"...YOUR WIFE IS FAIR GAME." (re: Tenet's resignation)

[scarletwoman]

Check out this interesting post from the Daily Kos:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/6/3/203248/8035

Why Tenet Resigned
by Alan S
Thu Jun 3rd, 2004 at 20:32:48 EDT

Put the pieces together:

Piece 1. Tenet's speech to the CIA; "This is the most difficult decision I have ever had to make. And while Washington and the media will put many different faces on the decision it was a personal decision and had only one basis in fact: the well-being of my wonderful family."

Piece 2. Remember what Chris Matthews told Joe Wilson. He said, "Karl Rove is calling around town, saying your wife is fair game."

Piece 3. Perle and the neocons, especially those around Cheney, were furious about the leaks against their guy Chalabi.

So they told Tenet quite plainly, that his family was fair game if he didn't go quietly.

So he put the "well-being of my wonderful family" first and quit.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

I've been having similar thoughts ever since I heard about Tenet's resignation on the car radio driving home from work this afternoon.

I don't know, there's just something about this quote from Tenet that set my paranoia quivering: ...the C.I.A. released a videotape of an emotional Mr. Tenet telling C.I.A. employees that he was leaving for one reason, "the well-being of my wonderful family, nothing more and nothing less."

My first thought was, does that mean that the "well-being" of his family was being threatened if he DIDN'T resign?

Then, when I saw the newsclip of Tenet's speech at the CIA, where he pretty dramatically broke down as he spoke of his son, it just increased my suspicion -- was his son particularily threatened?

My own take on Tenet over these last 3 years of the bush* maladministration is that he's been doing his best to tread a fine line between the interests of the Agency and the interests of the bushies -- and probably getting slammed from both directions.

There's been lots of speculation on DU throughout all this time about what kind of hold the bush* maladministration has (had?) over Tenet that he would constantly seem to be carrying water for them. ESPECIALLY in light of the Plame outing -- why would he stand for such overt abuse of one of his own agents?

There's some seriously weird shit going on behind the curtains with the whole Chalabi/Iran thing. Deep games are being played of which there are only the barest hints -- I don't think we can believe much of ANYTHING that's coming out in the mainstream media, that's just for show on the surface.

Anyway, there's tantalizing puzzle pieces scattered here and there, who knows if we'll ever find out the whole story.

Sooooo, here's my bet: Tenet will NOT be coming out with a "tell-all" book -- except maybe if the bushies all end up before the Hague where they belong. I won't hold my breath...

sw

[Wickerman]

1. Good take

one I hadn't thought through.. interesting, threat of harm to family. :think:

[LittleApple81]

3. Isn't it amazing that this is well within the realms of possibility with

these awful simulation of humans we have in power?

[Tellurian]

35. Well then, I suspect War has been declared between the CiA and the WH!

wanna bet who wins...

a gaggle of greasy oil men vs trained assassins?

[kimchi]

2. That is an odd way to phrase it, isn't it?

But we could also look into whether anyone in his family is ill. If they aren't; you are more than likely correct.

[glitch]

4. that's what I thought too - such odd phrasing

instead of spend time with my family, well-being of my family.
Yikes.

[scarletwoman]

6. Glad it's not just me.

And that "nothing more, nothing less" -- I don't know, to me that whole phrase sounded like something a hostage would say while under a gun. You know what I mean? Like trying to speak in code about what's really going on, without one's captors catching on.

Just caught that newsclip again as I was typing this... He prefaces that "well-being of my family" phrase with this: "My resignation is due to one indisputable fact, the well-being of my family..."

Isn't the use of the word "FACT" here just a little odd?

(or is my :tinfoilhat: too tight?)

sw

[elf]

8. Exactly what I was thinking

and is a man in this position over so many years so whiny when he talks about his son and wife????!!! I don't think so. There must be something, what made him very concerned.

Others would have said, I want to spend some more quality time with my family!

[Suspicious]

13. Same thoughts here.

I heard the clip on NPR on my way home from work, and Tenet's choice of words struck me as more than a bit odd, as well.

I think your :tinfoilhat: is adjusted perfectly! :)

[scarletwoman]

14. And even further back in the shadows lies...

9/11 MIHOP.

