The weakest link: CIA?

[The Backlash Cometh]

Putting aside the obvious jab to the Bush Administration, I'm compiling a list here on the CIA and its contribution in the fight against terrorism and it isn't looking too good:

1) The CIA claims that they didn't realize that Clinton had given them the order to kill bin Laden. Clinton made the decision because bin Laden was determined to be an imminent threat to the U.S.A.

2) THEY, NOT CLINTON, determined that there wasn't enough information to send cruise missiles when they did locate bin Laden on 3 occasions.

3) THEY, NOT CLINTON, did not want to send in the predator in 2000, even though, cost-wise, it was "pennies" to do so.

And then you look at the list of CIA directors, and you begin to wonder what exactly is going on:

Tenet
Woolsey
George Bush I

Was there more going on in Afghanistan than meets the eye? It really doesn't make sense that an agency who is known to cause chaos in South American countries, could be so timid about getting one known terrorist in Afghanistan.

[lucidmadman]

1. Where there's smoke...

...there's fire. Where there's dope and oil there's the CIA. Know what I mean?

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. Yes, I know what you mean.

I'm beginning to wonder if that 40 million dollar US aid we gave them before 9/11 was a payment for some future or past shipment of loco middle-eastern weed.

[Florida_Geek]

2. No the weakest link is the FBI

Clarke makes that point over and over again.

9-11 would not have happened, IMHO, if John O'Neill was not force out of the FBI. Remember the NYC office where John worked got some of the memos, that others did not connect the dots. IMHO John would have.

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. FBI domestically and CIA for foreign failures?

I'm still wondering why Freeh isn't on the docket.

[LiberalFighter]

9. Saw an editorial cartoon today in USA Today

It has Bush with the dots connected spelling out IRAQ. BUT it wasn't all of the dots.

By Jeff Stahler, The Cincinnati Post, for USA TODAY, March 24

[FloridaPat]

3. You seem to think you should be getting more for the $50 billion

budget these guys have.

Besides, bin Ladin is one of them. They trained him and his group. They are chasing all over the world after al Qaeda. What would happen to their war and budget if bin Ladin got caught???

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. Very true. The CIA was nearly decimated in the early 90s.

bin Ladin was a cash cow for them.

[WoodrowFan]

10. not true

The CIA was never "nearly decimated", that's just a Repuk talking point to make it look like Bush "saved" the CIA and the military/..

[The Backlash Cometh]

11. The Washington Post wrote articles that might be worth looking up

"White House Labors To Redefine Role of Intelligence Community" "With Cold War's End, Budget Cuts Force Changes At Major Agencies" Washington Post, June 13, 1994.

The CIA was one of the agencies that were under scrutiny for budget cuts. There's some great quotes in that article as in the following:

"As Woolsey struggles, CIA suffers. Director Finds himself at Odds with Capitol hill, White House. May 10, 1994.

"CIA plans to close 15 stations in African pullback: Budget cuts cited, but advocates of human intelligence collection think it's a mistake." Washington Post, June 23, 1994.

"Congress Moving to Remap CIA's Direction. Besides Budget Cuts, Hill May Draw Line Between Agency and FBI Operations Against Spies." Washingon Post, July 2, 1994.

What you need to keep in mind is that the public and the Republicans were putting enormous pressure on the Clinton Administration to end big government. If Clinton hadn't made the cutbacks, the Republicans would have. And, apparently, Clinton and the Democratic congress didn't cut enough to satisfy the public because they voted in the Newt Gingrich revolution in November 1994.

[The Lone Liberal]

4. The CIA will take its revenge if they think they are the fall guys.

The skeletons will come marching out of the closet. I pray Rove and Bush let the CIA swing slowly in the wind, the stories will flood out.

[The Backlash Cometh]

7. That would be a positive development

The CIA has a chance to become the men in the white hats, but it's going to take a lot of house cleaning so I hope they're reading to put on aprons.