’t seek or hold elected office.” - E. Knight
So, is that why Hillary had to see each White House employee’s security clearance file (supposedly protected from her view by the Privacy Act of 1974)after 3$Bill and Hill moved into the White House? Ever wonder why Dee Dee only lasted 179 days? BTW, the Privacy Act of 1974 is why John Kerry can legally withold certain parts of his files that the US Navy has on him from public scrutiny.
Hey JJ,
I think Knight is really Russell in disguise, these people think the Prez can control everything, I don’t hear anyone of them giving him credit for thwarting attacks on the U.S. since 9/11, don’t hear anything about the troop surge working in Iraq. But that is the usual dem way, take credit for the good things that the previous administration has done, as was the case with Clinton coming in after GHW Bush, economy was already turning around when he assumed office, but took total credit for it all.
BTW, Kerry should be hung for Treason along with Hanoi Jane!!!!!
Hello Larry,even though it’s the holiday season,your die hard rightwing do-gooders still have to attack the Clinton’s and war hero John Kerry, we know it’s all their fault blah,blah,blah.
last see 9/11 happened on bush’s watch,bush/chaney/rove/libby + rummy and freido outed a cia agent,and they have us in a never ending war and gas is $3.50 a gal. and a recession is knocking at the door,etc.etc.etc.,but Larry it’s all the Clinton,s fault.
E.Knight is right on the money,george bush is a lame duck,and left his party in the gutter.
Larry,
Simply and honestly, how can any these agencies actually recruit real Spy talent?
Given the circumstances surrounding the Wilson / Plame “leak” why would any competent, conscientious, loyal and intelligent person wish to be employed by an American Intelligence Agency? Would you want to be a Spy for these people?
If you think Israel is going to let Iran develop nuclear capabilities you’re fooling yourself. We still have some allies out there even though we pay for their allegiance.
Hollywood should remake the old movie “Spies Like Us”
I suggest leading roles for Beatleboy Kane and his CN8 compadre Boston Barry Nolan.
They can go undercover with their CN8 special agent gear to hotspots like Alma Ata, Lagos, and Kuala Lumpur.
Beatleboy and Barry will file “faux news stories” back to CN8 HQ.
Get those diplomatic pouches ready boys!
Yipeeeeeeee
Remember the Peace Dividend the nit wits on the left and their sycophants in the media were crying for after the Soviet Union fell? This exact situation is the result of not continuing the investment in National Intelligence. CIA can’t grow spies or intelligence analysts overnight. It takes years. Wake up and look at the bigger picture.
BTW, the Valerie Plame non-story that is continually covered wasn’t a breach of National Security as was the case with the Sandy Burger crime. Plame was a mid level Covert bureaucrat who was designated as COVERT as opposed to a CLANDESTINE officer. The difference is that many CIA employees are given a cover (becoming ‘covert’) to obfuscate the true number of employees (and thus workforce strength), while clandestine employees are the ones truly at risk in a foreign land. Exposing Plame as an employee did not harm her nor did it damage the US. It just gave the simple minded a chance to latch on to hoot and holler about something that sounded like a scandal.
Yo, RJ…is it me or what? Hillary recently hired Sandy Berger, a certified felon who had his security clearance REVOKED, as her security advisor…and not a peep outta Larry, Larry II, Anderson, Bechel or Carvel…God forbid had Sandy been a Republican!
Yo Jersey, no it’s not you, you’re spot on. The dim bulbs in the media were acting like the chimps on the CareerBuilder commercials when John Bolton was nominated to be UN Ambassador simply because he had a reputation as being a tough manager of those under him in the State Dept. They have completely swept the criminal Buger under the rug twice now, first when he committed the crime and now that the left wing’s Chosen One brings him into her corrupt world.
From CNN on 9/8/2005: “According to the charges, Berger — between September 2 and October 2, 2003 — “knowingly removed classified documents from the National Archives and Records Administration and stored and retained such documents at places,” such as his private Washington office.
Berger’s associates admit he took five copies of an after-action report detailing the 2000 millennium terror plot from the Archives. The aides say Berger returned to his office, discovered that three of the copies appeared to be duplicates and cut them up with scissors.
The revelations were a dramatic change from Berger’s claim last year that he had made an “honest mistake” and either misplaced or unintentionally threw the documents away.”
And the sad part of it all is the Republicans are not jumping on the Berger/Clinton/stolen/destroyed/secrets issue like a duck on a Junebug!
I can’t figure why the US AG did a plea bargain with Berger…the Judge actually had to increase the fine to $50K from the $10K recommended by the US AG! Does any of this rhyme with Fluvver Pup?
BTW, for you folks who do not realize the true extent of Sandy’s felonious activity, here’s a good analysis:
http://travismcdade.com/blog/category/sandy-berger/