The Hunt for a New CIA Director
Back when John Brennan's name was being floated to head up the CIA, I wrote:
In light of that reality, it's encouraging to me that the Obama team is at least trying to find someone who is free of taint from the Bush administration. Ultimately, though, I think the person Obama selects to head up the Justice Department (Eric Holder) and the Office of Legal Counsel (not yet announced) will be much more important in steering the country away from the policies of the last eight years. The intelligence agencies will always want to do as much as they are legally permitted to do. The key is having someone at the OLC who respects the law and the Constitution and is willing to draw the lines where they should be.
The universe of people who have sufficient knowledge and experience to competently run our vast and sprawling intelligence apparatus is not very large and most of the qualified candidates are likely to be tainted in some way by their connections to the Bush administration. So while Brennan may now be out of the running, there's a reasonable likelihood that whoever is ultimately chosen will have a similar track record of questionable statements and associations.Today, Marc Ambinder reports:
Sources say that Obama's team is having trouble finding a potential CIA director who lacks politically incriminating links to controversial Bush Administration policies and yet commands the respect of the agency's rank and file.I'm not surprised. This is a genuine conundrum, which is why I was willing to cut Obama some slack on this particular pick. Obviously you'd like to find someone who wasn't involved in any way in carrying out the Bush's administration's illegal policies. On the other hand, if there's any place where competence matters, it's at the CIA. We don't want another Iraq WMD fiasco. And if you take someone who has been sitting on the sidelines for the last eight years and put them in charge of everything, the learning curve is going to be very steep.
In light of that reality, it's encouraging to me that the Obama team is at least trying to find someone who is free of taint from the Bush administration. Ultimately, though, I think the person Obama selects to head up the Justice Department (Eric Holder) and the Office of Legal Counsel (not yet announced) will be much more important in steering the country away from the policies of the last eight years. The intelligence agencies will always want to do as much as they are legally permitted to do. The key is having someone at the OLC who respects the law and the Constitution and is willing to draw the lines where they should be.
posted by A.L. at 5:00 PM
8 Comments:
So, we gotta look for a uomo di rispetto do we? I mean, c'mon, A.L, this isn't exactly Vito Corleone we're trying to replace, is it?
To hell with 'em if they don't respect the person Obama puts over there. Either they learn to respect him, and the policies he brings with him, or they find another line of work.
I assume you saw two related stories. HPSCI Chairman Reyes is suggesting that Obama keep McConnell and Hayden in their current posts for a period of time. Reyes also made some comments which are being interpreted as supporting the use of coercive interrogation techniques.
And DOJ is refusing to give the Obama transition team (which includes Marty Lederman) access to OLC opinions on CIA and NSA programs without clearance from those agencies.
I'd like to have General Anthony Zinni have a job in the new Administration .... CIA Director is any good as any ... he could do it beter than most.
As I recall, once in the past a CIA director was appointed at a time when the Agency needed to recover from a reputation for scandal and illegality. At that time President Ford went outside the agency and appointed an experienced politician/diplomat with (AFAIK) no prior connections in the intelligence world - namely George H.W. Bush. My recollection is also that Bush did a rather good job (others may disagree).
Is there some reason why Obama shouldn't do the same?
Why not Richard Clarke?
Yeh Clarke. Surely Clarke is up for something. He's a good man, dedicated, competent. On our side. Is his name in the hat for anything that you know of A.L.? Anyone?
I agree with Mr. Timberman. Hire whoever and make sure it is someone who will clean house if need be. Based on the previous performance of the US intelligence community, this would be a good opportunity to make some change we can believe in.
Oh, and I think I know the term for someone the rank and file will respect; they are normally called co-conspirators.
Obviously Mr. Timberman has no clue as to what goes on in the CIA, but anyway and to the real point. The important thing here is not who Obama is going to pick but who is dumb enough to take the job operating under these new policies. Why would anyone take a job where they have taken all the tools away and then hold that person responsible when tens of thousands; or worst, of Americans are killed in the next attack on our country? Anyone who is smart enough to handle this job is well aware, all one needs is a once of common sense to know not to touch this job with a ten foot pole.
No one is advocating inflicting mindless suffering like Sadam Hussein or terrorist use is the answer. However in the most extreme cases where it is know it will save American lives; techniques like weatherboarding are unfortunately indispensable. President Elect Obama is going to have to resign himself to this before a qualified person accepts the position.
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