For me, all these events unfold within the context of this singular crime that lies at the heart of the bushies' power grab.

sw

[madrchsod]

5. nice catch....

there is something going on. the worst part about the whole mess is that the security of the united states has been compromised by these bastards

[Stephanie]

7. You're right - sounds like code

Sounds like he's sending a message to his compatriots. BushCO would have no hesitation to stoop so low. Especially CHENEY.

[elf]

9. he is telling some people

what really happened and they will take care for this..........CIA stick together lifelong!!!

[scarletwoman]

10. Yes, BUT -- GHW Bush is CIA too.

Who knows what factions there might be in the CIA, and to whom they may be loyal...

sw

[Stephanie]

11. I think he's senile

I think his time has passed. He just sounds doddering in his recent remarks. It's a new era. IMHO.

[Atman]

12. You're not alone...from earlier this evening...

I brought up this same issue, pretty much, but I focused on the crying and comment about his son. It all struck me as very odd.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1714937

[bklyncowgirl]

15. Interesting take

Would they go after his family--ask Joe Wilson.

[in_cog_ni_to]

16. Let me just say this...

If MY family were threatened and I were a CIA Director, you better believe that EVERY CIA agent I could TRUST would know about it and I would start a CIA movement to take down the people/administration who threatened MY family. WHY would Tenet NOT do that? He would be a fool to live in fear of ever speaking of what he knows. From this day forward he must be silent "for the well-being of his family?" when all he has to do is mobilize the CIA agents he trusts? Look at all of the ex agents who came out in defense of Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson. I don't know if Tenet would let the administration get away with threatening his family....I know "I" wouldn't! Bush is more important to him than his family and country?????!!!! Just not possible...from the eyes of THIS mom.

[scarletwoman]

29. You raise good points.

The thing is, I don't think it's quite as simple as "mobilizing CIA agents he trusts".

For one thing, we don't exactly know the full extent of the reach of the BFEE Octopus' tentacles. For certain, what with GHW Bush having been DCI (and allegedly an agent since the early 60's), some of the tentacles run through the CIA. So is there a spy vs. spy situation within the CIA? Don't know of course, but could there be? It seems likely that the situation is much more complex than we know. Why did Pavett (is he a Tenet ally?) resign also?

There's also an overriding paradigm at work within the Ruling Class, which is to protect the continuity and integrity of the System at all costs. People who really know what goes on in the inner workings of Power, are not willing to endanger the overall power structure, even when there's one particular faction committing serious abuses.

So, yes, Mr. Tenet wants to protect his family, but I believe he and his allies will also protect the power structure above all else. All we can do now is wait and see what kinds of things get leaked to the press by "intelligence sources"...

sw

[in_cog_ni_to]

32. I thought about that too.

Could we have double agents inside the CIA.... (like) Double Agents... as in...Bush agent/Tenet agent friend?

Tenet naming the CIA headquarters after papa chimp gives me the creeps too. Did he do it to ingratiate himself within the new repub administration? Did he do it because he truly likes papa chimp? If so, he's never going to sing. IF he was THAT close to papa chimp, surely he gained some trust from some of papa chimps octopus' tentacles within the agency, wouldn't you think? Except, they probably trust NO ONE. I don't know...he WAS a Clinton appointee so, they may not have trusted him at all for that reason alone. Thinking out loud. ;) So many thoughts...so many scandals to think about. Man, what I wouldn't give to be a fly within this administration's walls.

[lockdown]

33. Because it was blackmail?

I mean, concern for his family's wellbeing doesn't necessarily equal a direct physical threat against them, it could mean something like releasing dirt that would destroy his or a family member's reputation or tear the family apart. You've a good point, seems unlikely that a director of the CIA would powerlessly buckle to threats of violence against his family, but if it was bad dirt against him he'd be powerless really.

Pure speculation of course, but blackmail is SOP for the CIA and bushco.

[Killarney]

17. That line is very strange

Not too "out there" to be obvious, but I think it's saying something.

[Jose Diablo]

18. Paul O'Neil

Isn't it strange how O'Neil also did a 180. I would not put anything beyond the possibility for this administration including threats to a family or blackmail.

[in_cog_ni_to]

19. Exactly.

O'Neil was threatened. He was out pushing his book, the next day he takes back things he said then we don't see him out and about any more...yup, the BFEE got to him.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

20. I hadn't thought of that, but, now that you mention it that's scarily

plausable. I wouldn't put it past these cruel bastards!

