...and it is a
MAJOR point. The author states that Tenet is a "weak CIA Director". Nothing could be more distant from the truth, and the Bushies are learning that the hard way. Here's the paragraph in question:
"Thus the President has essentially no control over the agency, except that which he is able to exert by proxy through the CIA Director, whom he appoints. To put it gently, George Tenet will likely not be remembered as one of the most influential directors in the agency's history, and was in any case appointed by Bush archenemy William Jefferson Clinton. Making matters worse, so much worse, is the fact that the administration tried unsuccessfully to throw Tenet to the wolves several weeks back.
What they have now is a weak CIA Director with no incentive to be loyal to the administration heading up an uncontrollable intelligence agency that's fed up and out for blood. Oops."
Point #1: If Tenet was as weak as the author claims, Dubya would have replaced him long ago...at about the same time as he and his merry band of NeoCons occupied the centers of American Government.
Point #2: Tenet has a very long history with American intelligence. His educational background in Foreign Service and International Affairs made him a prime candidate for work in the intelligence community. I suspect that Tenet was recruited by the CIA at some point while he was still in school. His first job was with the
American Hellenic Institute, Washington, DC, as Research Director <
http://www.ahiworld.com/history.pdf>. This is, IMHO, a classic CIA front operation, one which allowed Tenet to travel while supposedly representing AHI's interests. There is no doubt that his Greek heritage helped him in that part of the world while he learned his craft.
Point #3: Take a good look at the folowing facts: 1) Tenet was confirmed as Director of the CIA by the "unanimous vote by both the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the full Senate". 2) "He also was responsible for coordinating all interagency activities concerning covert action." 3) "Staff Director of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence for over four years". In addition to the relationships he has developed with those organizations, he has no doubt developed excellent relationships with strong factions in the DOJ, the Pentagon, the military, the State Department, and the mainstream media (Operation Mockingbird).
Point #4: I took the trouble not too long ago to put together a resume on George Tenet. The man is
STRONGLY CONNECTED to say the least. Here is Tenet's resume:
----------------------------------------
RESUME:
George Tenet
Director, Central Intelligence------------------------------
EXPERIENCE:
1995-Present
Central Intelligence Agency
Director, July 1997 - PresentGeorge John Tenet was sworn in as Director of Central Intelligence on 11 July 1997 following a
unanimous vote by both the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the full Senate. In this position he heads the Intelligence Community (all foreign intelligence agencies of the United States) and directs the Central Intelligence Agency.
In January 2001, Tenet was asked by Bush to stay on indefinitely as Director, Central Intelligence. Acting Director, December 1996 - July 1997Following the departure of John Deutch in December 1996, he served as Acting Director.
Deputy Director Central Intelligence, July 1995 - December 1996Served as the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence, having been confirmed in that position in July 1995.
1993 - 1995
National Security Council
Senior Director for Intelligence Programs
Special Assistant to the PresidentMr. Tenet previously served as Special Assistant to the President (Clinton) and Senior Director for Intelligence Programs at the National Security Council. While at the NSC, he coordinated Presidential Decision Directives on "Intelligence Priorities," "Security Policy Coordination," "US Counterintelligence Effectiveness," and "US Policy on Remote Sensing Space Capabilities."
He also was responsible for coordinating all interagency activities concerning covert action. 1992-1993
Presidential National Security Transition Team Prior to serving at the National Security Council, he served on President Clinton's national security transition team. In this capacity, he coordinated the evaluation of the US Intelligence Community.
1987-1992
Office of Sen. David Boren, D-OK
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Staff DirectorMr. Tenet also served as Staff Director of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence for over four years under the chairmanship of Senator David Boren. In this capacity he was responsible for coordinating all of the Committee's oversight and legislative activities including the strengthening of covert action reporting requirements, the creation of a statutory Inspector General at CIA, and the introduction of comprehensive legislation to reorganize US intelligence.
1985-1987
Office of Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-VT
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Staff Director
Staff MemberThree years later, he joined the Senate Select Committee under Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., helping direct the committee's oversight of arms control negotiations between the United States and Soviet Union. He ultimately assumed the role of staff director of the committee. Prior to his appointment as Staff Director, Mr. Tenet directed the Committee's oversight of all arms control negotiations between the Soviet Union and the United States, culminating in the preparation of a report to the US Senate on "The Ability of US Intelligence to Monitor the Intermediate Nuclear Force Treaty."
1982-1985
Office of Sen. John Heinz, R-PA
Legislative AssistantServed as a legislative assistant to Sen. John Heinz, R-Pa., dealing with defense, energy and foreign affairs issues. as both a legislative assistant covering national security and energy issues and as legislative director.
Solar Industries Association
Research DirectorAmerican Hellenic Institute, Washington, DC
Research Director <
http://www.ahiworld.com/history.pdf>
EDUCATION:1979 - Masters in International Affairs
Columbia University, New York, NY
1977 - BS Foreign Service
Georgetown University, Washington, DC
PRE-COLLEGE BACKGROUND:His father and mother emigrated from Greece and operated a delicatessen in a middle-class Flushing, Queens, neighborhood, where Tenet worked while growing up. George and his twin brother Bill, now a cardiologist in New York, graduated in 1973 from public school at Benjamin N. Cardozo High School. They attended religious classes and served as altar boys at a Greek Orthodox Church.Born in New York in 1955, George Tenet is 50 years old as of October 2003. He is married to A. Stephanie Glakas-Tenet, and they have one son, John Michael.
=================================================
NOTES:
Senator David Boren Biography:
<
http://davidboren.org/>
Yale grad and Bonesman. Rhodes Scholar.
"Another interesting Bonesman is David Lyle Boren, the Senate Democrat from Oklahoma. While he is not an employee of the CIA (some say this is open to question), Boren nevertheless is part of the intelligence community because he is the chair of the Select Committee on Intelligence."
Senator Patrick Leahy Biography:
<
http://leahy.senate.go/biography/sketch03.html>
Senator John Heinz Biography:
<
http://zeeb.library.cmu.edu/Libraries/Heinz/HJH_Bio.html#death>
REFERENCES:
George Tenet, Director of the CIA
<
http://media.abcnews.com/sections/politics/DailyNews/bush_advisors_tenet.html>
CIA FACELIFT, March 19, 1997
<
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/fedagencies/march97/cia_3-19.html>
Remarks by Director of Central Intelligence George J. Tenet on the
"Worldwide Threat 2001: National Security in a Changing World"
<
http://www.departmentofintelligence.com/en/ressource/renseignement/003.html>
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