Posted on 08/25/2007 10:12:07 AM PDT by ChessExpert
On July 20, the CIA issued the most extraordinary press release. Director of Public Affairs Mike Mansfield wrote:
We generally don't comment on books, but we have departed from that on occasion, and have decided to do so in connection with Rowan Scarborough's new book, "Sabotage: America's Enemies Within the CIA."
(Excerpt) Read more at humanevents.com ...
Good discussion of CIA leaks and their effects.
You know the CIA must be the least effective, least secret agency in the history of the world.
And yet the conspiracy nuts attribute the CIA with everything from the Kennedy assassination to the destruction of the Twin Towers and everything in between.
I saw an interview with a CIA (former) agent once and he said "If we could do everything people think we can do it would require the combined efforts of every human being on the planet and all of it would be common knowledge."
L
To quote Jim Traficant.
“They’re so stupid they could throw themselves at the ground and miss.”
Sabotage is a great read!
Considering how leaky the CIA is, how corrupt the US Congress is and how inept FEMA is, one has to wonder just WHY anyone thinks giving the Goverement anymore control over anything would be a good idea.
Outside the US Military, can anyone show me a Govt bureacracy this is efficent, well run and effective?
Traficant does have a way with words even if he is in the slammer. lol
Nothin will be done about the CIA leaks. The Democrats want them.
His one liners alone were worth keeping him around. Also he was pretty conservative on most issues.
The gov't has failed us on every level.
The borders are not secure.
Illegal aliens are turned back into society even when they commit crimes.
Drugs are rampant even after a 40 year "war on drugs"
Crime goes unnoticed and excused. Convicts are given sentences that are laughable.
Our bridges and infrastructure are falling apart even though tax revenues are at all-time highs.
Our roads are clogged as expansion is blocked.
Our skies are clogged as changes are blocked.
And it goes on and on and on........
I don't know about efficient or well run, but the IRS is effective.
That fact alone speaks volumes about the priorities of government.
Course the Bordernuts think the gummit can solve that problem. Incoming!!
Pray for W and Our Troops
Since the objective of these leaks has been to discredit the Bush Administration and Republicans, I conclude that those responsible are doing so benefit DEMOCRATS in gaining control of the government to push a socialist agenda. Thus, the GREAT HARM which has been suffered by our national security was caused by Democrats and Democrat sympathizers within the CIA.
Sarborough and Babbin: 1
Mansfield: 0
I served 20 years in the AF and I hesitate to call the military eficient. It just so happens that a military’s performance is graded against other countries military forces which are also govt sponsored. Given that criteria the US military is outstanding.
Yeah, but they sure know how to spend money.
The FdGov Motto should be: "You may find better quality, but you will never spend more"
The Democrats call for a special counsel to investigate Gonzales statements to Congress is, mostly, political puffery. The real problem in the Justice Department is not the firings of US attorneys. Ask yourself: why havent the leakers of the CIA secret prisons, the SWIFT programs cooperation, and the NSA terrorist surveillance program been discovered and prosecuted?
An excellent question. Why hasn't the administration been more aggressive at finding and prosecuting the leakers?
“I don’t know about efficient or well run, but the IRS is effective”
They are not very effective in policing the underground economy produced by employers using illegal aliens. There are billions of dollars in Texas alone going unreported by the illegal employment of Mexicans in homes and businesses. Collection of those taxes could support the government for a long time and perhaps help out in impact that the illegals have here.
Scarborough was on C-SPAN a few days ago talking about his book. A hostile questioner in the audience, who said he had served in the CIA (probably retired), claimed that 80% of the people in the CIA were Republicans. I would guess the guy was a Democrat who was unhappy that everyone there wasn’t of his way of thinking...but even 20% would mean a lot of potential leakers able to cause trouble for a Republican administration.
Looks like I missed this on my summer reading list- will remedy this week:)
I think your post was meant for me; I was the one who mentioned the IRS.
You are of course right that the IRS misses the underground economy. But collecting taxes from committed lawbreakers is difficult and expensive. It is much easier (and more cost-effective) to go after law-abiding citizens.
Consider an analogous situation. I am told that the police in many cities do not even bother to investigate thefts that do not involve violence. But those same police departments are the model of diligence when it comes to issuing parking tickets.
This is follow-up article to “SABOTAGE: Rowan Scarborough Talks About his New CIA Book” posted at:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1886459/posts
The career people at all levels of the CIA are for the most part Dem. hacks, with their favorite media person identified to receive his/her “leak.” The Rep.appointed officers don’t have a chance.
Just read some of his quotes. Must give him credit for sense of humor. Did he ever produce the tape on Janet Reno?
You mean like health care?
I don’t know about a tape on Reno but he sure did have some choice things to say about her. She wasn’t one of his favorite people. :)
I'm with you on that. Inept as our govt. can be at these things, they do rather well on keeping track of we the citizens.
career employees are protected by their government union
The fix is easy - get rid of the CIA.
I saw him on c-span’s book review last week. Great guy. Really knows his stuff.
With patriots like the CIA who needs traitors???
John
“What needs to happen is for the CIA, NSA & FBI to be turned into training commands. They can offer services like fingerprint analysis, domestic surveillance, overseas surveillance, assassination, eavesdropping, hacking, etc. Then various joint commands responsible for threat areas, such as the southern border, the northern border, homegrown terrorism, etc. would draw on these services as needed to address their threat areas. This would get the CIA management out of the policy arena altogether. How much demand do you think there would be for CIA analysis capabilities?”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1886459/posts?page=5#5
Let’s see, the CIA conceived and executed an op against the President of The United States. It didn’t work out the way they hoped, they only took down Scooter Libby, but any rational person can see that it was a serious attempt to bring about America’s defeat in Iraq, and President Bush’s defeat in the next election.
agreed
and, as to treasonist acts by government persons, lets start with the Church Committee in the 70’s. Their work completely neutered the CIA and other intelligence agencies involved in foreign espionage. My recollection is that they are responsible for the complete break-down and cessation of our operatives and the deaths of several dozen agents and collaborators working overseas. The Senate should never be excused for probably the worst case of treason in US history. And all in the hollowed halls of Congreee!
I not only doubt him, I think this impossible.
Scarborough pointed out the extremely damaging impact of leaks on the CIA's ability to gain inside information in places like Iran--anyone who might be willing to help us is afraid to do so, because their identity could well be leaked, and they'd wind up dead.
The 'Rats in the permanent government have a "rule or ruin" outlook--if the administration is Republican, anything they can do to hurt it is OK, even if the country is seriously harmed in the process.
Thanks for bringing up that most important historical point. Thirty years later, and the CIA and the country still haven’t recovered.
and the friendly intelligence agencies in other countries are still reluctant to share intelligence because of our unsavory history from Sen. Church, and since. The world knows many in Congress would sacrifice their country before their careers, and handle our requests at arms length.
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