Porter Goss MUST be scrutinized aggressively. It's no longer just 'one of those mysteries.'

[seafan]

I have never understood, other than for longtime friendship with a fellow Floridian, why Bob Graham so strongly supported the Goss nomination for DCI. It is, to me, one of the most mystifying actions Graham has ever taken.




Wagons circled at CIA over tapes' demise

By Greg Miller, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
December 24, 2007



Matthew Cavanaugh / EPA
EX-DIRECTOR: Porter J. Goss

"Getting rid of tapes in Washington," Goss said, according to an official involved in the discussions, "is an extremely bad idea."

The service has been blamed for botched operations and spy scandals for decades, from the disastrous 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba through failures leading up to the Iraq war. It is one of the agency's three main divisions; the others are devoted to analysis and to development of espionage science and technology.

But the clandestine service has long been the most influential branch in the agency. It has a reputation for undermining directors perceived as hostile to the service -- including Goss -- and has developed a fierce instinct for protecting the agency's interests.

The clandestine service "is almost tribal in nature," said a former senior CIA official familiar with the discussions on the tapes. "They believe that no one else will look out for them so they have to look out for themselves."

That culture, current and former intelligence officials said, helps to explain why Rodriguez ordered the tapes destroyed despite cautions against doing so from senior lawmakers, White House attorneys and the agency's director.

It may also account for why Rodriguez was not punished or fired after that decision was disclosed. Rodriguez is now in the CIA's retirement program and is expected to leave the agency in the coming months. His successor at the clandestine service remains undercover.

The CIA has maintained that all of its interrogation methods were lawful and approved in advance by the Justice Department.

In his statement, Hayden said the agency feared that officers on the tapes might have their cover blown and face retaliation by members of Al Qaeda. Other officials said there was also concern that the tapes could put the officers in legal jeopardy.

The CIA's clandestine service is sometimes portrayed as a rogue element within the agency. But current and former officials said it is in many ways a cautious institution that is careful to secure White House authorization and legal cover before accepting potentially controversial assignments.

"If you don't sit in on their meetings, it is hard to appreciate the caution that underlies most of their decisions," said Mark Lowenthal, a former senior aide to Tenet. "The mythology of a bunch of rambunctious cowboys just isn't who they are."

Goss had been sharply critical of the clandestine service while in Congress and came to the agency promising sweeping changes. But within months of his arrival, a series of CIA veterans -- including three top officers in the clandestine service -- resigned in protest of Goss' leadership.

Rodriguez had been Goss' pick to lead the clandestine service.

Goss is one of several CIA directors whose tenures were marred if not abbreviated by tangles with the clandestine service.

.....

Directors who have cultivated close ties to the clandestine service have tended to hold their jobs longer.

Goss was forced out of his job six months after the tapes were destroyed and was succeeded by Hayden, who has made a series of steps to align himself with the clandestine service.

As one of his first moves, Hayden brought back officials who had resigned under Goss to run the service. Hayden also launched an investigation of the CIA's inspector general after spies said they had been unfairly treated by the inspector during internal investigations. That probe has been completed, and, as a result, the agency plans to make changes in the way it conducts internal investigations, intelligence officials said.

My observations:


1. Looks as if Goss is parsing words when he said that destroying the tapes in Washington was a bad idea.... So was that a green light to destroy them overseas instead?

2. Rodriguez gave the order to destroy the tapes because he sought and received assurance from the DOJ/WH lawyers that there was no legal ramification for doing so. This is probably the actual reason Rodriguez was not fired *as a rogue actor*.... he actually acted under directives from on high. If he had been fired for *acting on his own*, his termination at CIA surely would have directed the spotlight on those higher up who were ultimately responsible for the command to destroy the tapes.

3. It was likely at this point that Rodriguez and Goss no longer saw eye to eye. Rodriguez refused to take the fall for the tapes' destruction, and Goss was canned 6 months later.

4. Unlike Goss, DCI Hayden has now been cozying up to the Clandestine Service, bringing back those career employees who had quit under Goss.

5. Rodriguez is the TOP witness against Goss and the individuals at DOJ and the WH. The very brightest legal and prosecutorial minds must collaborate in the upcoming appearance by Rodriguez on on Capitol Hill on January 16, 2008. This iron is hot.

November 15, 2004

"As agency employees we do not identify with, support or champion opposition to the administration or its policies," Mr. Goss said in the memorandum, which was circulated late on Monday. He said in the document that he was seeking to clarify beyond doubt the rules of the road." .... Porter Goss, November 15, 2004, new CIA Director

Goss: CIA resignation 'one of those mysteries', May 6, 2006

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Porter Goss said Saturday that his surprise resignation as CIA director is "just one of those mysteries," offering no other explanation for his sudden departure after almost two years on the job. ....

Goss' abrupt resignation Friday took Washington by surprise. Reporters were summoned in early afternoon to the Oval Office, where Bush -- with the CIA director seated next to him -- announced the change.

No reason was given for Goss' resignation, but the White House has been in the midst of an administration shakeup since Josh Bolten took over as chief of staff.

"(Goss) offered his resignation as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency. I've accepted it," Bush said. .....

'One of those mysteries', indeed.

[HardWorkingDem]

1. The Porter Goss era shows just another example of how weak our media has become..

This is a story that baffled me from day one. Not only that, the entire media folded and blew it on this story. How can a director of the CIA suddenly resign and no one seems to give a shit, care or give a rat's ass to ask why.

Hell, I guess maybe those in the media were along for the ride with whatever scandal this man was involved in.

[rateyes]

2. k 'n r.

:kick: