Posted on 05/22/2010 8:51:05 AM PDT by BobMcCartyWrites
Research tells me the nation is not going to be safer with James R. Clapper Jr. as DNI, because his track record is one of a bureaucrat, not a problem solver.
Three months ago, I reported on Blair's decision to task an elite U.S. interrogation unit with conducting “scientific research” to find better ways of questioning top suspected terrorists. In part, I wrote:
So why wasn’t I surprised to read in an article that Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair told members of the House Intelligence Committee yesterday he is tasking an elite U.S. interrogation unit — an interagency group of top interrogators dubbed the “High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group” — with conducting “scientific research” to find better ways of questioning top suspected terrorists when one already exists? Because Director Blair is either being kept in the dark about the existence of this non-polygraph technology or he’s part of what appears to be a coordinated effort by individuals within the federal government to prevent a replacement for the 60-year-old technology known as the polygraph from gaining a foothold. [See No Need for Research, Interrogation Tool Exists (Feb. 4, 2009).]
Since a new government report released yesterday revealed that at least 16 known terrorists had passed through airports in the United States despite the presence of people trained to observe suspicious behavior, one can conclude that Blair's program failed and, perhaps, he should have opted for the non-polygraph technology mentioned in my Feb. 4 post.
That non-polygraph technology also has ties to Clapper. Just over a year ago, an action taken by Clapper in 2007 was the focus of a post about the technology which began this way:
The question of whether members of the U.S. military and intelligence communities should be allowed to use waterboarding and other forms of torture during interrogations might be largely irrelevant today if not for a memo signed by Under Secretary of Defense James R. Clapper Jr. Oct. 29, 2007.
On that day, Clapper issued a memo granting “Operational Approval of the Preliminary Credibility Assessment Screening System (PCASS)” and designating the polygraph and its cousin, the PCASS, as the “only approved credibility assessment technologies” in the Department of Defense.
In effect, Clapper made it possible for those in the defense polygraph community to maintain what some describe as a 60-plus year stranglehold on truth-detection activities within DoD — this despite the fact that newer, more accurate and more versatile technologies have proven themselves more worthy in recent years. [See If Not for Memo, Torture Might Not Be An Issue (Part 1) and If Not for Memo, Torture Might Not Be An Issue (Part 2).]
If, indeed, Clapper is named to DNI, one shouldn't expect much improvement. Just prepare to give up your seat as they rearrange the nation's national security "deck chairs".
Are we really to believe that nothing changed since 9/11. The President Bush’s team never got itself organized and sophisticated enough to implement strong protections for our country.
That they didn’t monitor communication between the terror networks and their financial transactions. That is until the NYSlimes chose to divulge our tactics that were keeping us safe.
The ball was dropped INTENTIONALLY by this madman in the oval office.
I heard that Brennan was being considered. Is he out of the running, now?
Crapper or Clapper?
Clap off.
“Research tells me the nation is not going to be safer with James R. Clapper Jr. as DNI...”
Beside the point. The nation is not going to be safe until we vote the big O out of office.
How many domestic terrorist attacks/attempts have there been in the mere year and a half (not even) that he’s been pres? 4, no?
And his, and his team’s, grotesque incompetence and destructive rhetoric pretty much assures attempts will continue to be made.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.