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What Else Could Possibly Be A Problem?
January 6th 2009 War, Dumbasses, Obama, Democrats

Panetta a ‘Brave’ Choice, Says Former CIA Agent - Kathryn Jean Lopez - The Corner on National Review Online

Now that the Democrats are in charge, their focus shifts from winning power to holding it. A nuclear attack on America or an ally that could have been prevented through intelligence reform will severely harm the new president and his party.

Well, yes, of course. The primary concern about a nuclear attack on America should be the malign effect it might have on the President and his party.

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-Bill Quick







Comments on this post:

  • kimdutoit
    January 7th, 2009 | #1

    …and thus does the dismemberment of our intelligence apparatus begin.

  • lpdbw
    January 7th, 2009 | #2

    Kim,

    What intelligence apparatus?

    The CIA and NSA have been useless for years, if not decades. They didn’t (or couldn’t) identify major spy rings in the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, or 80’s until all the secrets had gone to the Russians. They didn’t (or couldn’t) impact the sale of secrets to the Chinese during the Clinton years. They didn’t (or couldn’t) predict the Iranian embassy takeover, impact the hostage situation, understand Saudi involvement in the worldwide terrorist movement, predict the rise of Osama bin Laden.

    I believe they consistently understate the threat to worldwide peace and freedom posed by Communist China and its military buildup.

    Like a free, honest, and unbiased press, we could use a patriotic, competent intelligence organization.

    I’d also like to be 20 years younger and 80 pounds lighter. And good-looking, while I’m dreaming.

  • Barry
    January 7th, 2009 | #3

    I’d also like to be 20 years younger and 80 pounds lighter. And good-looking, while I’m dreaming.

    I can’t use the 80 pound loss, but I’ll take the other two. I agree with your comment. There are a lot of competent, industrious, patriotic wokers at CIA and NSA. The top end, for the most part, is just the opposite.

  • billo
    January 7th, 2009 | #4

    “The CIA and NSA have been useless for years, if not decades.”

    Well, no.

    The intel apparatus in the US has always been pretty good. One of the things they’ve always been good at is taking the blame for bad policy decisions made by politicians. The other thing they’ve been good at is hiding their successes and advertising their failures.

    To give you one simple example, remember one of the early videos of Osama bin Laden when he was standing out in the open doing his propaganda thing? The intel community did a pretty good job of figuring out where that was, and as soon as they briefed some folk it got leaked and Osama started giving his talks in front of a screened background. Same thing for phone surveillance. Same thing for some humint assets as well.

    Magnify that by a thousand. The one thing folk *don’t* want the general public to know is when what they do works.

    What does that mean? It means that you never hear of the successes and you never hear about the lives saved and you never hear about the good work done. Instead, you get a whipping boy for policy failures and a target for anti-administration propaganda.

    Have there been failures? Sure. Big ones. But there have also been a lot of successes. And you will never hear about them — God willing.

  • Bill Quick
    January 7th, 2009 | #5

    To give you one simple example, remember one of the early videos of Osama bin Laden when he was standing out in the open doing his propaganda thing? The intel community did a pretty good job of figuring out where that was,

    Mmm, I dunno I’d give the intel community all the credit. Apparently they knew how to use a phone book, but beyond that…

    Geology may give bin Laden away / Experts study recent video with hope of identifying his location in Afghanistan

    I also seem to remember that a few bloggers picked up on this at the time, too.

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