[Ripley]

21. I still think the book is coming out.

Once it's out there, it would be pretty obvious if his son or anyone else in his family turned up prematurely dead.

There's lots of former BushCo supporters writing books and talking loudly and they still live. I worried for David Brock after I read his book, yet I saw him on CSPAN last week saying the same things. Granted, The Director of the CIA has a tad more stature than Brock, but I also think Tenet has to be a very powerful man with an incredible network. If he can't get some damned "evidence" on the criminals in the White House, who can?

[theboss]

25. The CIA gets to vet any book first

Sorry.

[arwalden]

22. I Suspected Something Like This All Along

very well written! Thanks!

-- Allen

[maggrwaggr]

23. Wait a minute. This guy is the head of the CIA

You'd think if there was anybody you wouldn't want to threaten, it would be the head of the CIA.

I've had similar thoughts, but the question comes down to who is the most powerful here?

[bluedog]

24. this statement really is strange.the well being...

This is the most difficult decision I've ever had to make. And while Washington and the media will put many different faces on the decision, it was a personal decision and had only one basis in fact:

The well-being of my wonderful family, nothing more and nothing less.


question: how did the family stay together for the terms he did serve?? Seems to me he could have just said.to be there with my family ........

[CJCRANE]

37. Yeah usually they say

something like "spend more time with my family". But that's probably what he meant. It seems from the previous sentence that he definitely doesn't want people to read anything into it.

[barbaraann]

26. Fred Ebert on KIRO (Seattle) addressed this issue.

A few weeks ago he said that there is a way to "break" a person in about 5 minutes.

You take two people and gag and tie them to the top and bottom of a bunk bed. Then you ask the one on the bottom to spill the beans or you will gouge his eyes out. Doesn't work.

Then you take a knife/ice pick and say you are going to gouge the eyes of the person on top out, dig the ice pick into his shoulder and then show the bloody ice pick to the person on the bottom, saying you are going to gouge the other eye out. Then the person on the bottom breaks down and gives you the info you want.

People can stand torture but they can't stand the torture of someone else, and the thought of their family being tortured or killed is probably the most motivating thing in the world to any human being.

I think Guantanamo is used to show malcontents what is in store for their families, more than it is to get information from detainees.

[chiburb]

27. This thought just came to me....

What if by family he meant the CIA? Like he was falling on his sword for THEM, not BushCo? And as for "code", perhaps he was telling them to take off the kid gloves vs. the neocons?
Maybe this is open warfare now between CIA/State and Pentagon/OSP?

[scarletwoman]

36. Interesting thought...

The "well-being" of the CIA IS being threatened, btw. There's lots of noises coming out the 9/11 Commission (including from Senator Levin last night on PBS Newshour) about designing an entirely new domestic super-intelligence agency which would either partially usurp or totally replace the CIA.

I do not think this is a good thing at ALL! In any case, in view of this threat, I'm not sure that Tenet's resignation is an aid to the CIA's "wellbeing", since he (along with FBI's Mueller) has unequivocally spoken out AGAINST the idea.

If anything, Tenet's leaving may make it even easier to push the CIA aside. Therefore, I'm still inclined to take his reference to his "family" literally. That is, that he was speaking of his wife and son, and NOT his agency.

Definitely an interesting thought, though.... Thanks!

sw

[qanda]

28. This is no lie

This is exactly what I thought when I heard Tenet's speech-- Somebody must have threathened his family.

[Eurobabe]

30. line made my skin crawl

"for the well-being of my family," ie I'm getting my brood out of the DC area NOW!!

[loudsue]

31. Mafia tactics. Mafia government.

It's so obvious....there is no tinfoil required. All you have to do is watch and listen.

If it looks like Mafia, threatens ("quacks") like Mafia, makes money like Mafia....well, it's probably Mafia.

Tenet is just another victim of The Bush Crime Family.

The thing is.....there is going to be hell to pay, and the chimp is already coming unglued. It's not over yet.

:kick::kick:

[robbedvoter]

34. Gary Hart on AAR today said people know of a family reason that

would make Tenet want to retire - although it doesn't explain the timing. he was complimentary of Tenet (Provided Clinton with the info needed to foil AlQuaeda plans) and unsure if he was forced out or decided to step down by himself. (same attitude in Conason, BTW)