Poindexter Resigns but Defends Programs

[kskiska]

Anti-Terrorism, Data Scanning Efforts at Pentagon Called Victims of Ignorance

John M. Poindexter took issue yesterday with critics of his Pentagon efforts to develop new data scanning systems and an online futures market for flushing out terrorists and predicting Middle East developments, saying the programs had fallen victim to ignorance, distortion and Washington's "highly-charged political environment."

In a letter of resignation ending a controversial 20-month Pentagon tenure, Poindexter pressed his case for employing new technologies to discern terrorists' plans in such everyday transactions as credit card purchases, travel reservations and e-mail. He said innovative approaches are needed to overcome the historic barriers among U.S. intelligence agencies and gain access to stores of information not available to the government.

Insisting he had been mindful of the privacy concerns that critics in Congress and elsewhere raised about his work, the retired rear admiral cited the parallel efforts he made to study ways of protecting the rights of U.S. and foreign citizens. But Poindexter complained that attempts to explain his programs often proved fruitless. "Although we have tried to be very open about our work, there is still a great deal of misunderstanding," he wrote.

The five-page letter, submitted yesterday and made available to The Washington Post, provided Poindexter's first opportunity to address critics after being ordered by Pentagon officials last autumn to avoid public comment because, he was told, he had become too much of a "lightning rod."

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51578-2003Aug12.html

[Rose Siding]

1. Good riddance to this spin-monster

What a piece of work. He seems to be saying, If everyone would just hold still long enough, I could explain how spying on them isn't spying on them.

The scary thing now is not knowing just where they'll have him working for them next.

[Ouabache]

2. Say goodnight John, Don't let the Door Hit you in your

lying, traitorous ass on the way out.

[benfranklin1776]

6. Shall we open a Poindexter futures market?

what will it be for John Boy, a placid retirement with days of unfettered, uninhibited voyeurisim? or a seat on the board of Carlyle?

[goforit]

3. Hoooray!!!..................

May you pay pennence in the rest of your life!!!

[dusty64]

4. He's not really gone

just crawled under another rock. The pentagon says they can not account for TRILLIONS of dollars, these projects will just go underground. What little oversight existed will no longer be possible, the only way to be safe from poindexter is if he were rotting in the prison that he and the rest of the cabal deserves to be in.

[BiggJawn]

5. Shut the Hell UP, already, you Convicted FELON!!

Poindexter.....Disgraces the Navy by still referring to himself as "Admiral" (just like that OTHER disgrace to the Uniform, Ollie-by-Jollie North)

You evil old man! you think we have all forgotten that the only thing that saved you from "Dancing with Tiny" was a few strokes of Poppy Bush's pen.

Yeah, stuff THIS in your DARPA for your next report to Calico Johnny...

Just like a COCKROACH...Caught in the light, he scurries under a diferent part of the baseboard.

[Spirochete]

7. Good riddance!

Go back to Felix the Cat, you sleazy sociopath.

[HFishbine]

8. What an idiot !!!

"the retired rear admiral cited the parallel efforts he made to study ways of protecting the rights of U.S. and foreign citizens"

What that idiot doesn't understand is that we didn't need him to study ways of protecting our rights. We have a friggin Constitution damnit and any Poindexter crafted "solution" would have simply been a way of subverting our rights, not protecting them.

Geez. Sometimes I whish I could sit next to one of these fanatics on a booked-solid transcontinental flight -- just to force them to listen to a real American citizen for a change.

edit: spelling

[DinahMoeHum]

9. "Hey Poindexter!! Get back on Felix the Cat where you belong!!"

"...you're history, you're gone!"

- Frank Zappa
"The Untouchables"

:evilgrin:

[Drifter]

11. Yeah ...

isn't that great. I kind of forgot about that reference.

Cheers
Drifter

[Drifter]

10. Has this guy EVER ...

done anything in his life that was not in some way STUPID, or ILLEGAL.

It is a shame that this guy is not in prison where he belongs.

Cheers
Drifter

[VolcanoJen]

12. Put *that* in your pipe and smoke it, Johnny-Boy!

:-)

- Jennifer

[henslee]

13. googled "poindexter", - 1st site that comes up really reams him a new one

its a cool site too.
<http://www.hereinreality.com/bigbrother.html>

[FredScuttle]

14. I beseech thee, dear Lord,

please make this turd flush!!!