The events of September 11, 2001 were the result of the largest failure of our intelligence agencies since their creation. Clues abounded everywhere, but no one connected the dots. Changes were needed. Changes that upset the entrenched bureaucracy. It was clear that in order to succeed, the changes that were recommended by the September 11 Commission would need to come from top down and from someone who is highly experienced in the intelligence world.
Just because we have a new President and administration, the threats we face as a Nation at home and abroad do not go away. President-Elect Barack Obama's pick to be the head of the Central Intelligence Agency is mind boggling to say the least. Leon Panetta, a former Clinton chief of staff, Office of Management and Budget Director and Congressman, is a pure politician with absolutely no intelligence experience. How is he going to lead the CIA in these perilous times? Will he rely on his deputies and lower level intelligence officers? If so, who? Will they be long-time bureaucrats who are resistant to the change necessary to keep up with the threats that face us? Or will he impose an agenda that is driven by politics and public polls?
Mr. Obama's picks for his cabinet level positions actually tell a lot about him. This particular pick conveys a message that he is not serious about intelligence and he is politicizing the position. I hope and pray that the United States is not attacked again, because if it is, mark my words, this decision will come back to haunt him.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
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2 comments:
The reason I did not vote for Barack Obama was that I was very concerned about his foreign policy positions re/protecting our country, ending the Iraqi war, etc. It didn't seem to me that he was anywhere near as serious about these things as President Bush has been. Since his election, at times I have thought I was wrong, and indeed, hope I have been. But reading this post, now I'm wondering all over again...as a praying woman, my request to the Lord will be that our new President's decisions reflect the wisdom of God. And that any mistakes already made wil be undone.
Yea I laughed when I read about Pannetta to......let's just say, the "intelligence" we had before 9/11 ALL came from a democratic administration....with that being said, the words intelligence and democratic administration should never be uttered in the same sentence!
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