The Intelligence Mess

[Overpaid Slacker]

Grab a cup of coffee, settle into your favorite chair, and check out this article by Andrew McCarthy about the state of US Intelligence Agencies (in 2004), with a brief history on how we got here.

An excellent insight, IMHO.

JP

[widebody911]

Cliff's Notes version: blame Clinton.

[Jim Richards]

Oh, uh, thanks Thom. I have trouble with the big words.

[Overpaid Slacker]

Friends, read it for yourself and decide if McCarthy is the political hack, or if it's Thom. Or, better yet, decide for yourself if Clinton deserves blame (*gasp*) and how much.

Excerpt: "Throughout the eight years of the Clinton administration, as militant Islam's jihad against America escalated, the federal courts became the linchpin of counterterror strategy. This began understandably enough. The 1993 WTC bombing was viewed as a domestic crime. Although, years later, investigators and journalists would link the bombing to al Qaeda, and al Qaeda in turn to prior terrorist acts against the U.S., at the time not much was known about Osama bin Laden, his network, and his national support systems in Afghanistan and Sudan. No one credibly could fault President Clinton for handling the matter as a court case or for not responding militarily."

Cliff's Notes get you a "C" and you're never actually exposed to the primary source information that might inform, educate and/or influence you.

Hmmm.... I guess if the Cliff's Notes "style" is someone's modus operandi, it would explain a lot of the "analysis" we habitually get from some hereon.

JP

[Jim Richards]

Friends, read it for yourself and decide if McCarthy is the political hack, or if it's Thom.

He certainly is in the business of promoting his views of the "war on terrorism" and how it has been waged. Is he right or balanced? I'll just leave that one for you guys to decide for yourselves.

Here's a bit more background on the fellow:

http://www.benadorassociates.com/mccarthy.php

[Overpaid Slacker]

Good link, Jim. Thanks!

The guy has not just been in the trenches of the WoT, but on the law enforcement side, he was the pointy end of the bayonet! For more than a decade...

He might have a clue about this topic.

JP

[Jim Richards]

...or he might enjoy the income his views are generating with like-minded people.

[Overpaid Slacker]

... or both.

But you don't get rich as a prosecutor. He served his time (as well as his country). I hope he makes millions, if that's what he wants. He's got unique, first hand experience that is apropos to questions of how and why we got here, what works and what doesn't.

Personally, I find that kind of source more edifying than a WaPo/NYT reporter writing agenda pieces (with no first hand knowledge with his ass in the grass), in hopes of getting a Pulitzer, a book deal, and the lauds and accolades of his like-minded friends.

But to each his own.

JP

[techweenie]

Terrorism is a crime. It's actually best fought with police tactics rather than with the blunt and indiscriminate force of the military.

Respect for the rule of law isn't a luxury only afforded to the safe and secure countries of the world. The law allows us to take decisive and fair action against terrorists and retain the respect of the world.

Blundering in with bombs and overstressed ground troops has weakened the US image around the world and made us appear more vulnerable and less able to retaliate -- especially considering the example of OBL's continued freedom.

Clinton deserved some (but not that much, since he made a good effort to kill OBL and had given the CIA orders to get al Qaeda) blame, but so does Bush, and so do the loonies who employed 200 FBI agents to look into an old real estate deal of the Clintons'.

Plenty of blame to go around.

[Overpaid Slacker]

Originally posted by techweenie
Plenty of blame to go around.

We're in complete agreement on that (and only that ) point. If we don't "fix" the blame, we won't fix the problems, IMHO.

"Fixing" the blame, AFAIC, is not a punitive exercise, and it is only an initial step in the whole process. Once you've "fixed" the blame, use that info to fix the problems.

As long as what we need to accurately fix the blame hasn't wandered out of top-secret clearance-only archives in Sandy Burger's boxer shorts.

JP

[techweenie]

Oh, and the article -- surprisingly appearing in a right wing publication(!) continues to repeat the fiction that the "firewall" between the CIA and FBI was invented under the Clinton administration. It was not. It was discussed and the details refined, but the rule had long been in place.

[cegerer]

I thought he said he stuffed the incriminating documents into his SOCKS? Christ, no wonder nobody's interested in pursuing the crime!

[techweenie]

Originally posted by cegerer
I thought he said he stuffed the incriminating documents into his SOCKS? Christ, no wonder nobody's interested in pursuing the crime!

Jeez, is this Rehashing Conservative Fiction Day? Berger took copies of after-action report notes to prepare for his testimony. No biggie. His national security clearance was restored after a short suspension.

[fastpat]

Originally posted by widebody911
Cliff's Notes version: blame Clinton.

That's what I expected. The real fact is that there was NO compromise in the intelligence field during the Clinton Regime, since I was involved in that area once upon a time, I can tell you that since Clinton was willing to send the military to so many countries (for whatever reason) he was well thought of among the reserves during his tenure in office. Further, the Intelligence three letter agencies receive over 30 billion dollars a year, a fact all during the Clinton years.

In short, the Intelligence information was there, the Bush'ists ignored that part of it that didn't comport with what they wanted to do prior to coming into office.

[fintstone]

Originally posted by techweenie
Jeez, is this Rehashing Conservative Fiction Day? Berger took copies of after-action report notes to prepare for his testimony. No biggie. His national security clearance was restored after a short suspension.

So are you saying that the fine of $50,000.00 and the 3-year security clearance suspension were for something else he did?