Posted on 11/12/2004 9:04:40 PM PST by TexKat
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A CIA analyst who wrote a book that criticized the U.S. war on terror has resigned from the spy agency after it effectively banned him from publicly discussing his views, his publicist said on Thursday.
Michael Scheuer, whose book "Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War on Terror" was signed as "anonymous" and published this summer, will resign effective Friday after 22 years at the Central Intelligence Agency.
In a statement, Scheuer said the CIA had not forced him to resign, "but I have concluded that there has not been adequate national debate over the nature of the threat posed by Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) and the forces he leads and inspires, and the nature and dimensions of intelligence reform needed to address that threat."
He intends to speak to the media over the next several weeks, including an appearance on the CBS show "60 Minutes" on Sunday.
Scheuer's statement said senior leadership had allowed the intelligence officers working against al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden to be made scapegoats for pre-Sept. 11 failures.
Scheuer was chief of the CIA Counterterrorist Center's unit which focused on bin Laden from 1996 to 1999 and remained a CIA analyst after that.
"The Atlantic Monthly" in its December issue published a letter sent by Scheuer to U.S. congressional intelligence committees that said the key pre-Sept. 11 intelligence failures were mainly the result of bad decisions by senior officials.
"While the 11 September attacks probably were unstoppable, it was decisions by human beings -- featuring arrogance, bad judgment, disdain for expertise, and bureaucratic cowardice -- that made sure the Intelligence Community did not operate optimally to defend America," Scheuer said in the letter.
In June, just before Scheuer's book was published, he did a series of media interviews, appearing on TV in silhouette and was identified in print as "Mike."
In the first week of August, CIA officials told him that he had to ask for permission in advance for media interviews and provide summaries of what would be discussed ahead of time, Scheuer's editor and publicist Christina Davidson said.
"They rejected every single request," she said. "It was effectively a ban."
His book said the United States was losing the war against terrorism and that sticking to current policies would only make its enemies in the Islamic world grow stronger.
The statement released by his publicist about Scheuer's resignation said that "after a cordial meeting with senior CIA officials on Tuesday, Scheuer decided that it would be in the best interests of the intelligence community and the country for him to resign in order to continue speaking publicly with regard to Osama Bin Laden, al Qaeda, and the 9-11 Commission Report." A CIA spokeswoman had no immediate comment.
http://www.drudgereport.com/flash2.htm ^
Osama bin Laden now has religious approval to use a nuclear device against Americans, says the former head of the CIA unit charged with tracking down the Saudi terrorist. The former agent, Michael Scheuer, speaks to Steve Kroft in his first television interview without disguise to be broadcast on 60 MINUTES Sunday, Nov. 14 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.
He wrote an obnoxious Bush-bashing tract that was seeped in anti-Semitism. Apparently he thinks that if we let the Arabs push all the "Jooooooos" into the sea, then Osama will be nice to us.
we do not need people with a security clearance who are trying to protect us going around and sharing our secrets with whoever will listen. all disgruntled employees of the world: quit!
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Why did HILLARY & BILL CLINTON refuse 3 Free Offers from the Sudan during the 1990's to give us OSAMA bin LADEN on a Silver Platter..?
Why did HILLARY & BILL CLINTON's own Energy Secretary BILL RICHARDSON, of Los Alamos New Mexico, authorize the setting of fires in the forests surrounding our Los Alamos Nuclear Labs during its annual windy season..?
Why was our own Suitcase NUKE Technology the only thing that turned up missing after these fires went thru the Los Alamos Nuclear Labs..?
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If this guy can't keep a secret, he has no business working for the CIA.
You don't have to like the guy, you can question his motives....but it makes sense to analyze what he's saying. His creds are legitamate.
I can scarcely read 10 words of his IMPERIAL HUBRIS book. It's just so loaded with ideology. "How can this guy be working for the CIA ?" is all I can think of. Well, I've seen indications on this forum and elsewhere that there is an answer to that question.
I apologize for my obscurity/brevity.
What I mean is this.
Of course his motives for his writings may come into question. Hell, everybody who writes a book/column/post has an 'agenda' or 'motive' for doing so...thats a given.
In "his creds" I was referring to his credentials. He was head of a unit tasked with keeping track of OBL. This position by its very nature placed information in his grasp that far exceeds that available to the average bear.
As to his credibility - like I said, everybody has an agenda.
My basic comments is perhaps better stated as this:
Just because you don't like the guy, don't discount his entire message.
Which is what? That we're a bunch of arrogant assholes and Osama is a tuned in dude? That's what I'm getting! I'm sorry!
"Which is what? That we're a bunch of arrogant assholes and Osama is a tuned in dude? That's what I'm getting! I'm sorry!"
Mister...I don't know...maybe its late for you and you're having trouble with comprehension...maybe you are baiting me by asking dumbsh*t questions...maybe you truly do not understand.
This thread is about a former CIA employee. This man was the former head of the team tasked with keeping track of the activities and organizations surrounding Osama bin Laden.
AGAIN..my gist is that it is foolish to discount what he says - THE FORMER CIA AGENT - simply because you think he has another agenda or you simply don't like what he writes.
I do hope this clarifys my post.
What do you mean, 'agent' ?
I thought he was an 'analyst'. How can a CIA agent write a book entitled IMPERIAL HUBRIS ? Well, I'm open minded, so I scanned the book. All a saw were leftist homilies. I just don't see how any particular knowledge he may have had about Osama's activities and whereabouts would bear on the overarching rhetoric he was dispensing. This left me perplexed. "How could this guy be working for the CIA?" That was and remains my pressing question.
On the face of it, he's some kind of anti-US operative in the CIA dispensing anti-US propaganda, and nobody able to oppose him. A scenario unfortunately not difficult to imagine. Cf. the unfolding news about chaos within the CIA under the new director.
"The Vatican in the sixteenth century was a hotbed of atheism"
This scumbag can sing like a canary all he wants.
Too late. We WON the election.
Oh I see, this guy resigned so he could sell his book, and speak out against the President right?
A little late for an "OCTOBER SURPRISE"... President Bush was re-elected and cBS is so discredited now,that a stinking loser,who is a supposed OBL "exert",but did less than nothing to prevent 9/11,will only enrage those morons who loved Clinton and voted for Kerry.
bttt
He sings the praises of OBL and writes anti-Semitic tripe!
And what has he done,other than anonymously write anti-Bush diatribes and this creepy book,AFTER 9/11? Clinton was a coward and a moron.He refused to take OBL THREE times,when he was offered up on a silver platter. President Bush would have taken OBL any way he could! But noooooooooooooooo,this "expert" has done NOTHING to help us get OBL,who he thinks is a genius.
Right.
Which makes him what? Remember that Clinton was offered OBL and refused him. Give me a break, this guy is a partisan hack who is intent on destroying the administration. I will not fill my head with his propaganda.
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